updated July 11, 2018

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience Chicago in the summertime, you know it’s a truly unforgettable experience. The winter is long, so we really know how to apprecite the good weather. Whether you live in the Chi or you'll be visiting sometime this summer, here's a list of events celebrating Blackness that you'll want add to your calendar!

26th Annual African/Caribbean International Festival of Life

July 6 - 8, 2018
Union Park, 1501 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60606
General Admission: $25, 3-Day $75 (tickets must be purchased at the gate)

28th Annual Chosen Few Picnic & Festival

July 7, 2018
Jackson Park 63rd Street at Hayes Drive, Chicago, IL, 60637
General Admission: $30

Taste of Chicago: Black Star (Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli)

July 13, 2018, 5:30pm
Grant Park, 337 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
Lawn seating FREE, seated tickets start at $18

DuSable Museum 41st Annual Arts and Crafts Fair

July 14 - 15, 2018
DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E 56th Pl, Chicago, IL 60637
Admission: FREE

Soulful Chicago Book Fair

July 15, 2018, 10am - 8pm
61st Street, between Cottage Grove & King Drive
Admission: FREE

Taste of Chicago: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, BJ the Chicago Kid

July 15, 2018, 4:30pm
Grant Park, 337 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
Lawn seating FREE, seated tickets start at $18

Bronzeville Art District Trolly Tours 2018

3rd Friday of each month: July 20, August 17, September 21, 6pm
Featured Stops:
- Gallery Guichard and the Great Migration Sculpture Garden
- Bronzeville Artists Lofts
- Faie Afrikan Art
- Little Black Pearl and Carver47
- Blanc Chicago Art Gallery
- South Side Community Art Center
Admission: FREE

15th Annual Silver Room Block Party

July 21, 2018, noon - 10pm
Harper Court, 1506 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615
Admission: FREE

Block Party Film Festival

July 21, 2018, noon - 10pm
SCHEDULE:
- 12pm: Carmen Jones (Otto Preminger, 1954)
- 2pm: Mahogany (Berry Gordy, 1975)
- 4pm: Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, 1991)
- 6pm: Rock Rubber 45s (Bobbito Garcia, 2018) with director Bobbito Garcia and Cinema 53 curator Jacqueline Stewart
- 8pm: Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973)
Harper Theatre, 5238 S Harper Ave, Chicago, IL 60615
Admission: FREE

Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert with Chance the Rapper, Usher, Smokey Robinson + More

Jul 21, 2018
Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, 1300 S Lynn White Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Tickets start at $37

Pitchfork Music Festival

Day 3: Sunday July 22, 2018
Lauryn Hill, Chaka Khan, DRAM, Noname + more
Union Park, 1501 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60606
Single Day Ticket: $75, 3-Day Ticket: $175

Millennium Park Summer Film Series: Get Out

July 24, 2018, 6:30pm
Millennium Park, 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602
Admission: FREE
bring your blanket, chairs and snacks!

Bantu Fest 2018

July 28, 2018
Midway Plaisance, 1130 Midway Plaissance (Near 60th & Ellis), Chicago, IL 60637
Admission: FREE

24th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival

August 4 – 30, 2018
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State Street, Chicago, IL 60601
tickets and festival passes available at the Gene Siskel Film Center box office starting July 20th

89th Annual Bud Billiken Parade

August 11, 2018, Parade: 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM, Festival: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Parade Route: South on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, starting from Oakwood Boulevard to 51st Street, Continuing on Elsworth Drive (in Washington Park) from 51st Street to Garfield Boulevard (55th St.), Ending on Garfield Boulevard (55th St.) and Elsworth Drive
Admission: FREE