Chicago Guide: Outdoor Things to Do Around the City This Summer

As Chicago sees warmer weather and increasing COVID-19 vaccinations, outdoor events and activities return to full swing this summer.

From beaches to farmers markets, Chicagoans will likely be able to feel a taste of normalcy as businesses and events reopen citywide in Phase 5.

Take a look at things to do across the city and around the area this summer:

Visit a Farmers Market

As the city continues its reopening plan, farmers markets across Chicago have begun welcoming residents back for the 2021 season.

Though some markets have not announced official plans for a summer reopening, others have released schedules and information concerning the upcoming kickoffs following closures last year due to the COVID pandemic.

Catch a Baseball Game

Take a trip to Chicago's South or North Sides to catch a White Sox or Cubs game as fans can now fill the stands.

Wrigley Field announced it would allow full capacity for Cubs games starting June 11, with Guaranteed Rate Field still seating a limited number of fans until further notice. Both teams continue to have some COVID mitigations in place, with more for those not vaccinated.

Find out more about White Sox and Cubs tickets.

Spend the Weekend at Chicago's Iconic Lollapalooza Music Festival

Chicago's largest music festival will be held at full capacity from July 29 to Aug. 1 this year in Grant Park after the event was postponed in 2020 due the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizers said a full COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results within 24 hours before attending the festival will be required for admission, in accordance with current public health guidance.

The festival released single-day tickets this week, as well as the daily lineup of performances. Four-day passes for the weekend event were released last month.

See an Outdoor Concert at Ravinia

Ravinia Festival has announced its summer concert lineup, preparing to reopen the park for the first time in more than a year for an in-person 2021 season.

The summer lineup will include 64 performances between July 1 and Sept. 26, organizers said, and will be the 85th season in Ravinia's history as the oldest outdoor music festival in the country.

Some of the featured pop, rock, indie, country and reggae artists in the lineup this year include:

• Classic Albums Live: Led Zeppelin IV, July 24
• Yacht Rock Revue debuts at Ravinia, July 31
• Sideline makes its Ravinia debut, August 11—Carousel Concert
• Willie Nelson & Family and Nate Smith, August 14
• Gladys Knight, August 18
• The Infamous Stringdusters and Leftover Salmon in their Ravinia debuts, August 20
• The Beach Boys, August 21 and 22
• John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band, August 24
• Lake Street Dive, August 26
• Train, August 27 and 28
• King Crimson and The Zappa Band make their Ravinia debuts, August 29
• Collective Soul, Better Than Ezra, and Tonic share the bill on September 1
• Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco, September 10
• Black Violin and Blind Boys of Alabama, September 11
• Ben Folds with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, September 18
• Ziggy Marley: A Celebration of Bob Marley, September 19
• Andrew Bird, September 24

This year, all concerts will be shorter, with no intermission, and will take place outside in the open-air pavilion with a reduced capacity. Tickets must be reserved in advance, and distanced seating will be used throughout the facility.

Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Ravinia’s website in two phases: on June 16 for concerts between July 1 and August 15, then on July 21 for concerts after August 15.

Head North for Summerfest 2021 to See Luke Bryan, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers and More

Summerfest, the popular Milwaukee music festival, has released its lineup for the 2021 event, which will take place over three weekends in September this year and is bringing some big names to Wisconsin.

The Jonas Brothers, Dave Matthews Band, Luke Bryan, Chance the Rapper, Chris Stapleton, Miley Cyrus and Zac Brown Band are among the headliners/.

Summerfest typically takes place in late June through early July every year but was pushed back to September this year to allow more time for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, organizers said.

The festival will now take place across three weekends: Sept. 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18, with kick-off concerts on the Wednesdays before. Tickets are on sale now.

Spend a Day at a Chicago Festival

As Chicago continues to reopen, a return of both new and old music festivals are expected to make a return this summer. Here's the ones we know of so far:

• Windy City Smokeout
• State Street Festival
• Riot Fest
• ARC
• North Coast
• Hyde Park Jazz Festival
• Printers Row Lit Fest
• The South Side Jazz Coalition – Jazzin’ On The Steps
• Jazz Institute of Chicago – Chicago Latin Jazz Festival
• Chinatown Summer Fair
• Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash Festival

For more festivals taking place around the Chicago area, click here.

Listen to Local Artists at a Night Out in the Parks

The relaunch of the 9th season of Night Out in the Parks this summer will feature more than 100 of Chicago’s talented artists and organizations performing in over 350 outdoor cultural arts events.

This year’s experience will reconnect diverse audiences across all of Chicago’s 77 community areas with the arts and cultural landscape of the City. Movie screenings in 100 parks will kick off on July 6 at Oakdale Park in the Washington Heights community. For additional information, visit www.nightoutintheparks.com. 

Take a Trip to Outer Space with Art on theMart

For those who would rather stay outdoors to view art, the 2021 season of Art on theMart runs through July 4, featuring the new "Astrographics" digital production in partnership with the Adler Planetarium.

The 16-minute digital light performance explores outer space, featuring an array of planets, stars and more sights, according to a release. Art on theMart officials said the show will display how humans imagine their universe over time.

Take a Swing at Maggie Daley Park's Miniature Golf Course

Maggie Daley Park’s 18-hole, Chicago-themed miniature golf course, and ribbon is open daily. In the summer, the ribbon is transformed to welcome scooter users, rollerbladers, and roller skaters. Weekend rentals are now available.

The park will offer daily rentals starting on May 28. Concessions at Maggie Daley Park will also be open. For details about Maggie Daley Park activities, visit www.maggiedaleypark.com. 

Browse a Chicago Art Fair

Along with the indoor art exhibits coming to Chicago, outdoor art fairs across city neighborhood will also welcome back visitors. Here are the ones we know of so far:

• Old Town Art Fair: June 12 & 13
• Pivot Arts Festival: May 21 – June 5 
• Southport Art Fest: July 10 & 11

Enjoy a Bite to Eat Outdoors at One of the City's Al Fresco Dining Spaces

As the city warms over the next few months, Chicagoans will likely be on the hunt for places to wine and dine outdoors. The city is known for its foodie scene, filled with plenty of patios and rooftops.

Choose Chicago has offered up a list of places currently offering outdoor dining in Chicago. Here are some highlights:

Avli Taverna: 1335 W. Wrightwood Ave.
Beatrix Fulton Market: 834 W Fulton Market
Beatnik on the River: 180 N Upper Wacker Dr.
Aba: 302 N. Green St. 3rd Floor
Ema: 74 W Illinois St.
Mesler: 1401 E. 53rd St.
The Duck Inn: 2701 S. Eleanor St.
Theater on the Lake: 2401 N. Lake Shore Dr.
Beatnik on the River: 180 N. Upper Wacker Dr.
BOKA: 1729 N. Halsted St.
Formento's: 925 W. Randolph St.
Siena Tavern: 51 W. Kinzie St.
Offshore: 1000 E Grand Ave
Wood: 3335 N. Halsted St.
Happy Camper: 1209 N. Wells St.
Tzuco: 720 N. State St.
LuxBar: 18 E. Bellevue Pl.

Drive Through a Dino Safari

Fox Valley Mall has been transformed into Pangea National Park this month, featuring more than 40 life-size dinosaurs, organizers say.

From the Triceratops to the T. Rex, Dino Safari takes guests through a journey, learning about how dinosaurs evolved over time, where they lived and what their lives looked like.

The company recommends reserving tickets in advance, which begin at $49.95 per vehicle.

Sail Through a Chicago Architecture Tour

Take in the city's iconic architecture while sailing along the Chicago River on one of several boat tours. The 90-minute tours run every hour and a half and cost $40 for an adult and $18 for a child.

Due to COVID-19 mitigations, the Wendella boat tours require that passengers wear a face covering while on the vessel and practice social distancing.

Watch Fireworks Light Up Chicago's Iconic Navy Pier

In celebration of the reopening, Navy Pier will also host a 10-minute fireworks show every Saturday in May. The shows are set to start at 9 p.m., and guests will be allowed to watch the displays from Navy Pier's open spaces.

During the initial phase of reopening, Navy Pier will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. New rides will open in "the coming weeks," and the rest of Navy Pier will reopen "sometime in May."

Guests will be required to wear a face mark at all times and encouraged to keep a six-foot distance between others not in the same party. All Pier Park rides and attractions will operate at a limited capacity and will be cleaned after each use, according to Navy Pier.

Hit the Beaches

Memorial Day weekend marks the reopening of Chicago beaches, a major signal summer is on the way.

The more than two-dozen beaches along the Lake Michigan shoreline will reopen Friday, said Mike Kelly, superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District. The city's beaches were closed during the summer of 2020 in line with COVID-19 restrictions.

Kayak Down the Chicago River

Trying to see the city's skyscrapers from a new angle? Guided kayak tours and rentals give you a trip down the Chicago River into Lake Michigan.

Visit a Rainbow Cone Ice Cream Truck

The city's iconic Rainbow Cone ice cream shop is taking to the streets this summer with trucks already traveling across the Chicago area.

Four Rainbow Cones on wheels, each truck named after one of the colorful ice cream layers, can be found at various locations around the city and suburbs.

For the remainder of the week, two trucks will be in Mount Prospect and Bolingbrook from 4 to 10 p.m.