Events

Chicago’s event calendar stays active year-round, giving visitors and locals plenty of reasons to get out and explore. From lakefront music festivals and major sports games to neighborhood street fairs, food events, art shows, theater nights, and holiday markets, the city always has something happening. This page brings those options together so you can see what fits your schedule, your group, and the kind of day you want to plan.

2026 Lollapalooza

Chicago doesn't slow down for Lollapalooza. The lakefront stays busy, DuSable Lake Shore Drive carries its usual volume, and the streets around Grant Park absorb 100,000 festival-goers on top of an already dense downtown grid. For out-of-town attendees flying into O'Hare or Midway, or for groups moving between hotels and...
2026 Lollapalooza

IMTS 2026

Over 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space, more than 2,000 exhibitors, and 90,000 visitors across six days. The International Manufacturing Technology Show fills McCormick Place from September 14 to 19, 2026, under AMT, the Association for Manufacturing Technology. Booth teams arrive early, executives land for a single day, and...
IMTS 2026

2026 Chicago Marathon

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon returns to Grant Park on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Organizers expect the largest field in the event's history, cheered on by roughly 1.7 million spectators. The route closes streets right across the center of town. It does so on the day when tens of...
2026 Chicago Marathon