Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, and we’ve got plenty of top-notch event picks to help you close out the season. This weekend brings the return of festivals featuring jazz, African diaspora culture and electronic music.
You can also learn more about the U.S. labor movement during a walking tour of Pullman, or check out the Fly Honeys’ dance production combining cabaret, burlesque, theater and more.
Here are five picks for the weekend and into next week.
For more ideas, see the full WBEZ Summer 250, our curated guide of 250+ events for planning the waning weeks of Chicago summer, with easy sorting to help you pick what’s right for you. You can also text “SUMMER” to 312312 for weekly picks in one of three categories: family-friendly, outdoor concerts or the best of all events.
Chicago Jazz Festival
Aug. 31-Sept. 3
Taking place historically over Labor Day weekend, the city’s signature jazz festival has been billed the most extensive free jazz festival in the world. The center of the performance gravity is downtown, but the fun spills out to performance venues in neighborhoods all over Chicago. Read more about the standout performers here in this WBEZ guide. Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St. Free.
The Fly Honeys at Thalia Hall
Aug. 31-Sept. 3
The femme-led, sex-positive Fly Honeys return for their powerful 12th stage production combining cabaret, burlesque, theater and more. Expect an empowering evening that wraps both the audience and the performers in self-love and joy. Go behind the scenes with a WBEZ contributing photographer here. Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. From $50.
African Festival of the Arts
Sept. 2-5
The African Festival of the Arts celebrates African diaspora cultures with two stages of live entertainment, a wellness pavilion and its signature Bank of the Nile Food Court, where visitors can taste jollof rice, plantains and cassava greens. Funk band CAMEO and carnival block Ilê Aiyê will headline. Discover movies from local and international filmmakers in the cinema pavilion or shop for textiles and Shona stone sculptures in the fine art pavilion. Washington Park, 5100 S. Cottage Grove Ave. $30.
First Sunday Walking Tour of Pullman
Sept. 3
Learn about the labor movement this Labor Day Weekend. Explore Pullman National Historic Park on this guided, outdoor tour. Visitors will learn about George Pullman’s legacy, from his impact on industry and urban design to the effect of the Pullman strike on the U.S. labor movement. Pullman Exhibit Hall, 11141 S. Cottage Grove Ave. $20
ARC Music Festival
Sept. 2-4
Swedish DJ Adam Beyer and big beat legend Fatboy Slim are among the DJs spinning at this three-day electronic festival on the city’s Near West Side. Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St. From $369.
Bianca Cseke is a digital producer at WBEZ.
