Think Travel Tips

Imagine swaying to the sounds of a great American rock band, enjoying the opportunity to combine love of music with great food and wine, feeling a thrill run down your spine as a harmonica note resonates around you or even salsa-ing with your partner to a live Latino band. Whatever your taste might be – if you love music then you’ll love Chicago in summer!  There are a vast variety of music festivals that attract visitors to the Windy City over summer, and among the biggest are Lollapalooza, the Taste of Chicago Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival and the Viva Chicago Latino Music Festival. 

Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza first came to Chicago in 2005. After a tumultuous history as a touring rock festival, Lollapalooza was reinvented as a two day festival, now held annually in Grant Park in Chicago. This music festival has included a veritable ‘who’s who’ of modern American rock music in its line up over the years. Past performers include Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, and Lenny Kravitz among many others.

This year the festival will be held over 5 stages, with around 70 acts performing from the 1st to the 3rd of August. The festival still delivers great rock bands, and also showcases alternative music, hip-hop and punk rock bands. If you make it to this year’s festival then you will get the opportunity to see headliners including Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead and Kanye West. Another attraction that has been very popular at the Lollapalooza Festival is the many alternative performances held alongside the music in Grant Park. In between watching your favorite artists, you can see comedians and dance performances; and the festival offers an almost fair like atmosphere with a number of booths on site selling crafts and other homemade products.

The international Taste of Chicago Food Festival
The international Taste of Chicago food festival also provides plenty of entertainment for music lovers. The Taste of Chicago is a ten day festival that provides an opportunity to sample diverse cuisine from the various cultural groups in the ethnically rich Chicago area. There are over 70 restaurants participating in the festival and the many chefs attending are offering not only American Cuisine, but a range of flavors from across the globe.

Alongside the food festival the Taste of Chicago provides a groove fest for music lovers. The music showcased includes a number of local and regional acts from the Chicago and Illinois area. This year a number of national and international stars will be appearing as part of the entertainment. During this year’s Taste of Chicago the Petrillo Music Shell will play host to long time favorites such as Stevie Wonder and Bonnie Raitt, and younger performers Joss Stone, as well as the Plain White T’s.

The Viva Chicago Music Festival
The Latino Community of Chicago hosts a true fiesta style festival in late August. The Viva Chicago Music Festival is a combination of music and food delights. The festival includes a street market where local Latino merchants sell clothing, traditional artwork and jewelry. The traditional art that is also sold at this event gives a perfect opportunity to purchase your own little bit of Latino culture. Of course the highlight of this festival for music lovers is the various styles of Latino music that will have you on your feet and grooving the day away. The assorted traditional Latin music includes mariachi music, nortenas and cumbias and will have you bopping along like a real senor or senorita at the Viva Festival.

Chicago Blues Festival
If your heart and soul lies with influential American music, then the Chicago Blues Festival is just the ticket for you. Now celebrating its 25th year, this enduring festival is held early in June in Grant Park. Starting on a Thursday evening, this weekend long festival kicks-off this year with guitarist and singer Johnny Winter performing for the first time since appearing at the festival’s inception. With blues legend B.B. King himself performing on the closing night, the weekend promises to be an un-forgettable experience for blues music lovers. Key performers include Koko Taylore, Buckwheat and the winners of the 2007 ‘Band of the Year’ award, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials.

There are some great music festivals held throughout the summer in Chicago – and whether you are visiting the city or even a local, you will be grooving along with the best of them on the balmy summer nights. With such a diverse range of music on offer there is no doubt that there is something for everyone, and these events manage to transcend simply the musical to offer a great all-round cultural experience, indulging all the senses.

Accommodation & Food
Budget – It may not be 5 star, but for budget accommodation in downtown Chicago – then look no further than retro styled Ohio House Motel. This 60s era hotel has the authentic feel, with a diner and marquee outside, but the rooms are clean and recently refurbished. Ohio House is located only 10 minutes walk from major Chicago attractions, such as the Magnificent Mile and Michigan Avenue shopping and food outlets. If you’re after a great budget option this motel is hard to beat.

Mid-Range – Both the Comfort Inn Suites and the Best Western Inn of Chicago offer affordable accommodation in an ideal location. Situated within 5 minutes walk of Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile district of Chicago, these two hotels offer a good base for exploring the city. From here you have easy access to the festivals, and in this prime location a short 5 minute walk will find you at the heart of the food and shopping district.

Luxury – The fabulous W Hotel is a distinctive, boutique hotel offering luxury accommodation in downtown Chicago. Located near Grant Park this is an ideal base if you are looking for luxury accommodation with easy access to the festivals. If you haven’t eaten your fill at the festivals – then the popular in-house restaurant ‘Ristorante We’ provides a full menu catering to all tastes.

Author’s Bio:
Melissa Kyd’s love of travel began while living in Europe and working as a TEFL teacher. Since then she has gone on to work as a freelance writer and copywriter. Melissa’s work includes writing articles about travel and fashion for both online and print publication, as well as writing text for travel websites. In her spare time her passions are cooking, photography and learning new languages.