CHICAGO (September, 2011) – Fall is the perfect time to visit Chicago – fewer crowds, colorful scenery and cooler temperatures make it a popular destination during the vibrant, autumn months. Following is a round-up of the season’s best bets taking place from September to November both downtown and across Chicago’s neighborhoods.
For more information about all upcoming events listed below, which are FREE unless otherwise noted, visit www.ExploreChicago.org.
FESTIVALS
Grant Park’s Spirit of Music Garden blossoms into an urban dance floor during the 15th Annual Chicago SummerDance festival, the largest of its kind in the United States, taking place Thursday to Sundays through September 18.
Beethoven Festival 2011, a multi-disciplinary celebration of the life, works and spirit of Ludwig van Beethoven through music and art, showcases 120 musicians, as well as contemporary visual artists, filmmakers, scholars, actors and poets September 14-18. Tickets start at $20/day.
Celebrate the best of today’s international music at the World Music Festival, September 15-22. The city-wide festival showcases free and low-cost ticketed concerts featuring both traditional and contemporary music from diverse cultures across the world at local museums, parks, theaters and clubs.
A new event at Navy Pier, Germany’s Best Oktoberfest from September 23-October 10, offers a truly authentic cultural experience and showcases both modern and traditional Germany.
The 5th Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival celebrates jazz’s great legacy and bright future on Chicago’s South Side. Enjoy a full weekend of free jazz September 24-25 across 13 creative and unexpected, indoor and outdoor arts and culture venues throughout the Hyde Park neighborhood.
Chicago Gourmet 2011, an epicurean extravaganza in Millennium Park September 23-25, showcases over 100 of Chicago’s finest chefs, as well as hundreds of renowned vintners, spirit makers and breweries from around the world through cooking demos, tastings and seminars. Admission prices from $89-$250.
The Chicago International Film Festival takes you all around the globe to discover some of the most exciting cinema the world has to offer. The festival takes place at venues across the city October 6-20 and is followed by the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival October 21-30. Ticket prices vary.
The Chicago Humanities Festival explores the theme tech·knowledgē October 16 and 23 and November 2-13 by bringing the world’s most exciting thinkers, artists and performers together to celebrate ideas in the context of civic life through performances, screenings, exhibits and discussions. Tickets prices from $5-$40.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Spectacular Navy Pier Fireworks displays continue to light up the skies into the autumn every Saturday evening September 10-October 29.
Historic State Street in the heart of the Loop will open to pedestrians only September 10 for Open Streets. Play, walk, bike and enjoy healthy recreation in this safe, car-free public space on the seven-block stretch of State Street, from Lake to Van Buren streets.
Revel in a sensational night of singing with some of opera’s most famous stars. Join Renée Fleming, Matthew Polenzani, James Morris, Anna Christy, Susanna Phillips and a host of other luminaries as Lyric Opera of Chicago performs at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park on September 10.
Celebrate Harvest Days at Lincoln Park Zoo on September 17-18, where children and families can pick their own pumpkins to decorate, make crafts, and enjoy music. Get up close with the animals and watch a cow-milking demonstration, feed the cows and pet the goats.
County Fair at the Garfield Park Conservatory celebrates the harvest and healthy communities with a family-oriented day September 17. Shop the farmer’s market, discover agricultural traditions, see the best in urban gardening and enjoy horticultural exhibits and demos. Children’s activities, a petting zoo and garden displays highlight the connections between plants, food and American heritage. Admission $5.
Social Media Week, held at locations across the city September 19-23, is a global platform connecting people, content, and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media. Join industry leaders as they share best practices, trends and success stories through presentations, panels and networking events. The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture will lead guided photo walks of four iconic Chicago neighborhoods: Chinatown (September 19), Bronzeville (September 20), Old Town (September 21) and the Loop (September 23). Participants are encouraged to tell the story of this amazing and unique city through photos taken on their phone to share with the world via Flickr and other social media platforms.
Enjoy fall themed arts and crafts, see what the local harvest brought in, watch the fall bird migration, enjoy a guided nature hike and celebrate the changing of the season during Fall Adventure Day on Northerly Island. Presented by the Chicago Park District, this fun, educational all-day event on October 1 showcases the wonder of nature right here in the city.
Chicago’s visual arts scene is on display October 1-31, with over 200 events for the public during the annual collaborative arts celebration known as Chicago Artists Month. Events ranging from exhibitions to open studio tours and neighborhood art walks are presented by museums, cultural centers, galleries and arts organizations throughout the city. More than 45 neighborhoods participate in this month-long showcase, which features 5,000 artists living and working in Chicago.
In its inaugural year, Chicago Ideas Week, a seven-day platform for ideas, innovation and community October 10-16, features over 100 speakers and 60 events at over 40 locations across the city. Global visionaries and innovators, including Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former Mayor Richard M. Daley, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Groupon founder Andrew Mason, Pandora founder Tim Westergren, Pulitzer Prize writer Thomas Friedman, TIME Magazine Managing Editor Richard Stengel, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and more, will participate in inspiring conversations and invite the public to celebrate, collaborate and spark new ideas. Tickets $15.
On October 15-16, the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s openhousechicago grants insider access to over 125 of the city’s most interesting buildings in more than a dozen neighborhoods–from historic mansions, private clubs, factories, churches and more. Discover hidden gems, broaden your knowledge and appreciation of the city, and connect with others who share a passion for Chicago’s famed buildings and thriving communities.
Fashion Focus Chicago 2011 returns for its 7th year to showcase Chicago’s top designers through four headlining runway shows at Millennium Park and various locations around the city, plus a variety of free and affordable shopping events, opening receptions and other industry happenings. Preview spring collections and discover emerging talents at this week-long celebration of Chicago’s creative community October 17-23. Headlining shows ticket prices from $35-$90.
Chicago’s Veterans Day Ceremony, presented in Soldier Field on November 11, honors those who have served in times of peace as well as in war.
ARTS AND CULTURE
With over 250 theaters, including five Tony Award–winners and a renowned off-Loop theater scene, Chicago is known throughout the world for its critically-acclaimed theater. The 2011-12 theater season kicks off in September, with iconic Downtown Theater District venues such as the Ford Center/Oriental Theatre and Cadillac Palace Theatre hosting extended Broadway-style runs and premieres, while Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman and intimate neighborhood stages including Lookingglass, Victory Gardens and Steppenwolf wow audiences with award-winning productions.
Be transported to the beautiful and mysterious world of sea jellies at the Shedd Aquarium’s exhibit Jellies, open now through May 28, 2012. Discover the intriguing ways these pulsing, translucent animals survive—and thrive—in the world’s oceans. General museum admission and special exhibit tickets from $6-$34.95.
The Field Museum’s Ground Zero 360˚ exhibit, opening September 2 through January 1, 2012, portrays 9/11 and the days immediately following from the perspectives of a NYC police commander and a photojournalist through photographs, artifacts and original police radio calls. General museum admission from $10-$15.
Opening September 17 and running through January 15, 2012 at the Art Institute of Chicago, Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention, is the first comprehensive retrospective of the architect’s dramatic works and incredible vision. General museum admission from $12-$18.
In the exhibition EVERYWHERE with Roy Lewis, opening October 7 at the DuSable Museum of African American History, each photograph creates a narrative for the various expressions of the African American experience spanning five decades. General museum admission from $3-$12.
Opening October 5 and running through January 8, 2012 at the Field Museum, Chocolate: Around the World, explores the plant, products and culture of chocolate through the lenses of science, history and popular culture at this world premiere. General museum admission from $10-$15.
Inspired by the museum’s rich holdings of minimalist and post minimalist work from the 1960s and 1970s, The Language of Less (Then and Now) at the Museum of Contemporary Art opens October 8 and runs through April 8, 2012. General museum admission from $7-$12.
Step into the creativity‚ construction and obsession of one of the 20th century’s most remarkable fashion designers at the Chicago History Museum’s exhibit Charles James: Genius Deconstructed, opening October 22 and running through April 16, 2012. General museum admission from $12-$14.
Chicago Human Rhythm Project, the world’s longest-running year-round presenter of American tap dance and contemporary percussive arts, opens its 22nd season with Global Rhythms, performances that spotlight national and international artists November 26-27. Tickets prices from $15-$55.
HALLOWEEN
Halloween is more than a day in Chicago; it’s an entire season known as Chicagoween. Downtown’s Daley Plaza is transformed into Franken Plaza, with three days of activities and performances October 28-30 including a Monster Bash with trick-or-treat candy, hayrides and a costume contest complete with prizes.
Learn fun facts about the animals, make crafts, collect treats and enjoy entertainment throughout Lincoln Park Zoo while dressed in costume at the Spooky Zoo Spectacular October 22.
At the Oriental Museum’s Mummies Night: Tales Treats for Halloween, treasure hunt through the Egyptian Gallery, meet a mummy and discover painted coffins and a Book of the Dead October 27. Admission $3.
Edgar Allan Poe Readings, presented on October 29, have been a spine-chilling holiday tradition for 25 years. Taking place in the intimate parlor of the Clarke House Museum, where the furnishings and décor of the room set the perfect stage, terrifying tales and poems come alive. Admission $25.
Chicago tales of strange sounds, unexplained sightings and untimely endings are uncovered after dark at Shadows on the Street: Haunted Tours of Historic Prairie Avenue October 29-30. Admission $10.
SPORTS AND RECREATION
The pinnacle of achievement for elite athletes and everyday runners alike, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts an estimated 1.7 million spectators and 45,000 participants who take to the 26.2 mile course through Chicago, starting and finishing in beautiful Grant Park on October 9.
For the first time in 65 years, Chicago again has a velodrome where bike enthusiasts can now watch cyclists take to the oval tracks of the outdoor racing arena. A permanent Chicago Velo Campus planned for late 2013 will feature an Olympic-sized swimming pool, BMX park, health club and world-class indoor velodrome track.
Go on the ultimate adventure as you paddle the waterways of the Chicago River with Urban Kayaks. Rentals, tours and workouts are led by a professional staff of certified instructors with this premier kayaking outfitter located in the heart of downtown. Tours offered through October 29 and prices vary.
SIGHTSEEING
Let a friendly, knowledgeable Chicago Greeter volunteer welcome you on a guided walk through the city. Customized for small groups up to 6 people, these 2-4 hour visits are offered year-round on foot and public transportation. Register in advance and choose a neighborhood or interest to explore, such as architecture, history, film or ethnic Chicago.
InstaGreeter Neighborhood Outposts give visitors the stellar Chicago Greeter experience without the need to pre-register – just drop in anytime during open hours. These informal, one-hour guided walks are both fun and informative, and ideal for visitors pressed for time or looking for a more flexible option. Choose from The Loop offered year-round or Millennium Park, Pilsen, Hyde Park or Old Town offered seasonally through October 8.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
Chicago took the top spot in the World’s Best Awards 2011 by the readers of Travel + Leisure Magazine. The Peninsula Chicago was named #1 Large City Hotel in the U.S. and Canada. Also honored in this category were the Elysian Hotel #3, the Trump International Hotel and Tower #4, the Ritz-Carlton (A Four Seasons Hotel) #17 and the Park Hyatt #45.
Peninsula Chicago celebrates 10 years in 2011 and in honor of this milestone, has created many special promotions through December 31. Book their Celebrate 10 Years promotion to reserve a room for one night and enjoy the second night for $10. Enjoy a 10th Anniversary Royal-Tea served afternoons in The Lobby or wine-and-dine in their renowned restaurants on a 10th Anniversary Culinary Journey. Availability and prices vary.
If high gas prices have you trading in your car ride for a train ride this fall travel season, Kimpton Hotels want to help re-fuel your wallet. Book their Ride the Rails promotion for 15% off the Best Available Rate with proof of train ticket at check-in. Hang up the keys, skip the airport crowds and enjoy the scenery by train when staying at Hotel Allegro, Hotel Burnham, Hotel Monaco and Hotel Palomar in Chicago. Availability and rates vary.
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Visitor Information Resources
Visitors and Chicagoans planning to entertain out-of-town guests can receive trip-planning assistance and information by visiting www.ExploreChicago.org. Brochures and information on Chicago’s exciting events and activities are also available at the Visitor Information Centers. Friendly Visitor Representatives can answer questions and assist in planning an unforgettable itinerary. The visitor centers are located in two of the city’s most popular areas: across from Millennium Park in the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph Street; and at the historic Water Works pumping station, 163 E. Pearson Street at Michigan Avenue.
For daily alerts about fun and free things to do in the city, follow Explore Chicago on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ExploreChicago and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ExploreChicago, where you can also weigh in on your Chicago favorites. Get answers to your Chicago questions on the go, restaurant recommendations, and tips on citywide events and activities via the FREE Twitter Concierge Service @explorechicago available daily.
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers, providing innovative visitor programs and services, and presenting free world-class public programs. For more information please visit www.ExploreChicago.org
September 5, 2011
Posted in: United States Central
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