The kids may be back in school, our tans may be fading, and the leaves may be starting to turn, but summer isn’t over just yet. The first official day of fall is Sept. 22, and even then, all hope of outdoor fun isn’t over in the Midwest.
Anyone who’s lived here for any length of time knows that September and early October are the absolute best times to be outside in Chicagoland. The sweltering summer heat is gone, and the fall chill has yet to arrive. The next few weeks offer some of the nicest weather, most beautiful scenery and best vibes of the entire year.
So, put off ordering those pumpkin spice lattes, keep the sweaters in the closet and relish the end of the season with these four must-do summer activities in and around the Chicagoland area.
Chicago is beloved for its summer festivals, which kick off in May and reach a crescendo in early August. But the latter part of the season still offers a full calendar rich with food, music and culture.
September starts with the Taste of Chicago – which has, thankfully, been moved from the mid-summer date that usually turned it into a sweat-fest – and continues with the Mexican Independence Day festival El Grito, Riot Fest and the Hyde Park Jazz Festival.
There’s also the Underground Film Festival, Fall Fest at the Lincoln Park Zoo and a slew of Oktoberfests, including the iconic celebration at St. Alphonsus Church in West Lakeview.
If there’s a culture, holiday or cuisine you want to celebrate, chances are there’s a Chicago festival coming up in its honor.
Even though your 2024 beach days might be numbered, they aren’t over just yet.
According to Great Lakes climate nonprofit GLISA, Lake Michigan is warmest from late summer too early fall – specifically, July through September – when the water is in the 60s and 70s, just slightly more refreshing than your average swimming pool. The region’s smaller lakes are even warmer, so there’s still time to go for a swim, hop on a jet ski or go tubing.
If you’re more into staying dry but still want to experience Chicago from the water, take a boat tour. Options abound with architecture tours and fire boat tours, private chartered boats, kayak tours, and tall ship sailing. It’s the perfect season for seaworthy adventures.
The Bears have a hot rookie sensation at quarterback, so if you can snag a ticket to Soldier Field to witness the start of the “Caleb Era,” by all means, take advantage. But if Bears tickets are too tough to snag, remember that Chicago has two other “football” teams: the Fire also play between the colonnades at Soldier Field, and the Red Stars, Chicago’s professional women’s soccer club, play through October at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.
While the White Sox might be having a historically bad season, a couple of Chicago-area minor leagues baseball teams are hoping for deep post-season runs.
The Kane County Cougars have home-field advantage in the playoffs, which run through the middle of the month. If they don’t go all the way, you can still head to their Geneva stadium for other outdoor events like their Tacos and Tequila Festival and the Halloween Beerfest.
The Chicago Dogs, who play in Rosemont, have also made it to the playoffs. They’re offering $1 hot dogs and $2 draft beers during their Wednesday playoff games, a deal that’s impossible to beat at major-league stadiums.
The sweet sounds of summer haven’t ended just yet, though the seasons for some of the top outdoor venues are winding down. You can still see shows at the Pritkzer Pavilion in Millennium Park.
And, in late September, a variety of acts from countries including Ukraine, India, Cape Verde and Guatemala will take part in Chicago’s World Music Festival. To top it off, the shows, which will be held in locations across the city, are all free!
In Highland Park, Ravinia’s outdoor concert schedule runs through mid-September, and in the city The Salt Shed, the awesome new riverfront venue in the old Morton Salt factory on Elston Avenue, has outdoor shows featuring headliners like Goose, Sturgill Simpson, and Vance Joy well into October.
So, whether you want to catch some hot jazz in Hyde Park or down some cool brews in Rosemont, there’s plenty of summertime fun available for the next few weeks. Don’t let the calendar hold you back! Get out there and enjoy the season.
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