PLEASE NOTE: Events can be postponed or simply cancelled. Please call ahead to ensure they are still taking place.
1 fantastic beasts
Mexican artists have created dozens of chimeras to Alebrijes: creatures from a dream worldan outdoor sculpture exhibit at Parc Cantigny in Wheaton celebrating the mythical hybrids associated with the Day of the Dead. June 1–Oct. 30. cantigny.org
2 Ancestral lines
On the evening program Replica at Links Hall, the experimental company Dropshift Dance presents new movements inspired by the family history of its dancers. June 3-4. dropshiftdance.com
3 The desire for your art
Marking the renaming of the Cleve Carney Art Gallery as the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, Login shows pieces from the institution’s permanent collection – including works by artists from Rembrandt to Kehinde Wiley – alongside those by contemporary Chicago artists. June 4–August. seven. theccma.org
4 Stable condition
After winning the Grulke Prize, awarded for developing innovative acts, at this year’s South by Southwest, the teenage rock trio horse girl celebrate the release of Modern performance versionshis first album for Matador, on view with other young local groups at Thalia Hall. June 5. thaliahallchicago.com
5 Make them squirm
You could smell what sketches from the last season of Saturday Night Live came from the brain of the new cast member Sarah Sherman: They were the weirdest. A former host of local showcase Helltrap Nightmare, the outraged comedian (aka Sarah Squirm) returns home for four shows at Sleeping Village. June 9-10. village-dormant.com
6 Midsommar lovin’
Chicago’s ultimate street festival, Andersonville Midsommarfest has been a neighborhood staple since the 1960s. The Swedish Celebration returns after a two-year hiatus with local performers on five stages along Clark Street. June 10-12. andersonville.org
seven Taste of Puerto Rico
The 43rd edition Parade of the Puerto Rican People walk along Paseo Boricua, the half-mile stretch of Division Street in Humboldt Park, surrounded by sculptures of Puerto Rican flags that will soon be a landmark. June 11. puertocanfest.com
8 good mourning
In the musical by Canadian composer and playwright Britta Johnson life after, a teenage girl struggles to cope with the loss of her father. The Goodman Theater is hosting the Chicago premiere of the work, which won six of Toronto’s Dora Awards for its original direction. From June 11 to July 17. goodmantheatre.org
9 The wordy city
More than 160 contemporary poets and artists sing odes to our city in the pages of Wherever I Am: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry, recently published by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. You might be able to catch a few signatures at the book launch party at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. June 13. chicagoliteraryhof.org
ten summer beats
Quench your thirst for hip-hop at Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash. The high profile festival brings together more than 60 artists on three stages in Douglass Park; this year’s headliners include Post Malone, Playboi Carti and a joint set of Young Thug and Gunna. June 17-19. thesummersmash.com
11 Catch more fly honeys
Between burlesque, cabaret and dance party, nothing like the Fly Honey Show. The raucous sex and body positive performance troupe arrive at Thalia Hall for a Pride weekend filled with dancers, DJs and a live band. June 23-25. theflyhoneyshow.com
12 strong and proud
The Chicago Pride Parade regularly draws over a million spectators to its North Side course. After two years of the pandemic and amid an increase in right-wing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, expect this year’s rainbow to be very bright. June 26. chicagopridecalendar.org
13 High action
A company of 20 dancers takes to the air in Broken compassa new 90-minute performance created by choreographers Chloe Jensen, Karen Fisher Doyle and Tracy Von Kaenel for Aerial Dance Chicago. July 8-9. aerialdancechicago.org
14 Musicals in Millennium Park
Listen to show tunes under the stars on the lawn of the Pritzker Pavilion when the Grant Park Orchestra pays tribute to musical theater greats, from George Gershwin to Lin-Manuel Miranda in Lights on Broadway. July 8-9. grantparkmusicfestival.com
15 The old college tries
Represent your alma mater or just run for fun in the Big Ten Big 10K Networkwhich starts from Soldier Field and ends with a post-race tailgate. July 10. btnbig10k.com
16 ‘Fork on the road
The Fork Music Festival returns to its usual summer slot at Union Park with a typically eclectic roster of headliners, including the National, Mitski and the Roots. July 15-17. pitchforkmusicfestival.com
17 It’s actually cerulean
Chicago has a first look at the new musical The devil wears Prada. Based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel (and its 2006 film adaptation) about an Anna Wintour-type fashion editor, the Broadway-targeted show has a score by Elton John. July 19–August. 21. broadwayinchicago.com
18 Sunday clothes
The Chicago Loop Alliance State Sundays program returns for a second year, transforming this high street into a pedestrian-friendly block party on select Sundays through September. July 24. loopchicago.com
19 Anything Lolla wants, Lolla gets
Chicago’s biggest summer music festival juggernaut, Lollapalooza packs Grant Park with over 160 acts over a four-day span, with headliners ranging from rock statesmen Metallica and Green Day to queens of pop Dua Lipa and Doja Cat. July 28-31. lollapaloza.com
20 To kill him
Hosted by Zako Ryan, the monthly stand-up showcase sorry for killing recently installed in new excavations at the Laugh Factory. With quality lineups of local comics on the rise, the higher profile is deserved. July 28. eventbrite.com