10 Up And Coming Festivals You Need To Go To
Looking for a fun and upcoming event to go to? I’ve got you covered! Gather a group of friends and explore what festivals Illinois has to offer. There’s food, art, and music festivals; the sky’s the limit! You don’t even necessarily have to spend money at these festivals. You can just enjoy the atmosphere and spend some quality time with the people you love! Here are 10 up and coming festivals that you should look out for!
1. Mole de Mayo (May 26-28, 2017)
If you love Mexican food, this is the festival for you! This annual, outdoor festival takes place on Ashland and 18th Street, better known as Pilsen. Pilsen is a pretty well-known neighborhood located in the Lower West Side of Chicago. There’s plenty of mole and various Mexican restaurants going against each other, so it’s up to you to decide which restaurant has the best food! In addition to the food, there’s also a market filled with Pilsen’s businesses and artists.
2. Spring Awakening Music Festival (June 9-11, 2017)
This electronic music festival takes place in Addams/Medill Park in Chicago! Keep in the mind that this is an 18+ event. You can be brave and go all 3 days or just go 1 or 2! Either way, ticket prices are going up as you are reading this, so get them fast! Spring Awakening features the top DJs from all over the world, including Marshmello, Martin Garrix, and many more. So, plan your cute outfits and start off festival season with SAMF!
3. Blooming Fest (May 20, 2017)
Get in touch with nature at the Blooming Fest located in Downtown West Chicago from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. This festival not only includes various plant sales, but there’s also a car show, art exhibits, food, and music! You’ll never get bored! This is an outdoor festival and will happen even if it is raining.
4. Ribfest (June 30-July 3, 2017)
Come hungry because this festival is full of food vendors. Ribfest takes place at 700 S West St, Naperville, IL 60540. There’s a wide selection of barbecue pork ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken, and so much more. The vendors usually have a competition of who has the best ribs, sauce, etc. The best part about this festival is that it raises money to eliminate domestic violence and child abuse.
5. Randolph Street Market (April 29-30, 2017)
This street market is on 1340 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607 and opens from 10 am to 5 pm! General admission for this event is $8 and there is a fee because this event isn’t subsidized by the city or state. This street market offers a variety of things. There’s food and if you’re 21+, there’s a wide range of alcohol. If you don’t wanna be outside for the whole time, you can shop indoors! There’s over 125+ vendors that sell clothes, jewelry, food, etc.
6. Maifest (June 1-4, 2017)
Want to explore more of Germany’s culture? If so, this festival is the place for you! Maifest is created by the May Fest Committee. This festival takes place on Lincoln & Leland Ave in Chicago, IL. This festival was created to promote German heritage and it is a traditional celebration for the arrival of spring. It has tons of German food, music, maypole dancing, and performances.
7. Chicago Pride Fest (Parade is held June 29, 2017)
Chicago’s annual Pride Fest is held the weekend before the Pride Parade, on Halsted & Waveland. What better way to celebrate pride month?! This upbeat, exciting festival will keep you on your toes. You will see people dressed in ways you’ve never seen before. There’s, of course, a lot of bright colors and loud music surrounding the atmosphere. There’s also dancing and crafts shaped for the gay community.
8. World Fest (April 1, 2017)
This festival takes place at Spurlock Museum in Urbana, Illinois. It is from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm, so you have plenty of time to see what this festival has to offer. World Fest includes a variety of performance arts that are practiced around the globe. There are even hands on activities that anyone can participate in! Get ready to get your creative juices flowing.
9. Custer Fair (June 17, 2017)
This event is not too far from the city of Chicago. It takes place in Evanston, IL on 600 Main St. This is an outdoor arts festival with over 30 vendors. These vendors are selling paintings, ceramics, photographs, jewelry, antiques, and plenty more. As for entertainment, there’s a stage for Jazz music and a stage for theatre and music, and a stage. This event is perfect for families and even friends too.
10. SLCR CERT Pancake Breakfast (May 7, 2017)
What’s amazing about this event is that it is an All-You-Can-Eat fundraising event! There’s tons of good food for you to try and Starbucks coffee, can it get any better? This event takes place at Lake Zurich, IL on 321 S. Buesching Road. This event leans more towards families because it is great for kids. So, get away from whatever you’re dealing with and spend some quality time with your family!
