What Should We Do This Weekend? Chicago, IL, July 12th – 14th 2019

Looking for things to do in Chicagoland this weekend?

Here are over 50 family-friendly events happening in Chicago and the

surrounding suburbs this weekend!

 

 

The amount of festivals going on this weekend are nearly overwhelming! It’s safe to say summer in Chicago is in full swing!

I have organized all the festivals at the top of this post for easy perusing as they take place across multiple days! And don’t forget about our Farmers Market Guide if you are looking to stop by at one of this at any point this week!

Taste Of Chicago

• July 10th – 14th at Grant Park
• FREE admission
• Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 11am–9pm, Saturday & Sunday: 10am–9pm
• The Taste Playground for children will include inflatables and a ferris wheel
• The Farm to Festival area will feature a Big Zoo, Dign’ For Prizes Garden, nature play area, garden display, and more!
• Sing Happy Birthday to Eli’s Cheesecake Company with the cast of Hamilton!

 

Irish Fest Chicago

• July 12th – 14th on the grounds of the Irish American Heritage Center
• Children 12 and under are FREE, otherwise $15
• Festival begins at 6 pm on Friday, and noon on the weekend
• The fest features children’s activities on Saturday and Sunday in the outdoor kids area.
  • Bounce house
  • Arts and crafts
  • Irish Wolfhounds
  • Irish music and dance lesson

 

Square Roots Festival

• Lincoln Square on Lincoln Ave between Montrose and Wilson
• Friday, July 12th, 5:00 – 10:00 PM
  Saturday, July 13th, 12:00 – 10:00 PM
  Sunday, July 14th, 12:00 – 9:00 PM
• 50+ bands and artists entertain on 4 stages
• Music and fun for kids of all ages!
  • Activities, music, and dance in the Kid Zone and at the Old Town School Education Tent
  • Art tent
  • Instrument petting zoo
  • Swing set drum kit

 

Windy City Smokeout

• July 12th – 14th
• United Center Parking Lot
• Chicago’s premier outdoor BBQ and country music festival

 

Roscoe Village Burger Fest

• July 13th & 14th; 11 am – 10 pm
• Belmont and Damen in Roscoe Village
• 2 music stages, art and crafts, and an action packed Kids Zone area

 

Edgewater Greek Fest

• July 12th – 14th
• Festival begins at 5 pm on Friday, and noon on the weekend
• St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Church at Lakeshore Drive, Hollywood Ave, and Sheridan Rd.
• Greek food, live music and dancing, and activities for kids

 

Southport Art Festival

• July 13th – 14th beginning at 10 am
• Waveland Ave & Southport Ave in Wrigleyville
• A showcase of the cities best and most diverse artists
• Children’s area with interactive games and activities

 

Bristol Renaissance Fair

• Kenosha, WI off I-94 at the Wisconsin Border
• Saturdays and Sundays, July 6th – Sept 2nd, 10 am – 7 pm
• Children are free
• July 13th & 14th is Swashbuckler Weekend!
• Fun for all ages!

 

Johnson’s Blueberry Festival

• Northwest Indiana: 8960 East Ridge Rd, Hobart IN
• July 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st; 8 am – 6 pm
• Fun Farm filled with activities for the whole family as well as blueberry U-pick
• Admission is $8 pp

 

Windmill City Fest

• 151 North Island Ave in Batavia, IL
• July 12th – 14th
• Festival begins at 5 pm on Friday, 8 am Saturday, 11 am Sunday
• Fun Zone provides fun for the whole family including a gaming trailer for tweens through adults
• Live music, food, craft & vintage market, and so much more!

 

La Grange Craft Fair

• July 12-14th, 10 am – 5pm every day
• 200 booths in lovely downtown La Grange

 

Taste of Westmont

• July 11th – 14th
• Downtown Westmont on Cass Avenue
• Carnival begins at 5:30 on Thursday, 4 pm on Friday, and Noon Sat and Sun
• Live entertainment, rides, and food

 

Glendale Heights Fest

• Camera Park, 101 E Fullerton Ave.
• July 10th – 13th opening at 8 am every day
• Food and entertainment for the whole family, plus breathtaking fireworks on opening and closing nights

 

Yorkville’s River Fest

• Friday, July 12th 5 – 10 pm
• Saturday, July 13th Noon – 10 pm
• Live music, food, cardboard boat races, family activities, touch a truck, and more!

 

Naperville Ale Fest

• Saturday, July 13th
• 200 + unique craft beers, live music, and food trucks
• Located on the grounds of Naper Settlement

 

Bastille Day Chicago

• Friday, July 13th at 6 pm
• Bring your own picnic or purchase a crepe, wine, and / or beer from a vendor
• Fun activities for children
• Enjoy a game of Pétanque, music, waiter races, and fireworks!

FRIDAY

9:15 AM & 10:15AM: Wiggleworms at Gorton

• Gorton Center in Lake Forest, IL
• Old Town School of Folk Music’s early childhood music program
• 5 mo. to 4 years
• Follow link to register

10:00 AM: Super Messy Storytime!

•  Lunges ‘n Lattes in Berwyn
• Interactive story time with Stickney Forest View Library
• Messy, silly, sensory play

11:30 AM: Picnic With The Police

• Stories and summer safety tips from Lincolnshire Police Officers
• Vernon Area Library Annex

1:00 PM: $10 Drop-in Family Painting

• Art Life Studio – Lombard, IL

5:00 PM: Brookfield Zoo Summer Nights Concert– Sin Anestesia

• Free to members, included in general admission for ticketed customers
• Games and crafts, roaming entertainers, beer & wine, animal ambassadors, concert, and laser light show

6:00 PM: Vintage Rides in Downtown Wheaton

• Buick night / Swing

6:00 PM: Downers Grove Classic Car Show

• Thunderbirds
• Live Music from The Generation Gap Band

6:00 PM: Street Dance 2019 in Franklin Park

• Live music by Ladies Band and Semple
• Food, music, children’s activities, and more!

7:30 PM: Movies in the Park- Coco

• Wilder Park in Elmhurst
• Free popcorn and food trucks

8:00 PM: Movies in the Park: Lego Movie 2

• Across the street from Liberty Cultural Center in Berwyn

8:30 PM: Movie in the Park: Coco

• Cantigny Park bandshell
• $5 parking
• Concessions available from Mamie’s Toffee & Treats

8:30 PM: Movie in the Park: Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

• Rotary Hill in Naperville

 

SATURDAY

 

8:30 AM: Kids Obstacle Challenge

• Danada South Park in Lisle: 2751 Navistar Drive
• Two parents / legal guardians can run FREE along with their child
• Fun and challenging 1.5 – 2 mile course

9:00 AM: Day Out With Thomas

• Illinois Railway Museum
• July 13th, 14th, 20th, and 21st
• Ride the train with Thomas and Percy
• Meet Sir Topham Hatt
• Enjoy kids activities and live entertainment
• Access to all museum exhibits

9:00 AM: Safety Town Open Road

• 511 S York Rd, Elmhurst, IL
• Practice being a pedestrian and using road and railway safety
• Children aged 4 -7 can ride through Safety Town with tricycles and helmets
• $5 to rent a tricycle and / or helmet

9:00 AM: Family Fishing Day

• Johnson Park in Elk Grove Village
• Free event includes fun, food, and fishing
• Bring your own fishing poles!

9:00 AM: Naperville Plays

• Knock Knolls Nature Center
• “Quadruple the fun with exciting hands-on activities and on-site exhibits provided by Naper Settlement, DuPage Children’s Museum, Knoch Knolls Nature Center and Naperville Public Library. Kids can discover the wonder of play and innovation”

10:30 AM: Hands-On Children’s Auto show

• Downtown Batavia, Flinn Street Parking Lot
• First 100 children get a free gift bag
• Free admission but donations encouraged
• Up close look at various automobiles and vote on the winner

11:00 AM: Kids Club: Princesses & Superheroes Party

• Golf Mill Shopping Center in Center Court
• Wear your favorite princess gown or superhero costume
• Meet a real princess and superhero and get your face painted!

11:00 AM: Christmas in July Craft Show

• Santa’s Village Amusement Park
• The park will be filled with local craftsmen and businesses

12:00 PM: Parkie’s Pool Party

• Pelican Harbor Aquatic Park in Bolingbrook
• “Support the LCSRA Sensory Room Campaign with fun in the sun and Parkie! Enjoy a DJ, tailgate games, and a Wibit inflatable AquaTrack. Admission to Pelican Harbor Aquatic Park $4 for residents with a Bolingbrook Park District resident ID card and $8 for non-residents.”

12:00 PM: Willow Stream Pool Party

• Willow Stream Pool in Buffalo Grove
• “Admission is $3, pass holders are free. Please bring canned food, pet supplies and children’s books to be donated to a local food bank, Orphans of the Storm and Bernie’s Book Bank.”

1:30 PM: Jazz Up Glen Ellyn

• A free event in Downtown Glen Ellyn
• 9 amazing jazz groups will play continuously while you enjoy a picnic and relax in downtown Glen Ellyn or walk around and shop.
• Enjoy free clinics, meet the musicians, and get their autographs.

2:00 PM: 2nd Annual Food Truck FEASTival

• “Join us for another fun-filled day and evening in downtown Harvard!
  Food trucks/concessions, live music, car show, beer tent and more.
  Ayer Street, Harvard
  $5 entry fee.”

5:00 PM: Brookfield Zoo Summer Nights Concert

• Billy Croft & The Five Alarm
• Enjoy Brookfield Zoo in a new light with cooler evening weather, enhanced dining, beer and wine garden, live music, roaming performers, Animal Ambassadors, and a new laser light show, all surrounded by wildlife and nature.”
• Free to members, included in general admission for ticketed customers
• Games and crafts, roaming entertainers, beer & wine, animal ambassadors, concert, and laser light show

6:00 PM: The Morton Arboretum Walking Plays – Hans Christian Andersen

• “Hans Christian Andersen and his delightful and unexpected traveling companions are spirited to the woods to tell his most engaging stories. Through fast-paced action, the audience becomes part of an intimate, hilarious re-imagining of some of the world’s most beloved fairy tales. Rated G, suitable for all ages. There are a couple brief mentions of dealth. Hike is roughly a mile in distance.”

6:00 PM: Super Hero Night with the Schaumburg Boomers

• Illinois Fire Safety Alliance presents Super Hero Night
• Dress up as your favorite comic book hero to celebrate every day heroes
• Post game fireworks

7:30 PM: Movies on The Green

• Every Saturday night at the Geneva Commons
• Bring the family and enjoy hit movies on The Green every Saturday throughout the summer. Free popcorn will be available. Blankets and chairs are welcome.”

 

SUNDAY