City announces Blues Fest, and Taste of Chicago and all the 2025 summer festivals
This summer's schedule of music festivals and city events was announced Thursday by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, including the return of Blues Fest, Jazz Fest and other summer favorites, including the Chicago Air and Water Show and Taste of Chicago. In addition, the announcement stretches further than summer, beginning with the farmers markets in Daley Plaza in May and including city plans for next New Year's Eve on the Riverwalk.
Look for more information about music lineups, performers and film titles at a later date.
Chicago Farmers Markets (May through October), the Division Street Market opens May 17 and Daley Plaza Market opens May 22; ChicagoFarmersMarkets.us
Maxwell Street Market (second Sundays from May through October) at 1330 S. Halsted St.; MaxwellStreetMarket.us
Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade (May 24) in Daley Plaza and State Street; Chicago.gov/DCASE
Millennium Park Summer Workouts (Saturdays from May 17 to Aug. 30) in Millennium Park on the Great Lawn; MillenniumPark.org
Chicago Blues Festival (June 5-8) at the Ramova Theatre (on Thursday), Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park; ChicagoBluesFestival.us
Grant Park Music Festival (June 11 to Aug. 16) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, presented by the Grant Park Orchestral Association with support from the Chicago Park District and DCASE; GPMF.org
Millennium Park Summer Music Series (June 26 to Aug. 7) with 10 concerts, most Mondays and Thursdays at Jay Pritzker Pavilion; MillenniumPark.org
Gospel Music Festival (July 12) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park; ChicagoGospelMusicFestival.us
Millennium Park Summer Film Series (Tuesdays from July 1 to Aug. 26) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park; MillenniumPark.org
Chicago SummerDance (Aug. 7-23) in the Spirit of Music Garden in Millennium Park, plus other city events and Night Out in the Parks events June to September; ChicagoSummerDance.org
Chicago Air and Water Show (Aug. 16-17, with rehearsal Aug. 15) at North Avenue Beach and the lakefront; ChicagoAirandWaterShow.us
Chicago House Music Festival (Aug. 22-23) in Millennium Park, Spirit of Music Garden and Riverwalk, with House Music Conference at the Chicago Cultural Center on Aug. 22; ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us
Chicago Jazz Festival (Aug. 28-31) at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, plus city events and at the Chicago Cultural Center; ChicagoJazzFestival.us.
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (Nov. 21) in Millennium Park, plus Holiday Market (Nov. 21-23) and Holiday Sing-Alongs (on Fridays Dec. 5, 12, 19).
New Year's Eve Celebration (Dec. 31) on the Riverwalk.
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Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago arts commissioner touts increased grants for artists, defends against criticism
As Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events gears up for another highlight-packed summer, its leader is laying out her vision for the city's arts community as she responds to criticism that has been simmering since she took office. A contentious exhibition, staff complaints and public flak from some arts leaders have tailed DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth since her March 2024 appointment by Mayor Brandon Johnson. Addressing the controversies in an interview with the Tribune for the first time, Hedspeth said she has reflected, but pushed back against much of it as unfounded. 'I think I did walk into a hostile situation,' she said. Meanwhile, Hedspeth is doubling down on a top focus to get artists more money. The department has earmarked an extra $500,000 for grants to artists, in addition to the $7 million allocated by the City Council last fall, she said. 'As much as we talk about water services, as much as we talk about infrastructure, this is the same. This is on par,' Hedspeth said of direct payments to artists and small arts organizations. 'This is vital. This is a service to be able to provide people with funding to create and capture who we are as a city.' Hedspeth is proud of having secured the extra money, given Chicago's thorny fiscal outlook. Johnson and the City Council budgeted $7 million for the grants, $1 million more than the year before, but less than the $10 million allocated in former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's 2023 budget, when the city's coffers were bolstered by a massive influx of federal COVID-19 funding. But she says the fund is far larger than pre-pandemic spending on such payments. Because it comes from the city, it is also now more stable, despite the fact federal support is becoming increasingly unreliable. Hedspeth pointed to the Great Depression-era Works Progress Administration as inspiration for her vision to increasingly pay artists directly and praised the federal government's pandemic stimulus spending on arts. 'It was not even enough then, but it was more than what we usually do,' she said, adding she believes the business community should 'absolutely be providing support too in a different way.' 'The goal is always to increase funding, sustainable funding, always.' To tack on the additional $500,000, Hedspeth found 'basic' cuts, such as using city services in place of outside contractors, but said she has not cut at what might be the department's crown gem: its always ambitious summer schedule, headlined by events, including Taste of Chicago, the Air and Water Show and, next week, the Chicago Blues Festival. As the new commissioner has zeroed in on a vision for her department, she has also faced a range of controversies and criticism in recent months. DCASE employees have submitted five formal complaints to the city's Inspector General's Office and Department of Human Resources accusing the commissioner of unfair treatment obtained by the Tribune via records request. Meanwhile, over 20 employees have left the department since Hedspeth's appointment, though the department's headcount has recently risen to levels near where it was when she took office. Hedspeth was summoned to the City Council for a tense hearing in January regarding a pro-Palestinian protest puppet displayed in a broader puppet exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center, where she defended free expression and the process for selecting art against some aldermen who called the piece offensive and wanted it removed. And some arts industry leaders have publicly criticized the commissioner, arguing she has left a void in Chicago's arts community by not meeting with them and effectively communicating her plans. In April, the group Artists for Chicago sent a letter to Johnson signed by more than 200 arts and culture workers further faulting Hedspeth's leadership. Johnson has defended Hedspeth, his longtime friend. In April, he said he would 'take the feedback seriously' when asked about the letter. 'You know, look, there's a lot more engagement in government these days, and I welcome that,' Johnson said. 'Arts are incredibly important to me.' Asked about the criticism, Hedspeth pinned the hostility she has encountered in part on miscommunication that arose as she took office. She defended herself against most of the pushback and said she has discussed it with others. 'I reflect on, 'Oh, is there something there?'' she said. 'I would say, almost 85% of it, I'm like, 'No.'' She declined to discuss specific allegations made in the several formal employee complaints. They include accusations she cursed out employees in public, sought a retaliatory 'witch hunt' against mayoral critics and micromanaged the office. Human Resources staff determined investigations into each complaint should not go forward because of the absence of violations in protected categories and speculative allegations. 'But I will say,' Hedspeth said. 'I do wear a lot of black, but I am not a witch.' 'There's going to be complaints in any kind of organization,' she said. 'I value all of the staff. I think we are all human, we are all going to make mistakes. I also think there should be some accountability when we are not being responsible.' The commissioner said that she is 'happy to meet' with arts leaders and others in response to criticism that she is unresponsive, but added that some have been unwilling to meet with her, especially when she started the job. The cold reception she said she got may well have been a sign of the popularity of her predecessor, Erin Harkey, now CEO of the D.C. nonprofit Americans for the Arts, who was fired by Johnson. Hedspeth described her treatment since taking office as 'very political,' and in part a product of pre-existing employee frustrations in addition to miscommunication. 'I walked in without even a transition document,' she said. 'I've reached out to people, and they weren't interested in talking to me.' She also said a 'number of people' who signed the Artists for Chicago letter told her the published version appeared different than what they signed and cast doubt on the connections of some signees to the arts industry. A spokesperson for the group, who asked to remain anonymous, denied the letter changed as people signed it and criticized Hedspeth for discrediting the critical letter instead of addressing the issues it raised. Claims the department has not made payments to artists and organizations in a timely manner or that she is unresponsive are 'just not true,' Hedspeth said, adding that the arts community is understandably angry and anxious about funding amid federal pullback. Some arts leaders have called for Hedspeth to share how she will fight President Donald Trump's budget cuts. Her department has appealed the National Endowment for the Arts' decision to terminate grants awarded to the city. One lesson learned from the recent controversies is that she must be 'a little bit more forceful in getting support' from connections in the arts and government spaces she has worked in, Hedspeth said. 'I've learned to bring in my network more. I've learned to continue to talk directly with people, regardless of others saying maybe that might not be a good idea. Being OK with that I won't be perfect at everything, I've learned that, and managing expectations with interest groups,' she said. 'And I think bringing people in, just critics in general, to have a direct conversation and say, 'OK, this is the problem that you see, what are your some of your thoughts?'' In the last decade, Hedspeth led curation at the DuSable Black History Museum, then worked as Johnson's legislative director at the Cook County Board of Commissioners before becoming a Phillips Auctioneers specialist. At the city, she has found government can be frustratingly slow, but the gig is a 'deep honor' that allows her to combine experiences in policy, museums and commercial art, she said. 'I get to build off of work that was already done, good work, and serve the city and serve artists that I know have not been at the table or been in the room and aren't part of the larger conversation,' said Hedspeth, who was raised by art collector parents in Seattle and collects rare books herself. While Hedspeth said she wants to build upon long-running and beloved DCASE efforts such as summer programming, she also wants to build new efforts in the department. 'There's a lot more ideas on the table,' she said. The increased grants for artists and small organization should come with greater 'giveback,' including longer-term relationships and more support from the city to connect artists with everything from collectors to lawyers to bolster their careers, she said. And she hopes to make sure that funding goes to a greater variety of artists and groups. That includes 'ensuring the large organizations understand, this partnership looks good, but it can look even better. And maybe you need to not take funding and utilize it for operational purposes, maybe it should actually go out directly to the artist,' she said. Speeding up the department's processes is another top goal, the commissioner said. She touted a push to quickly install art at Midway International Airport and efforts to waive fees for smaller organizations at the Chicago Cultural Center as bids to cut 'red tape' and bring the arts to more Chicagoans. Hedspeth also highlighted a new effort to have staff visit places such as ward offices and parks to help Chicagoans speed through paperwork, including grant applications. She similarly wants to streamline the film permit process to help foster the city's revenue-winning filming economy, echoing long-heralded hopes also aired by Gov. JB Pritzker. The goal on film is 'making sure we are not competing with Toronto, we should be the place,' she said. Hedspeth's film office appears to have been leaderless since December, when its head, Jonah Zeiger, left the job. He was in part tasked with recruiting films, shows and commercials to work in the city. She is also leading an effort to digitize the city's art collection and is 'leaning in on' sister agencies, such as Choose Chicago, to make sure taxpayers are getting more 'robust' offerings, she said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Peoria Riverfront's 35th Blues Fest features Gov't Mule, ZZ Ward and others
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Forbes
27-05-2025
- Forbes
Exciting New Flavors And An Atmospheric Inn Open In New Orleans
A selection of dishes at the recently opened Brutto Americano in New Orleans highlighting modern Italian cuisine and Gulf seafood. Sam Hanna - @samhannaphoto It's really a food festival with music in the middle,' explained a regular at the famous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (aka JazzFest) which concluded its annual two week run in early May. (Calendar dates to hold for next year: April 23-May 6.) One of the food stations at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. (Photo by Josh Brasted/WireImage) WireImage It's actually a very true statement. Apart from strategizing which stage to attend at different cubes (time slots) to see this year's headliners including Pearl Jam, Lenny Kravitz, Patti Labelle, Trombone Shorty, local favorite Robin Barnes and multiple acts spanning jazz, blues, zydeco, rock and roll and country, selecting food choices from different stations was just as important: crawfish strudel or remoulade; gumbo with seafood or quail and Andouille; shrimp and lump crab ravigote; cochon de lait, fried shrimp and fried oyster po-boys, crab beignets, muffulettas, etc. But the Fest ends at 7 every night so it's also a prelude to dinner. And there are some new, worthwhile choices to try around town. A selection of dishes at the new Maria's Oyster & Wine Bar. Randy Schmidt There can never be enough oyster bars in the city and a new one opened in late April in the Warehouse District near another seafood favorites Seaworthy. Maria's Oyster & Wine Bar serves a local selection of Wild Gulf Oysters , Brightsides and Little Moons plus dishes such as Shrimp Escabeche, Ceviche, Tuna Crudo, Fried Oyster Salad and a pretty dense and delicious Shrimp and Oyster Gumbo. Next door, the team behind Maria's also opened LeMoyne Bistro this spring, dipping into the city's French heritage with classic dishes such as Beef Short Rib Carbonnade and Duck Confit. The dining room of Brutto Americano. Sam Hanna In the same neighborhood, the makeover of the Ace Hotel into The Barnett also included a restaurant makeover: the grand Art Deco room that once housed Josephine Estelle is now the site of Brutto Americano, an Italian restaurant with New Orleans inflections and ingredients, particularly Gulf seafood. Among the highlights of their lunch/dinner menu: radiatori with Louisiana blue crab, basil and jalapeno , Roasted Gulf Oysters with smoked chiles, oregano and Parmesan and Seared Gulf Fish with roasted fennel, olives and leeks. The Front Bar at Junebug Randy Schmidt Nearby, the building at 744 Camp Street was an important New Orleans R&B and Funk recording studio in the 1960's and 1970's, site of sessions by local stars such as Alan Toussaint and The Meters. Now, as Junebug which opened in March, it's a sultry, low-lit, brick walled space dotted with musical details-turntables, wall sconces made of cymbals and a pendant lighting display made of repurposed Victrola trumpets all under arches studded with more lights. It's also somewhat secret since you enter through an alley. Hot Fried Oysters at Junebug. Randy Schmidt Once in, the drinks are creative and whimsical, some with music linked names (Little Old Money Maker, B Side); the dishes French inspired small plates such as Yellowfin Tuna Crudo with Gulf Tuna, sweet potato vinaigrette, coconut and habanero and Duck Rillettes with Preserved Satsuma Marmalade, pickled spring onions and toast. It's also open late. The century old bar at Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn. Jacqueline Marque On Poydras Street, on the edge of the Central Business District and a few blocks from Caesars Superdome, Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn opened in 2018 as an all day gastropub with wines on tap. Its location: a late 1800's building that formerly housed long running (110 years) Wylie's Restaurant which closed in 1986. This restaurant is also a neighborhood favorite, serving dishes such as an award-winning Duck and Andouille Gumbo, Crawfish Beignets and Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops in its historic interiors and plant decked patio. The award winning duck and Andouille gumbo at Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn. Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn Owner Kyle Brechtel was transfixed by the building and not content to stop with a restaurant so with an extension added to the original building, he opened an 11 room inn above the restaurant last September. The 10 spacious regular rooms have bespoke furniture, art and fabrics plus floor to ceiling windows that bring in plenty of light. The highlight, though, is room 11, The Terrace Suite, created from the attic of the original building and apart from the other design details featuring original brick chimneys, an ironwork fourposter, a complete kitchen and a sizeable terrace overlooking the street. Room 11, The Terrace Suite, at Copper Vine Wine Pub & Inn. Jacqueline Marque The interior of Cane & Table in the French Quarter. Laurie Werner Another atmospheric space from the 1800's in the French Quarter is the setting for Cane & Table: a flickering candlelit room where you half expect to see ghosts peering out of the antique mirrors. It started out as a Polynesian-rum tiki bar but transformed into a Cuban-Cajun restaurant when New Orleans native Alfredo Nogueira signed on as chef/part owner creating dishes from his Cuban heritage. Arroz Con Pollo at Cane & Table. They're all delicious: crunchy Sweet Plantains with Crema and Salsa Macha; Crab Croquetas with Louisiana Crab, Aioli and Lemon; Grilled Cauliflower with Smoky Guajillo Sauce, Pepitas and Mint; Arroz Con Pollo with Saffron Bomba Rice and Crispy Braised Pork Ribeye with Yucca Hash, Avocado and Mojo Verde. It's no wonder that other chefs come to dinner here and the New York Times named it one of 'The 25 Best Restaurants in New Orleans Right Now.' Nogueira has also recently introduced a Cuban Supper Club option giving diners several options in a four course dinner modeled on an annual dinner that his uncle used to give. A Sweet And Savory Bakery The interior of Ayu Bakehouse. Alex Marks Over on Frenchmen Street, a locale best known for its music clubs, a line is usually snaking out the door and onto the sidewalk at number 801. That's Ayu Bakehouse, the three year old nationally praised bakery that offers superlative breads like Roasted Corn Sourdough, pastries such as Chocolate Babka Knot and Blueberry Lemon Buns and locally influenced savory pastries such as Boudin Boy filled with boudin sausage and hard boiled eggs and Muffaletta Breadsticks dotted with bits of olives and salami. Sandwiches and salads are also offered and all are available to consume at one of the in-demand tables or to take across the street to leafy Washington Square. One of the displays at JAMNOLA showing off the city's devotion to feasting and celebrating. Laurie Werner Also in the neighborhood, a few blocks north, is the expanded, relocated JAMNOLA, the somewhat hallucinogenic display of 29 exhibits by over 100 artists showing wild interpretations of the art, food, music and extravagance of New Orleans. The gallery's directors describe it as a cultural funhouse and they aren't exaggerating. But in this city, that makes perfect sense. One of the JAMNOLA displays celebrating the city's musicians. Laurie Werner
