Entertainment | Chicago News & Travel

Summer Festival Fun in Chicago

It’s been said that one of the best times to take yourself or your family to Chicago is during the summer. Not only is the weather gorgeous and the view of Lake Michigan breathtaking, but Chicago offers a host of fun activities in the form of one of the many festivals and gatherings that take place throughout the summer months. The best part about these festivals? Admission is absolutely free! If you’re planning to be in Chicago at all during the summer, keep the following events in mind when look for something to do.

The Chicago Blues Festival: Spanning three days each June, this is the largest blues festival in the world. It showcases local blue artists, as well as nationally known musicians and is held on six separate stages in Grant Park. Past talent has included Buddy Guy and Ray Charles, among others.
The Taste of Chicago Food Festival: This is a must for any food lover. You’ll need to purchase food tickets, but can sample over 200 items from over 60 local restaurants. In addition to the massive amounts of food, there are free music concerts featuring local and nationally known artists. Carnival rides are available for children as well.
The Chicago Air & Water Show: Held over one weekend every August, this is the longest ongoing event of its kind in the United States. Much of the show can be seen from anywhere on Chicago’s lakefront, including the yearly headlining acts, the U.S. Army Black Knights Parachute Team and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
The Grant Park Music Festival: Running each Wednesday night throughout the summer, this is the largest classical music festival in the United States. The weekly performances are held at the northern end of Grant Park, inside the Jay Pritzker Pavillion which is part of Millennium Park. Performances typically include the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus on a regular basis, but other acts, some nationally known, make appearances throughout the summer as well. This festival is a must for any classical music lover.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: Chicago, Grant Park

Chicago for Families

Chicago is one of the largest cities in the United States, and as such, it offers many activities and places of interest for singles, as well as families. If you’re thinking about taking a family trip to Chicago, you’ll have plenty of options to keep the trip centered around your family. Depending on when you’ll be visiting Chicago, there will be different events to attend and other things to see. The list below offers some of the best-loved family attractions in the city.

Taste of Chicago: For ten days every June, this huge food festival takes place in the beautiful Grant Park. Starting in 1980, the festival was meant to be a one-day thing, but was immensely popular, attracting far more people than was anticipated. Today, nearly six million people attend each year. Over 70 local restaurants participate, so you’re sure to find something for everyone in the family.
57^th Street Art Fair: Held in Chicago’s Hyde Park area, this three-day fair is held every June. This event has been showcasing the work of local artists for over 60 years and was first held in 1948. The area is even family friendly, with a playground located right in Hyde Park.
Christkindlmarket Chicago: If you’ll be in Chicago between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this is almost a must. Held in Daley Plaza, this is a four-week-long market showcasing nearly everything German—cuckoo clocks and handcrafted Hummel figurines and other ornaments. You can listen to (and sing along with) German music and songs and learn German.
Garfield Park Conservatory County Fair: Held on the west side of Chicago in mid-September, there is a petting zoo and farmer’s market among other things. If you want to showcase something special, you can. This event is only held for one day, though, making a little hard to plan for.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, United States

Navy Pier A Great Place To Relax After A Fast Day In Chicago

: Image via Wikipedia

The Navy Pier in Chicago East Downtown has been a popular landmark for close to a century now. The Pier was opened as a combination of shipping and recreational facilities. Hence, the idea of spending a relaxed day is as old as the Pier itself.

It was a popular venue for concerts, exhibitions and other events. The Pier lost its utility and was not used very often by the end of the 80′s. That is when the State decided to come up with a joint venture with the city administration to redevelop the Pier. The ownership of the Pier was transferred and a detailed plan was set up to restore it to its old glory.

This time, the Pier was redesigned to make it a completely recreational facility. As on date, it is a popular venue for events, concerts, shows and other public meets. There is no shipping done on this Pier any more. This means that the entire space of the Pier is used for recreational facilities alone. The waterfront happens to be the most popular spot and is surrounded by restaurants, shops, recreational facilities and other venues for holding exhibitions. As the venue became very popular, it attracted more and more crowd and is a must see in the travel plans of each and every tourist.

The combination of the waterfront with numerous eating outlets, shopping outlets, gardens and promenades makes it a great place to spend your time. People love relaxing here on sunny days and is a great, romantic spot where young couples can spend time with each other in a romantic setting of lights, sounds, waves and water. There are numerous boat rides that can be used to get a lake side view of the city of Chicago. There are numerous facilities set up for families who visit the Pier as a picnic spot.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, Music, navypier, Recreation

Millennium Park – A Great Place For Concerts And A Monument In Itself

: Image by wallyg via Flickr

Chicago is the place to be if you want to enjoy outdoor concerts of the more sophisticated kind. You can visit Millennium Park which is a center for art music, landscape design and architecture even if you are not attending a concert. The city of Chicago decided that it required an outdoor meeting place that would be fit the status of and the popularity of the city. It entered into a partnership with the philanthropic community and the resulting park was the Millennium Park spread over twenty four acres. The park has seen numerous designers, planners, architecture experts and artists contribute in their own ubiquitous styles.

The resulting park is a sight to behold. The huge open space in the middle of a fast paced city provides good contrast. Further, the sophisticated designs like the Crown Fountain and the highly popular Cloud Gate sculpture gives you a good reason to spend the entire day in the Millennium Park looking over the structures

The park is located in down ton region of Chicago and is very close to the highly popular Michigan Avenue. Michigan Avenue is a very popular shopping avenue with stores of top reputed designers situated on the stretch. This makes the park a perfect place to relax after you have shopped to your heart’s content. Of course, it also makes sense to treat millennium Park as a separate stop in your travel plans. Michigan Avenue deserves an entire day for shopping.

The park has a welcome center which employs individuals specifically trained to act as a guide for the various attractions of the park. Make sure you land up at the welcome center before thinking of exploring the park. Admission is free and you can enrich your cultural knowledge and set your eyes without spending a single cent.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, Cloud Gate, Michigan Avenue, millenniumpark

Chicago – A Great Tourism Destination No Matter Who You Are

It is impossible for any educated individual of the civilized world for not to have heard about the city of Chicago. It is a very popular city that has attracted attention for all kinds of reasons-good and bad. Those who have read The Godfather would automatically have learned how mafia in Chicago was considered uncontrollable.

Those who follow architecture would have heard about the world famous Sky Deck and The Ledge. Those who enjoy a good day on the waterfront would have heard about the Navy Pier. It is the biggest city in Midwest and is one of the most popular tourist attraction cities in the country.

If you want to travel to some place new and explore life better, then you should certainly travel to Chicago. Chicago is very big city with numerous attractions. You can travel to the city to improve your understanding about culture and art. You can visit the conservatories and the parks to stay in the lap of nature even in the middle of the urban jungle that is Chicago.

If you just want to travel and roam around, the city is huge enough to keep you occupied for a week at a stretch. Irrespective of whether you are traveling on a huge budget or whether you are hitchhiking your way across to the destination, Chicago welcomes you with open arms.

From accommodation in the best five star hotels in the country to affordable accommodation for students by sharing dormitories – you have numerous options as long as you have the desire to explore and wonder.

There is no shortage of food in the city of Chicago. You can dine at the finest restaurants and enjoy not just food but a gourmet experience. Or, you can enjoy a street food and enjoy dishes that you will not get anywhere else in the country. On the whole, it is impossible to visit Chicago and not fall in love with the city.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, Navy Pier, Travel, United States

The Sky Deck And The Ledge – The Most Exciting Tourist Hotspot In Chicago

If you are visiting Chicago for the first time, do not leave the city without visiting Willis tower. Willis tower is well known as being the tallest skyscraper in the western hemisphere. It is also well known for the Sky Deck that has been in operation for more than thirty five years now. However, if you have a kid along with you, then you should visit Willis tower for solely visiting The Ledge.

When the Sky Deck was setup, there was a small part on the 103rd floor extended out of the building. This served as a gallery where individuals could take a look at the view from a height. It was noticed that the windows of the Sky Deck was perpetually smeared with marks of the head being pressed against the glass to take up better look of the world.

That is when the city realized that perhaps people were not satisfied with just the view outside and wanted a 360 degree view of how world looks from such a height. This is the reason why the Ledge was created. The Ledge is nothing but a box made of glass that give the individual a feeling that he or she is standing on the 103rd floor of the Willis tower without any ground beneath his or her feet.

Since the box is covered by glass on three sides, the individual gets a view of floating in plain air. The view, needless to say is simply fantastic. The first reaction that people have when they visit the ledge is that the structure is going to break off and is going to collapse.

However, the glass used and the additional metal structure provided is so strong that it can easily withstand the most powerful storms and the weight of numerous individuals standing on the ledge at the same time.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, Glass, Soldier Field, Willis Tower

Why Is The Sky Deck So Popular? It Is A Unique Experience In Western Hemisphere

: Image via Wikipedia

At first, you may find it odd that so many people visit the Willis towers to visit the Sky Deck and the Ledge just to see how the world looks from such a height. You can have a view of fifty miles and four different states from the Sky Deck. However, for a person who has flied by plane many times, this should not be a big deal, right?

Well, the Willis tower and Sky Deck is not just about the view. It is also about knowing more about the city of Chicago. Once you reach the observatory, you will be flooded with information about the city. If you are visiting the city for tourism purposes, then it is the best way to start your trip.

Each and every person will get information related to their favorite area of interest. If you like sampling different types of food, then you will be guided towards various ethnic restaurants in the city. If you love roaming around, you will be given an overview of the transportation system and how you can make use of the same to get around in the city. From the most popular tourist destinations to events and other attractions in the city – you can get all the information you want for free.

Of course, it goes without saying that there will be entertainment and relaxation options on the observatory itself. There are many things that you can do on the observatory like souvenir purchases. You can even get yourself photographed near a huge replica of the Willis tower.

You can also interact with touch screens that will give you a view of the city of Chicago in detail. From use of technology to enjoying plain old human skills – there are many reasons why the Willis tower should be your first destination once you have wished the city of Chicago.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, Observatory, United States, Willis Tower

Teach Your Kids All About Fire Safety In Chicago Children’s Museum

Would it not be wonderful if your child returned from the trip to Chicago for a vacation and knew all about fire safety? Will it not be beneficial if the child knew all the precautions that one must take in the event of a fire at home? Well, a trip to Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier and a look at its permanent exhibit Play It Safe is what you need. The visit is going to teach your child all he or she needs to know about fire safety.

You probably have given numerous lectures about the importance of fire safety. You have probably shown your child how a fire engine looks from a far. In this exhibit, the child will be in charge of the fire engine and will have a real peek into the life of a fireman.

With a fully-designed fire engine with valves and other assorted equipment to operate its firefighting capabilities, your child is going to get a crash course in how firemen combat fire. Your child will step into the boots of the fireman literally because each and every child visiting the exhibit wears fireman’s boots to learn out more about fire safety. There is a drop pole, a get low and go bedroom and various other objects that are useful in promoting fire safety.

The museum also offers guides and experts who can showcase the entire exhibit to the kids and help them understand more about fire safety. The museum also provides resources for those educational tours that do not require formal guide but would require some assistance in extracting maximum benefit out of the museum. Hence, you can plan an educational trip to Chicago and take all your children to the museum so that they can get introduced to culture, fire safety and the world around them.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, Chicago Children's Museum, Fire safety, Navy Pier

Chicago Is The Only Place Where You Can Skate Under The Sky

: Image via Wikipedia

If you are visiting Chicago between January and March, then you should make it a point to check out the Hancock Center and visit the skating rink on the 94th floor of the building. When the Hancock building was first inaugurated, developers created an ice skating rink just in front of the building.

However, skaters were always at risk from the debris that would fly from all nearby constructions. Despite being very popular, the rink had to be closed down. The citizens of Chicago decided to use the height of the Hancock center to overcome the complication.

The skating rink was taken to the 94th floor and it is possible to skate right in the sky. This is the reason why the rink is very popular amongst tourists and citizens alike. The best part is that you just have to walk in between January and March between 9 in the morning and 11 at night and start skating immediately.

The John Hancock center has a separate observatory from where you can take a look at Chicago and its beautiful skyline. You just have to pay a few dollars extra and you will get a half an hour session in the rink.

If you have left your skates at home and don’t think it will be worthwhile to go back and bring it, you can just rent the skates at a dollar each. Of course, you are also free to bring your own skates if you are comfortable in your equipment alone.

Skating under the open air with nothing but the sky and the wind surrounding you will be a grand and new experience. Make sure you take time out of your holiday schedule for this even if you don’t know how to skate very well. You can always give the place a visit and cheer other skaters and enjoy their fun.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel Tagged With: Chicago, Ice rink, Ice skating, John Hancock Center

Navy Pier In Chicago – Dance, Acrobats And Shopping. The Whole Deal

No vacation in Chicago can be called complete unless you enjoy something out of the ordinary that you otherwise would not enjoy at home. The ledge at Willis tower is certainly something that you would not experience anywhere else in the western hemisphere. However, if you want something more fun, relaxing and entertaining, you can check out the Navy Pier and enjoy the performance of Chinese acrobats.

The Pepsi Skyline Stage hosts the wonderful acrobats who can come up with the most dazzling moves without even breaking into a sweat. This is a great way of spending quality time with your family enjoying the feats of human endurance. The acrobats move in a graceful manner and yet operate at top speed.

If you want to groove to the sound of music and if you want to let go of all the built-up stress and pent up energy, you can enjoy live music at the Bud Light Stage in the garden of the Navy Pier. The open environment combined with live music and the cool breeze of the lake is going to make a wonderful de-stressing experience.

If you want to have a feel of the water, you can ride any of the cruise boat rides that leave from the south dog of the Pier. The cruise boats are the only shipping activity that continues in the Pier today.

Don’t you want something to remind you of the wonderful time you had in the Pier? You can check out numerous retail shops in the family pavilion and buy lots of stuff ranging from souvenirs to utility objects like sunglasses and books. These shops are open throughout the year. Of course, it remains to be seen whether you would get time to take your eyes off the wonderful sights and sounds of Chicago to read the book.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News, Travel Tagged With: Acrobatics, Chicago, navypier, Willis Tower