June 2010 Chicago Events | What's Happening in Chicago | Visitor Things To Do from Chicago Traveler
Under the Sun & Stars
With the coming of June, the Summer season has arrived, bringing with it a host of activities that have been on the shelf since last Fall. Confirming this fact, June 12 is National Get Outdoors Day. We chose an outdoor theme to this month's Highlights in order to help you make the most of the warm weather and sunny skies. Get outside and enjoy what Chicago offers all summer long.
Summer in Chicago means that most of our music concerts move to outdoor venues and restaurants open their outdoor dining spaces. This month’s highlights give you the rundown on the venues hosting outdoor concerts and we’re offering just a sampling of restaurants with outside dining.
Summer is also a time to soak in the warm temperatures and celebrate in a traditional summer style - with fireworks - we’ve got the information you need to make the most of these wonderful displays of light. Finally, we’ll give you an update for what’s happening in June at Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago's free zoo on the lakefront, including the opening of its new Nature Boardwalk.
Outdoor Summer Concerts
If it’s summertime in Chicago, then our biggest and best concerts are moving outdoors. Whether under the stars or the warm sun, an outdoor concert just seems to be more relaxing and enjoyable. When you can have a picnic dinner or snack at the venue, it makes for a more personal experience too. Chicago’s smaller venues provide a more intimate gathering and the large venues can accommodate the biggest bands that bring out thousands of fans.
The outdoor concert venues in and around Chicago have geared up for a great summer season. See Bon Jovi at Soldier Field or the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia; sit under the stars at Millennium Park or on the lakefront at Charter One Pavilion; take a ride up to Wisconsin to see Dave Matthews at Alpine Valley or the American Idols Tour at Milwaukee’s Summerfest. The concert venues are as varied as the artists that play there.
For tickets, check out the venue's web site or try Ticketmaster for the best prices.
Here's some info to help you choose this summer's concert musts!
Grant Park Taste of Chicago – Every summer, the City of Chicago hosts its famous Taste of Chicago. In addition to a huge array of food offerings, the Taste features a myriad of outdoor concerts and, best of all, these shows are all free. Beginning Friday, June 24 and continuing through Sunday, July 4, each day will bring new acts to choose from, such as Gavin Rossdale, Rob Thomas and Los Lobos. The concerts are held at two different stages within Grant Park. The Petrillo Music Shell will host the more popular bands. The bands playing on the Illinois Lottery Taste Stage will be based on a daily theme, including garage rock, dance party, cover bands, salute to the 80's, country music and more. On Friday, July 2, there will be a battle of the bands from 4-7pm. Grant Park is located adjacent to Millennium Park.
Ravinia – Each summer, Ravinia hosts well over 100 concert events. While the acts are diverse – classical, jazz, pop, rock and musical theater, just to name a few – one constant for which you can always rely is the quality of performances selected for Ravinia. What makes the Ravinia experience so special is the sophisticated picnic atmosphere. Although Ravinia includes a 3,200-seat covered Pavilion, most would agree the best way to enjoy a show is on the expansive lawn. Here you'll see all possible forms of picnicking, from a simple take-out meal in a paper bag on a big comfy blanket, to a culinary extravaganza with short tables covered with linen cloths, candles and crystal wine goblets. You can bring your own food and beverages or make a purchase at one of several restaurants and kiosks within Ravinia. Bring your lawn chairs or rent them there. Those with reserved seats in the Pavilion will often picnic on lawn, then move to their seats at show time.
There are far too many events this summer to list them all, so to give you an idea of what's in store for summer 2010, we'll list a few here. Click the entertainer's name to order premium tickets and be sure to check Ravinia's web site to see the full calendar of events.
- 06/13 – Sheryl Crow
- 06/20 – Jethro Tull
- 06/28 – 08/01 Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- 07/17, 07/18 – Sting
- 08/08 – The Temptations & The Four Tops
- 08/20 – Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma
- 09/04 – Train
Ravinia is located about 20 miles north of Chicago in the suburb of Highland Park. On concert nights, traffic can be extremely slow, so the best way to get to the park is on the Metra's Union Pacific North Line. There is a stop right at Ravinia.
Millennium Park – This great park is one of Chicago's most recent and finest achievements, creating a beautifully landscaped space with extraordinary architecture and art. A portion of this Park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, a wonderful outdoor entertainment venue with a state of the art sound system and beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. The Pavilion seats 4,000, plus an additional 7,000 on the Great Lawn. Throughout the summer, Millennium Park hosts a number of free concert events in the categories of Classical, Jazz, World Music, Gospel and Rock/Indie/Electronic, as well as dance presentations. Check the Park's event calendar for detailed information. The Park also features the following regular series:
- Mondays, 12:00 noon (06/07 – 09/04). Edible Audible Picnic - various DJ's and live bands. This event is also held on a few Saturdays during the summer.
- Mondays, 6:30 or 7:30pm (05/24 – 07/26). Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays – cutting edge indie rock, pop bands and rock veterans.
- Thursdays at 6:30pm (06/03 – 07/22). Music Without Borders – International series of music from around the globe.
- Various Days (06/16 – 08/21). Grant Park Music Festival – classical music by the Grant Park Orchestra, the Grant Park Choir and special guests.
Take a chair or blanket and a few snacks and enjoy the show. Note that you may not be able to see the stage from the lawn; be prepared to just enjoy the great sound and ambiance. Also, because Millennium Park events are free, you should plan to arrive early.
Soldier Field – This famous stadium is home to the Chicago Bears for football and the Chicago Fire for soccer. The recently renovated Soldier Field has seating for 61,500, plus the entire field for general admission lawn seating, so in the off-season, it's the perfect place to host the biggest names in concerts. This summer's concerts include:
- 06/12 - Bamboozle Roadshow Music Festival – all day music fest with alternative and pop music, over a dozen bands and two separate stages.
- 06/19 – The Eagles with the Dixie Chicks & Keith Urban
- 07/30-07/31 – Bon Jovi
Soldier Field is located at Chicago's Museum Campus, south of Millennium Park and Buckingham Fountain.
First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – First Midwest, located south of Chicago in Tinley Park, hosts some of the biggest names in music. Park capacity is 28,000. Here is just a portion of this summer's schedule:
- 06/05 - Q101 Jamboree – Q101 is a Chicago alternative rock station; this event features two stages and 12 bands.
- 07/17 – Lilith - the 2010 return of this celebration of women in music; fundraising for national and local women's charities.
- 08/17 – Ozzfest 2010 – Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, plus 10 other bands.
We have just a few words of caution on this music venue. The location is not ideal, traffic can be a bear, parking is poor and many have voiced a concern for lack of security and insufficient restroom facilities.
Charter One Pavilion – This venue is located at the former Meigs Field on the Chicago lakefront within the Museum Campus. The pavilion seats 7,500. You can park at Soldier Field, and then take the free shuttle to Adler Planetarium, which is near the venue. Here's just a sampling of this summer's performances:
- 06/29 – Unity Tour 2010: 311 & The Offspring
- 07/09-07/10 – O.A.R.
- 07/20 – Goo Goo Dolls
- 09/16 – Alice in Chains
Two additional venues worth mentioning are just north of the Illinois –
Wisconsin border. First, at
Alpine Valley Music Theatre located in East
Troy, WI, you can see Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson and Phish. This venue has a 7,500 seat pavilion, plus a sprawling lawn for a
total capacity of 37,000. Second,
Milwaukee Summerfest will run from
June 24 through July 4. This affordable lakefront festival features over
800 big-name, national and local bands on 11 stages, a variety of food,
beer and more beer, and people-watching. The general admission fee
provides you access to the entire festival, except for the Marcus
Amphitheatre stage, which features the top acts and requires a reserved
seat ticket.
Click below for premium tickets:
- Alpine Valley Tickets
- Milwaukee Summerfest Tickets
Al Fresco Dining
Summer in Chicago means our favorite restaurants have expanded their seating to the outdoors. While the list of al fresco dining opportunities is endless, we’ll point to just a few to get you in the mood and ready for summertime dining.
The Plaza at Park Grill – This American cuisine casual restaurant has a prime location at Millennium Park. In the summer, Park Grill's terrace becomes the city's largest outdoor dining spot with 350 seats. The menu is varied, with abundant choices of starters and entrees, as well as a kid's menu. You can even pick up a picnic lunch or dinner to go at the Park Café. You'll enjoy live entertainment and even get a glimpse of Chicago's summer fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. Every Thursday, from June 3 to September 2, Chicago's 101.9 The Mix radio station hosts "Party in the Park", with different bands playing at 4:00pm and 5:30pm.
Smith & Wollensky – This nationally known upscale steakhouse is located on the Chicago River at Marina City, offering views of the River and Chicago's Loop. While they call themselves a steakhouse, they also offer a good variety of seafood. They have great bread to start, and the service here is top notch.
Pegasus Restaurant and Taverna – Pegasus, located in the heart of Greektown, is an authentic Mediterranean restaurant. Its rooftop veranda is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and serves a great variety of small plates, from traditional Tzatziki to the Greek version of crab cakes known as Kavourokeftedes. They feature a number of dessert creations, such as a chocolate raspberry truffle mousse cake and cinnamon walnut Baklava. The rooftop provides a nice view of the Chicago skyline. Inside, Pegasus offers a full menu of Greek and Mediterranean cuisine.
Noodles in the Pot – This is a very affordable Thai restaurant located in Lincoln Park. Their menu includes a nice variety of Asian appetizers, soups and salads, as well as noodle, curry and rice dishes. The Chicken Coconut Curry and the Pad Thai are very popular, as is the Rama Special (sautéed chicken, broccoli and peanut sauce). They serve a Thai Iced Tea and a Bubble Tea of mango, plum, taro and green tea). They have lunch specials, with even better prices, Monday through Friday. The outside patio area is vey pleasant. This is a BYOB restaurant. Their sister restaurant, Joy's Noodles & Rice, has the same owners, same menu and also has a nice outdoor area. It is located in the Lakeview neighborhood at N. Broadway and W. Belmont Avenues.
Rivers Restaurant – Located in the Mercantile Exchange Building in the Loop, Rivers' outdoor deck is on the Chicago River with seating for 150. This restaurant has a nice not-too-expensive menu of steaks, seafood, pasta. At lunchtime, they add sandwiches and entrée salads to the menu. The Charred Beef Salad is a favorite. Rivers is the perfect spot for happy hour on the patio. They feature live entertainment on the patio on Friday nights.
The Green at Grant Park – This is quite the unique spot within the bustling city. Located at Grant Park, this is actually an 18-hole putting golf course, but they also serve food on their large patio. (It's fine to visit to eat only; there's no obligation to golf!) Reviews have been great; this tranquil garden setting is the perfect place to relax, unwind, have a bite to eat, and sip a cool drink. You'll have nice views of the city skyline, Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park and Monroe Harbor. The menu features a number of small plates, salads, sandwiches, beer, wine and typical kids' menu items. If you do choose to golf, a round is $10 for adults and $7 for kids.
Fontana Grill & Wine Bar – This Uptown establishment has a nice spacious dining patio and moderately priced Italian cuisine. They have stone-fired pizzas, standard Italian fare and even a burger with truffle fries. You can try a number of wines; they have a mix-and-match program where you can order your wine by the ounce for tastings.
Lakefront Fireworks
Chicago doesn’t limit its fireworks to the 4th of July. All summer long, the Navy Pier Fireworks are held Wednesdays at 9:30pm (June 16 – Sept. 1) and Saturdays at 10:15pm (May 29 – Sept. 4). These spectacular fireworks displays are synchronized to music. In addition to the Wednesday/Sunday schedule, Navy Pier will have fireworks on Sunday, July 4 at 9:00pm as part of the Citywide Fireworks. And, in conjunction with the Tall Ships festival, the Pier will host daily fireworks Tuesday, August 24 through Sunday, August 29.
There are a number of ways to enjoy these fireworks. Our favorite is aboard one a Chicago's sightseeing cruise boats. Just about all of the cruise boats docked at Navy Pier and on the Chicago River offer special cruises for viewing the fireworks. We've compiled a Fireworks Cruise Comparison Chart so you can easily choose the cruise that's best for you. A full plated dinner on the Odyssey? A casual river cruise on a Wendella boat? Check our chart to help you decide.
A fun (and free) spot for viewing the Navy Pier fireworks is at the Beer Garden at Navy Pier. Located at the east end of the pier, it's the perfect vantage point for the fireworks. The Beer Garden also offers live entertainment, burgers, brats, hotdogs, pizza and, of course, beer. Be warned, it can get very crowded on the Pier, so just be patient and enjoy.
Other fireworks viewing spots include Millennium Park, Grant Park, the lawns at Museum Campus and just about anywhere along the lakefront.
On a side note, the city of Chicago has eliminated its traditional July 3 Grant Park fireworks celebration. In order to address budget constraints, as well as citizen safety concerns, on July 3 the city will offer three smaller fireworks displays along the lakefront – Montrose Beach (north), Navy Pier (central), and 63rd Street Beach (south).
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo, on Chicago’s north side, is home to all sorts of animals within its many sections: a bear habitat, lion house, sea lion pool, flamingo habitat, penguin and seabird house, a children’s zoo and much more. What’s so unique about this zoo is that, while you’re in this natural, tranquil setting, you can still be awed by the beauty of the city’s skyscrapers. Lincoln Park Zoo is open 365 days a year and is always free.
The Lincoln Park Zoo has a nice schedule of events planned for June. On June 6 they are hosting the United Run for the Zoo. You can choose between a 10k run, 5k run or 5k fun walk. Registration is required for this chip-timed racing event and pre-registration is encouraged due to the race's popularity – it may sell out. Day of race registration begins at 6:30am and the races have staggered starts from 8:00am to 8:45am. There is a free Hawk Hustle for the little ones at 10:00am.
On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, join fellow yoga-enthusiasts at Lincoln Park Zoo for outdoor yoga classes, which are held on the South Lawn. Registration is required for these classes, which are sold as a four-class package for $56 (zoo members) or $64 (non-members). Choose Adult Hatha Yoga on Thursdays at 6:30pm or Saturdays at 9am or Mom/Dad & Baby Yoga on Wednesdays at 9am.
On June 25, Lincoln Park Zoo will host the first Jammin' at the Zoo for the 2010 summer season. This event is a monthly outdoor concert, held on the South Lawn. Be sure to being your blanket or a small chair. You can purchase dinner at Park Place Café, and beer and wine will be sold at the concert. (Note that the zoo does not allow outside food or beverages.) As of this writing, the schedule of bands has not been announced; check the Zoo's website for performance information. Other Jammin' at the Zoo dates are July 23 and August 27. Ticket prices at the gate are $28 for adults and $14 for children (age 4-12). Discounts are offered for advance ticket purchases and for zoo members. Note that these concerts do sell out, so it's best to get your tickets early!
An ongoing feature at the Zoo is Story Time. Every Monday and Wednesday at 9:15 and 10:00am, children six and under are invited to hear wild stories from Professor Boonie (Mondays) or participate with Mr. Singer in dancing and sing along fun (Wednesdays). Each session is 30 minutes. Story Time is held at Farm-in-the-Zoo.
Finally, after over a year of construction, the Zoo's transformation of the South Pond to the new Nature Boardwalk is just about complete. On June 24, the Nature Boardwalk will be unveiled. This foresty nature area, with new natural shorelines and native vegetation, will provide an 8-acre wildlife habitat and a natural ecosystem and a tranquil setting for visitors. Its turtle-shaped education pavilion will be a learning venue for kids and adults alike. This $12 million renovation should prove to be spectacular. For a most unique experience, in mid-July the Zoo will begin its "Sleep Under the Skyscrapers" program with opportunities to pitch a tent and spend the night at the Nature Boardwalk. The $50 per camper fee will include tent rental, guided nature walk, pizza dinner and breakfast.
For many other June events, see our Chicago Events Calendar.
Chicago Highlights is a publication of Chicago Traveler. For more issues, see the Chicago Highlights Archive.
