{"id":24269,"date":"2025-07-11T09:38:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T14:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/07\/11\/things-to-do-in-the-chicago-area-july-11-13-nbc-chicago\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T09:38:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T14:38:54","slug":"things-to-do-in-the-chicago-area-july-11-13-nbc-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/07\/11\/things-to-do-in-the-chicago-area-july-11-13-nbc-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in the Chicago area July 11-13 \u2013 NBC Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Introduction to Chicago&#8217;s Weekend Events<\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking for something to do in the Chicago area this weekend, there are a ton of options that will surely catch your eye.<br \/>\nHere&#8217;s a rundown, including one of the city&#8217;s biggest barbecue festivals and multiple music festivals celebrating a number of different genres.<\/p>\n<h2>Music and Food Festivals<\/h2>\n<h3>Windy City Smokeout<\/h3>\n<p>The Windy City Smokeout features country music&#8217;s biggest names and up!and!coming talent, along with over 25 of the best BBQ teams from across the country.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Country music and BBQ festival<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> Outside the United Center, 1901 W Madison St, Chicago, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Thursday, July 10th &#8211; Sunday, July 13th<br \/>\n<h3>Square Roots Festival<\/h3>\n<p>Square Roots is a music and craft beer festival with a kid zone in the heart of Lincoln Square.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Music and craft beer festival<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> On Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Friday, July 11th &#8211; Sunday, July 13th<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Cultural Festivals<\/h2>\n<h3>Barrio Community Arts Festival<\/h3>\n<p>The 25th annual Barrio Community Arts Festival celebrates Chicago&#8217;s Puerto Rican with  more than 50 artisans and vendors offering handmade art, crafts and cultural goods, traditional Puerto Rican dishes, and live music .<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Celebration of Puerto Rican culture<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, 3015 W. Division St., Chicago IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Saturday, July 12th &amp; Sunday, 13th<br \/>\n<h3>The Chosen Few Picnic and House Music Festival<\/h3>\n<p>The 35th annual Chosen Few Picnic and House Music Festival celebrates community, culture and house music, which started here in Chicago, with legendary DJs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> House music festival<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> Jackson Park, 6401 S Stony Island Ave, Chicago, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Saturday, July 12th<\/li>\n<li><strong>NOTE:<\/strong> Tickets are still available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>More Events<\/h2>\n<h3>Passport Vibes Festival<\/h3>\n<p>The Passport Vibes Festival&#8217;s is a street fest dedicated to afrobeat music, and exposing more people to the music genre.  <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Afrobeat music festival<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> The Promontory, 5311 South Lake Park Avenue West Chicago, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Saturday, July 12th 12noon<br \/>\n<h3>African\/Caribbean International Festival of Life<\/h3>\n<p>African\/Caribbean International Festival of Life celebrates the music, food and lifestyle of people from the Caribbean, Africa and other regions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Celebration of Caribbean and African culture<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> Washington Park, 55th Street between King Drive &amp; Cottage Grove<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Friday, July 11th &#8211; Sunday, July 13th<br \/>\n<h3>Summer Mela Festival<\/h3>\n<p>The Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts 3rd annual Mela Festival celebrates South Asian art, culture and cuisine with live music &amp; dance, independent artisans, cultural eateries and hands-on arts and craft activities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Celebration of South Asian culture<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> Chicago Women&#8217;s Park and Gardens, 1801 S. Indiana Ave, Chicago, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Saturday, July 12th, 12 noon<br \/>\n<h3>Chicago Gospel Music Festival<\/h3>\n<p>The Chicago Gospel Music Festival brings audiences of all ages and backgrounds together to celebrate the power of music. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Gospel music festival<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Saturday, July 12th, 12 noon<br \/>\n<h3>Trombone Shorty &amp; Orleans Avenue<\/h3>\n<p>Trombone Shorty is a natural born showman who lead his first brass band at the age of 6,  brings his band Orleans Avenue to Chicago.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Live music performance<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> The Salt Shed Fairgrounds, 1357 N. Elston Ave, Chicago, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Saturday, July 12th, 6pm<br \/>\n<h3>Broadway stars Sutton Foster &amp; Kelli O&#8217;Hara<\/h3>\n<p>Two of Broadway&#8217;s most celebrated stars, Sutton Foster and Kelli O\u2019Hara join Chief Conductor Marin Alsop and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for a spectacular evening of music and storytelling.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Live music performance<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> Ravinia, 201 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Sunday, July 13th, 6pm<br \/>\n<h3>Reptile Roadshow<\/h3>\n<p>The Reptile Roadshow&#8217;s expert handlers introduce a variety of reptiles, including snakes, lizards, and turtles, while sharing fun facts and ensuring a safe, hands-on experience.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHAT:<\/strong> Reptile exhibit<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHERE:<\/strong> North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 W. Cermak Rd, North Riverside, IL<\/li>\n<li><strong>WHEN:<\/strong> Saturday, July 12th, 11am<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>The Chicago area has a wide range of events and festivals to offer this weekend, from music and food festivals to cultural celebrations and live performances. Whether you&#8217;re interested in country music, afrobeat, or gospel music, there&#8217;s something for everyone.<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>What are the dates for the Windy City Smokeout?<br \/>\nThe Windy City Smokeout takes place from Thursday, July 10th to Sunday, July 13th.<\/li>\n<li>Where can I buy tickets for the Chosen Few Picnic and House Music Festival?<br \/>\nTickets are still available for the Chosen Few Picnic and House Music Festival.<\/li>\n<li>What type of music will be played at the Passport Vibes Festival?<br \/>\nThe Passport Vibes Festival is dedicated to afrobeat music.<\/li>\n<li>What is the Summer Mela Festival?<br \/>\nThe Summer Mela Festival celebrates South Asian art, culture, and cuisine with live music, dance, and hands-on activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction to Chicago&#8217;s Weekend Events If you&#8217;re looking for something to do in the Chicago area this weekend, there are a ton of options that will surely catch your eye. Here&#8217;s a rundown, including one of the city&#8217;s biggest barbecue festivals and multiple music festivals celebrating a number of different genres. Music and Food Festivals [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24269","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-events"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/media.nbcchicago.com\/2025\/07\/web-windy-city-smokeout-7-10.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24269"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24269"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24272,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24269\/revisions\/24272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}