The Chicago Traveler

• The annual German festival Mayfest is stuffed with plenty of brats, beer, and bands. The official opening ceremony on Friday features a traditional keg tapping and May Queen crowning. Prost! (May 29-June 1)
• The 24th Annual Chicago Gospel Music Festival is three days of more than 50 performances on three stages in Millennium Park. (May 30-June 1)
• Foodies can sample dishes from more than 50 chefs from local restaurants at the 16th Annual Great Chefs Tasting Party at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, hosted by the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago. Participating restaurants include David Burke’s …read more

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If you’re scheduling a trip to Chicago and haven’t planned a trip to Millennium Park, you’re definitely missing out. The fact that it opened in July 2004 (not 2000) and was three times more expensive than anyone had planned just goes to show how much work went into this state-of-the-art attraction.
Oh sure, it may seem simple, comprised mostly of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Cloud Gate, and Crown Fountain. But each one of those features is nothing like anything you’ve seen before. This northern section of Grant Park is a showcase for postmodern architecture, featuring a bandshell with curving planes of …read more

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When I first saw the Jay Pritzker Pavilion (which opened in 2004), all I could think was, “What is that?!” This strange-looking band shell is the centerpiece of downtown’s Millennium Park and is a work of acoustic-engineering genius .
The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is an acoustical and architectural masterpiece in the Loop (across from the Aon Center). Architect Frank Gehry applied his signature style to this one-of-a-kind outdoor concert venue. Known for his touch of curving metal, the roof of the 4,000-fixed-seat amphitheatre is formed by 679 interlocking strips of curling stainless steel. Just behind the fixed seats lies the 95,000-square-foot …read more

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