Annual Events in Chicago: A Month-by-Month Calendar
Date Published
At a glance
- Where: Across Chicago, Illinois, mostly in the Loop, Grant Park, Millennium Park, Bronzeville and along the lakefront
- When: Late January through November; the busiest stretch is June to October
- Cost: Most parades and music festivals are free to attend; the Auto Show, Film Festival and Marathon entry are ticketed or registered
- Dates: Usual months only here; exact dates change every year, so check each official site
Chicago's major annual events run from late January's Restaurant Week to November's Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, and most of the headline ones are free. The Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade is in March, the Chicago Blues Festival in June, the Bud Billiken Parade in August and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October.
This calendar gives the usual month for each event, not this year's dates, because dates shift. Click through to the official site before you plan travel. Months with nothing we could verify are left out on purpose.
How do you use this calendar?
Pick a month, read the one-line answer, then follow the official link for exact dates, routes and tickets. The summer months are packed: June through September could fill every weekend.
What happens in winter?
Winter in Chicago has two big events, Chicago Restaurant Week and the Chicago Auto Show, and both keep you indoors.
Late January to early February: Chicago Restaurant Week
Chicago Restaurant Week, run by Choose Chicago, usually lands between late January and early February. Hundreds of restaurants across the city's neighborhoods offer prix fixe menus, with brunch or lunch at $30 and dinner at $45 or $60 on the most recent official listing. The page is the best way to browse by neighborhood. Prices and participants change, so check Choose Chicago. If you are picking where to eat, our food and dining listings are a good companion.
February: Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show fills McCormick Place on the Near South Side, usually in February. The official site lists indoor test tracks and outdoor test drives among the features. It is a ticketed event. See chicagoautoshow.com.
What happens in March?
In March, the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade and the dyeing of the Chicago River turn the Loop green. The parade steps off downtown, and the river dyeing happens along Wacker Drive, usually on the same Saturday.
The official site lists the next parade for a Saturday in mid-March, with river dyeing times announced later. The official parade site credits Plumbers Local 130 with carrying on the river-dyeing tradition. Go early if you want a spot along the river, and dress for wind off the lake. Details are at chicagostpatricksdayparade.org.
There is a second, separate celebration on the South Side: the South Side Irish Parade in Beverly is held on a Sunday around St. Patrick's Day. Dates are posted at southsideirishparade.org.
What happens in June?
June belongs to the Chicago Blues Festival, a free festival that Choose Chicago says happens each June. The main stages are in Millennium Park in the Loop, and satellite events spread to the Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport and the Maxwell Street Market.
The festival is a good reason to see Chicago's blues roots up close. Check the lineup and stage schedule at Choose Chicago or the City of Chicago festival page.
What happens in July?
July has two giants in Grant Park, both in the Loop.
Taste of Chicago
Taste of Chicago is held in July in Grant Park, which Choose Chicago calls the festival's classic peak-summer slot. Admission to Grant Park is free, and you buy food from the vendors inside. Read the current overview at Choose Chicago.
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza takes over Grant Park in late July or early August. The official site lists eight stages and more than 170 artists for its most recent edition. It is a ticketed, multi-day festival, so buy only through lollapalooza.com.
What happens in August?
August has the Chicago Air and Water Show and the Bud Billiken Parade, both on the lakefront or the South Side.
Chicago Air and Water Show
The Chicago Air and Water Show is a free summer weekend of jets and boats at North Avenue Beach in Lincoln Park. Choose Chicago says you can watch along the lakefront from Fullerton Avenue to Oak Street, with a rehearsal day the day before. Rehearsal day is a lower-stress way to see the same planes. See Choose Chicago.
Bud Billiken Parade
The Bud Billiken Parade is held in Bronzeville each August, along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Choose Chicago says it draws more than one million spectators, and the official site says the parade has stepped off every summer since 1929 as a back-to-school celebration. The official site is budbillikenparade.org.
What happens in September?
September brings jazz and books, both free and both in or near the Loop.
Chicago Jazz Festival
The Chicago Jazz Festival is usually held over Labor Day weekend. Choose Chicago lists the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park as the main venue, with some shows at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Harris Theatre rooftop. Details are on the Choose Chicago page.
Printers Row Lit Fest
Printers Row Lit Fest fills South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells Drive to Polk Street in the South Loop, usually in early to mid-September. The official site lists a free, daytime festival presented by the Near South Planning Board. Find it at printersrowlitfest.org.
What happens in October?
October brings the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the Chicago International Film Festival and Open House Chicago.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon runs every October. Entry is by application on the official site, and once that window closes the site points runners to its Charity Program, so most visitors are better off cheering from the sidelines. Spectators can find course information at chicagomarathon.com.
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival, presented by Cinema/Chicago, usually takes over mid-October. The official site lists screening venues including AMC NEWCITY 14 and the Chicago History Museum. Schedules and tickets are at chicagofilmfestival.com.
Open House Chicago
Open House Chicago, run by the Chicago Architecture Center, usually happens in mid-October. In its most recent edition, the official site said about 200 sites across roughly 30 neighborhoods opened their doors, and that more than 40,000 people took part. Browse sites at openhousechicago.org. Pick one neighborhood per day rather than zig-zagging across the city.
What happens in November?
In November, the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival lights up North Michigan Avenue. It is held on a Saturday around the third weekend of the month, with Lights Festival Lane at Pioneer Court, a parade that steps off at Oak Street and Michigan Avenue and heads south along the avenue, and fireworks over the Chicago River at Michigan Avenue. The official site is themagnificentmile.com. The Magnificent Mile is a short walk from the river and Water Tower.
How we chose
We started with Chicago's researched list of recurring events and added others that are widely known for returning every year. Each one was checked against its own official site, or against Choose Chicago, the city's tourism bureau, when the city's pages were not reachable. We left out months where we could not verify an event, and we do not give exact dates, because they change every year.
Chicago's annual events at a glance
- Late January to early February: Chicago Restaurant Week
- February: Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place
- March: Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade and river dyeing
- June: Chicago Blues Festival
- July: Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza
- August: Chicago Air and Water Show and Bud Billiken Parade
- September: Chicago Jazz Festival and Printers Row Lit Fest
- October: Chicago Marathon, Chicago International Film Festival and Open House Chicago
- November: Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
For this week's listings, see what's on in Chicago. For packing advice, check Chicago weather.
Last verified: November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best-known annual events in Chicago?
The best-known annual events in Chicago are the St. Patrick's Day Parade and river dyeing in March, the Chicago Blues Festival in June, the Bud Billiken Parade in August and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October. Taste of Chicago, Lollapalooza and the Air and Water Show are also major summer events.
Which Chicago festivals are free?
The Chicago Blues Festival, Taste of Chicago (free admission, with food sold inside), the Air and Water Show, the Chicago Jazz Festival and Printers Row Lit Fest are free to attend, according to their official listings. Lollapalooza, the Auto Show and the Film Festival require tickets.
When is the Chicago River dyed green?
The Chicago River is dyed green in March along Wacker Drive, usually the same Saturday as the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. The official parade site announces river dyeing times closer to the date.
What is the best month to visit Chicago for events?
June through October has the most events, including the Blues Festival, Taste of Chicago, Lollapalooza, the Air and Water Show, the Jazz Festival and the Marathon. Check each official site for current dates before booking.
When is the Chicago Marathon?
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is held in October each year. Exact dates and entry options are posted on chicagomarathon.com, where entry is by application.
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