Chicago Festival and Event Guide 2026: Music, Food, Street Fairs and More
Chicago’s 2026 festival and event guide highlights a year-round calendar of music, food, culture, arts and holiday celebrations across the city. The guide includes major gatherings such as Lollapalooza in Grant Park, the free Chicago Blues Festival, Taste of Chicago and the free Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Park. It also points to neighborhood street fairs, artisan markets, cultural heritage events and film festivals, with many events free to attend. Winter programming begins with Chicago Restaurant Week, running from January 23 to February 8, offering special dining deals at hundreds of restaurants. Other January attractions include Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden, ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo, ice skating in Millennium Park, Tomorrow Never Knows, Polar Adventure Days and Cider Summit Chicago at Navy Pier. February features Chicago Theatre Week from February 5 to 15, Lunar New Year celebrations from February 15 through March 1, and the Chicago Auto Show from February 7 to 16. Additional events include the Chicago Beer Festival at the Field Museum, the Orchid Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the UChicago Folk Festival and the Chicago Irish Film Festival. March brings several high-profile traditions, including the Chinese New Year Parade on March 1 and Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day events on March 14 and 15. These include the downtown parade, the dyeing of the Chicago River green and the South Side Irish Parade. For Chicago, the guide is useful because it brings together seasonal activities across neighborhoods and major venues, helping residents and visitors plan around the city’s extensive 2026 events calendar.
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