Part of the benefits of living in or visiting a large city is the many things to do anytime. The summer time, in particular, is a great time to visit or get out and have some fun. What kind of fun depends on you, but when it comes to Chicago in the summer, the choices are wide and varied. To narrow it down a little, let’s check out 5 great things to do in Chicago this summer.
How could we leave out Lollapalooza, which will be the 25th birthday of the event. This years festival is being held at Grant Park, and is headlining some bands you might have heard of like: Radiohead, Lana Del Ray, and LCD Soundsystem. The four days of music festivities is being held July 28th -31st, which is one day longer than usual.
Grant Park is in downtown Chicago, and will have two entrances attendees can use. The event coordinators warn of the limited availability of parking, so advise people to take public transit. This is where ParqEx can help you have the perfect parking spot nearby while everyone else is taking the bus! The cost of four-day passes are $335 and single day passes are $120.
For a more low-key type of activity, how about a movie in one of Chicago’s many parks? Over 250 movie screenings are being held from June until mid-September in parks all across Chicago. Bring a blanket and some snacks to enjoy a movie on a very large blown up screen, in the middle of a Chicago park at night.
To give you an idea of some of the parks holding these events, here’s a list of 10: Gross, Grant, Piotrowski, West Chatham, Sherwood, Lindblom, Lowe, Eugene Field, Eckhart, and Maplewood. And to give you an idea of the movies being played, here’s a list of 10: Jurassic World, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Sandlot, War Room, Ant-Man, The Lego Movie, October Sky, Inside Out, Rio 2, and Zootopia.
Watch an outdoor movie for little to no cost, and enjoy the beautiful nights of Chicago with friends and family watching a good movie. There are many parks holding these events, so parking availability will vary, but either way ParqEx can help make outdoor movie night less of a hassle for the times when parking is needed.
There are so many great food and music festivals during the summer including the Taste of Chicago held at Grant Park, but let’s highlight the Windy City Smokeout. This is an annual three-day food and music festival being held from July 15th – 17th, 2016. Grilled meats and country music are the themes of this event being held at River North on W Grand Ave.
Bands like Billy Currington and Old Dominion will be playing country music while plenty of tasty pork, beer, and meaty treats will be available from local barbecue restaurants. Attendees can gain entry one day for only $40, or get a weekend pass for $100. Parking will be tough for this downtown event, so reserving a space through ParqEx will help facilitate a smooth culinary country music holiday at the annual Windy City Smokeout.
One of the biggest attractions in Chicago and especially in the summer is the major league baseball teams: the Cubs and the White Sox. There’s not many cities with two pro baseball teams, which gives residents and visitors a great choice for a summer time event to attend.
The Cubs play at the historic Wrigley Field, which has been undergoing some big renovations. The Cubs had their best season since 1945 last year, only four wins away from being in the World Series! That means this summer should be an exciting time to watch a Cubs game.
Tickets cost anywhere from $27 to $200. Wrigley Field is located in North Chicago near Uptown on W Addision St., so finding parking and dealing with traffic could be tough. ParqEx could help you find and reserve the perfect parking spot nearby, so you can enjoy a Cubs ball game this summer.
Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour
Many people will find a river cruise appealing in Chicago this summer. There are many different options to choose from if this is the case. For instance, the Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour runs daily from Gateway Park and Navy Pier beginning at 10am. This is a 75-minute cruise highlighting more than 40 Chicago landmarks and only costs $32-$39 for adults and $16-$20 for children under 12.
Summary
The list goes on and on with fun and interesting things you can do this summer in Chicago. These 5 activities should give you an idea of the diversity of options Chicago gives residents and visitors when it comes to enjoying the Windy City. Great food, music, and culture are all kicking off even now as summer officially begins.
Don’t let parking woes slow your fun down this summer when enjoying Chicago. The ParqEx app gives you the tool needed to find the parking solution for every circumstance. Simply find a parking spot being rented nearby your event, reserve it on the day and hour needed, and the rest is taken care of through the app.
For those who have a parking spot to rent the process is just as simple. Use ParqEx to rent out your space and make some extra money during the year, all through the app. We’re a Chicago based company proud to help bring people together to make parking easier and safer. To learn more please contact us today.
