The Chicago Traveler

• The African Festival of the Arts is Chicago’s largest neighborhood festival, featuring three music stages, ethnic cuisine, and more than 300 vendors selling everything from fine art to skin care products. Presentations include book discussions and dance workshops. (Aug 29 – Sept 1)
• The 30th annual Chicago Jazz Festival is the city’s longest-running lakefront music festival and features local, national, and international performers on several stages. (Aug 28-31)
• Get your fill of pierogi, Polish sausage, and sauerkraut at the Taste of Polonia, where you can listen to live bands play everything from rock to polka. (Aug 29 – Sept …read more

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• The Pitchfork Music Festival is a 3-day event featuring over 40 independent bands and artists on three stages at Union Park. (July 18-20)
• Two stages of live music entertain thousands of visitors at the Old St. Patrick’s World’s Largest Block Party. Tickets include five drinks (bottled water, soda, wine, beer). (July 18-19)
• The Chicago Short Comedy Video and Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre consists of nearly 35 locally-made films starring Chicagoan actors and comedians. (July 17-18)
• Kate the Great’s Book Emporium, a bookstore with a diverse selection in Edgewater, will be closing its doors next week after …read more

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The Auditorium Building of Roosevelt University, completed in 1890, is the oldest (surviving) high-rise in Chicago. It is both a Chicago Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
Several of Chicago’s biggest historical and architectural names were involved with the construction of this structure. Ferdinand Peck, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist, was a founding member of the Illinois Humane Society and wanted to build the world’s largest, grandest, and most accessible theater to rival the likes of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Many Chicago business giants helped finance the project, including Marshall Field and George Pullman. Dankmar Adler and …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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• The annual Cinco de Mayo Festival at Douglas Park features live music, food booths, carnival rides, games, and a parade at 12 noon on Sunday. (May 2-4)
• The 75th annual SAIC Fashion Show is produced by School of the Art Institute of Chicago students and faculty. Located at the Sullivan Center, the exhibition is preceded by a cocktail reception and features a meet-and-greet with the designers afterward. (May 2)
• For four nights, Adobo Grill will feature special Mexican menu items and $5 margaritas. (May 2-5)
• Can’t party on Monday? Hit up the Dos de Mayo Party at Easy Bar, …read more

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Looptopia, the annual dusk-till-dawn artistic and cultural celebration, lights up the downtown area again this Friday, May 2. This all-night festivity features 300 artists in 100 venues for 14 hours. More than 100,000 people attended last year. Locals, tourists, students, families, artists, musicians—Looptopia invites and entertains them all.
Just to give you an idea, here’s what you can expect to find:

Over 50 groups and soloists offering everything from jazz to electronica to pop to classical.
20 performers show off their moves in ballet, bellydancing, tap, salsa, fire dancing, and more.
Acrobats, circus performers, shadow puppets, experimental artists, and a preview of the 2016 …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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When you’re in a city full of skyscrapers, it only makes sense to check out the view from one of those tall buildings. The John Hancock Center is a popular place to take in great views of Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile. It also houses one of the best spots to get a cocktail: the Signature Lounge.
Located on the 96th floor, this elegant lounge offers a colossal view of the city. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer an incredible look at the city’s glittering skyline. Downtown businesspeople and camera-wielding tourists take in the quiet elegance of soft leather booths and mahogany-trimmed chairs. …read more

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Tickets go on sale this weekend for the following Chicago events via Ticketmaster:

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
House of Blues
Mon, Jun 30, 7:30 p.m.

C U LaTour: Ministry’s Final World Tour
House of Blues
Sun, May 11, 5:00 p.m.

Edwin McCain
House of Blues
Thurs, Jun 19, 7:30 p.m.

Return to Forever
The Chicago Theatre
Fri, Jun 20, 8:00 p.m.

Stone Temple Pilots
Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
Thurs, May 22, 8:00 p.m.

Alicia Keys
Allstate Arena
Sat, Jun 7, 8:00 p.m.

Steely Dan
The Chicago Theatre
Tues, July 15, 7:30 p.m.

Moody Blues
Genesee Theatre
Sun, Jun 8, 7:30 p.m.

Photo credit (via Flickr): Czilango, hizonic, maryatuab, tm marcello, Saffanna, riveri35, oxmour, Monique Hofland

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• Sip on specially-priced $29 bottles of wine from past leap years (2000 and 2004) at the Leap Year Dinner at Café Matou. (Feb 29)
• Shane Salois of Cream Wine Company and sommelier Rashed Islam lead a tasting of more than 12 champagnes with appetizer pairings at the Leap Year Champagne Seminar at Viet Bistro. (Feb 29)
• At the Leap Year Celebration at Zocalo, get a flan dessert for $2.29 (in honor of the day 2/29) plus half-price appetizers and live music in the bar. (Feb 29)
• The Leap Year Celebration at Café Penelope features buffalo frog legs, “frog’s leap” …read more

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