Fests don’t stop for Labor Day weekend. In fact, some are taking advantage of the long weekend. Get a cultural fix at Taste of Polonia and African Festival of the Arts. Move and groove at Chicago Jazz Festival and North Coast Music Festival. Get your drink on at the first Motor Row Craft Beer & Wine Festival, and see a plethora of performance art at Chicago Fringe Festival.
When: 6:30–9 p.m. Thursday and noon–9:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Where: Millennium Park
How much: Free
The skinny: Top jazz musicians and local groups alike gather for the 37th annual festival. Catch headliners and performances by high school, college and independent bands on four stages. Highlights include Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 on Thursday (8 p.m., Jay Pritzker Pavilion), Fred Hersch Trio and the Billy Strayhorn Centennial Celebration on Friday (7:10 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., respectively, Jay Pritzker Pavilion), Brian Gephart Sextet and singer Dee Dee Bridgewater on Saturday (2:20 p.m., Von Freeman Pavilion, and 8:30 p.m., Jay Pritzker Pavilion, respectively) and Muhal Richard Abrams’ Experimental Band on Sunday (8:30 p.m., Jay Pritzker Pavilion).
When: 5–10:30 p.m. Friday, noon–10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and noon–10 p.m. Monday
Where: Copernicus Center (5216 W. Lawrence Ave.)
How much: $7 at the gate or in advance. Tickets: topchicago.org
The skinny: Celebrate 36 years for one of the largest Polish festivals in the country in Jefferson Park with traditional food, dancing and music. Along with polka, jazz, rock, pop and reggae on four stages, catch cooking classes (2 p.m. Saturday through Monday, Annex Stage) and vodka tastings (2:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday, Annex Stage), arcade games, a vendor market, a casino and bingo. Food on offer includes pierogies, polish sausage, potato pancakes, kabobs, blintzes, desserts and more.
When: 3 p.m.–10 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m.–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Union Park
How much: General admission $69–$87.50. Tickets: northcoastfestival.com
The skinny: Get down and dancey with electronic, house, jam-band, indie and hip-hop music. Catch The Glitch Mob (7:30 p.m. Friday, 630 Stage), Widespread Panic (7:45 p.m. Friday, 312 Stage), Chromeo (6:45 p.m. Saturday, 312 Stage), Wave Racer (9 p.m. Saturday, 847 Stage), Portugal. The Man (6:30 p.m. Sunday, 312 Stage), The Disco Biscuits (8:30 p.m. Sunday, 630 Stage) and more. Check out 12 Chicago acts at the fest here.
Motor Row Craft Beer & Wine Festival
When: 1–10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (tastings from 2–6 p.m.)
Where: Wabash Avenue between 16th and 18th streets
How much: $35. Tickets: eventbrite.com
The skinny: Sip on beer, wine and cocktails in the city’s historic automobile district at this inaugural fest. Sample beer from more than 10 breweries from Chicago and surrounding areas, including Atlas Brewing Co., Motor Row Brewing, Maplewood Brewery & Distillery and Urban Legend Brewing Co., along with wines from seven brands. General admission includes 15 samples, a souvenir glass and live music until 10 p.m., and full-sized beers are available for purchase.
When: 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday through Monday
Where: Washington Park
How much: $15–$20. Tickets: aihusa.org/african-festival
The skinny: Honor African heritage at this culture fest with food, music, dancing and a mix of interactive activities. Check out the film and quilting pavilions and yoga, meditation and discussions offered at the African Spiritual Pavilion & Ancestral Grove. Music acts and other groups keep the Main Stage hopping all weekend, including R&B singer K’Jon (8:30 p.m. Friday), reggae artist Carl Brown (8:15 p.m. Saturday), Muntu Dance Theatre (9:15 Saturday), comedian Ron Baker Jr. (8:05 p.m. Sunday), soul-jazz singer Terisa Griffin (8:30 p.m. Sunday) and jazz-blues artist Joan Collaso (7 p.m. Monday).
When: Various times through Sept. 13
Where: Various locations in Jefferson Park
How much: Ticket prices vary. Tickets and full schedule of performances: chicagofringe.org
The skinny: The sixth annual performing arts fest brings 197 performances of 47 shows (half from Chicago, half from across the country and globe) to five Jefferson Park venues for 11 days. This weekend, check out “Cajun Face,” a comedy by Louisiana-based writers Sarah Mikayla Brown and Lian Cheramie about what it’s like being Cajun (7 p.m. Friday, 10 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave.). “Ladies Night of the Living Dead” by Chicago’s Random Acts theater group is like a zombie twist on “Bridesmaids” about a bride battling an undead outbreak with six friends at her bachelorette party gone wrong (8:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Congregational Church of Jefferson Park, 5320 W. Giddings St., 3rd floor). New York City’s Kit Yan, a transgender Asian-American poet from Hawaii, presents slam poetry show “Queer Heartache” about micro-aggressive societal failures surrounding queer culture (10 p.m. Thursday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday and 8:30 p.m. Monday, Congregational Church of Jefferson Park).
Fest survival tip 17
Check the festival FAQs for items prohibited on the fest grounds. Maximizing your time outside in the few days left of summer is important, so don’t waste time turning around to take Pickles home because of the “No dogs allowed” sign.
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