SmartbarOne of the first places to listen to house is still one of the best. Queen, its queer party on Sunday nights, frequently features sets from local legend Derrick Carter.

BerlinA younger generation of DJs, including Chicago nightlife linchpin Ariel Zetina, draws on a wide range of house styles when this LGBTQ nightclub hosts the semimonthly party Rosebud.

HousepitAfter years of throwing weekly events in San Francisco, DJ Bai-ee has returned to his home city to do the same here. He’s joined every Tuesday night at Logan Square’s East Room by a rotating list of record collectors known for selecting minimal, rough-edged cuts from independent labels.

Chosen Few PicnicWhat started 18 years ago as a barbecue behind the Museum of Science and Industry has turned into one of the largest house music festivals in the country. On the first Saturday of every July, more than 30,000 people descend on Jackson Park for 13 hours of uninterrupted dancing, fueled in part by a collective of South Side DJs known as the Chosen Few.

Chicago House Music FestivalThis year, the city expanded its annual (and free!) party, which happens the Saturday of every Memorial Day weekend, into a full-fledged festival, featuring performances from house legends, a vinyl record fair, and even workshops on DJ’ing and dancing.