Just as summer is starting to slip away, the city is teeming with fabulous festivals and fairs to help us savor the outdoors. If you have only ever experienced the food and music side of Chicago’s festivals, than it’s time to break out your walking shoes to meander through the streets at one of these visual art-minded events. From the West Loop to Bucktown to the Maginificent Mile to Highland Park, artists are taking it to the streets.
Bucktown Arts Fest
August 27 and August 28
Bucktown may be no longer be the great bang for a buck that drew artists to this tree-lined hood back in the ‘80s. But the gentrification can’t hold down the Bucktown Arts Fest, now in its twentieth year. The event has drawn upwards of 30,000 people to the Senior Citizen’s Park (at the corner of Oakley and Lyndale) in recent years. Not just because it takes place in a park is this event grassroots – unlike many such fairs in the city, put on by commercial production companies, volunteers proudly run the fun. The array of art extends well beyond visual objects: a hearty roster of local bands plays; there are poetry and puppetry performances, and local food eats are on hand.
Chicago Antique Market
Sunday, August 28
Admission: $8; children under 12 free
This hip outdoor antiques market, only in its second year, is creating quite a buzz. Travel & Leisure magazine deemed the monthly event one of the top three antique markets in the country in its inaugural year. From 18th century furniture to 19th century oil paintings to Art Deco lighting fixtures to 1930s kitchen appliances – there is much to appreciate. Fashion mavens must not forget to take it inside, to stroll through the Plumbers Hall, where the Indie Design Fashion Market has set up shop for these summer Sundays as part of the festivities. The School of the Art Institute has assisted in creating and finding the fashion designers. London may have Portobello, but Chicago has Randolph Street. The fun happens with or without good weather.
HAMSA: From the Middle East to the Midwest
August 27 and August 28
Suggested donation: $5 - $10; free for kids under 5
You can see a former Ghostbuster, ride a camel, and indulge in Middle Eastern and North African arts and literature in Lincoln Park this weekend. That’s right, Harold Ramis, producer of Hollywood comedies (also known as the silent, nerdy scientist in “Ghostbusters”) emcees the second annual HAMSA – From the Middle East to the Midwest, a bazaar sponsored by Genesis at the Crossroads, a Chicago-based non-profit that uses the arts to “bridge cultures in conflict.” Learn more about the Middle East through music, art, and storytelling. Several activities in the Kids Tent make this a perfect chance for youngsters to learn about the Middle East – activities include dance and drumming instruction, storytelling with Patricia Hruby Powell, a calligraphy workshop, and a performance by the Hakkery Assyrian Cultural Dancers.
21st Annual Port Clinton Art Festival
August 27 and August 28
Should you not have a vehicle, you can take an extended bike ride or hop on the Metra, to get to this top-notch art fair. Juried works by more than 250 artists will be on display, including photography, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, glass, sculpture, wood and mixed media art objects. Surrounded by trees, fountains, and flowers, the charming Port Clinton Square of this upscale suburb will not disappoint your need for the outdoors. Though the event may not be a breeze in the park. The crowds are expected to number 250,000 people. Be sure to check out the work of six artists from Puerta Vallarta on display as part of a cultural exchange program between Highland Park and its Mexican sister city.
Viva! Chicago Art Fair
Hours: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday, August 28 and Sunday, August 29
This art fair, put on as part of the Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival, will give you an opportunity to bring some love for things Latin into your home. Local merchants will be selling artwork, in addition to jewelry and clothing. Be sure to boogie your bad self over to this set of booths after you get your dance on – the musical roster promises cumbias, norteñas, tropical, merengue, salsa, ballads, ranchero and mariachi.
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