PLEASE NOTE: Events may be postponed or simply canceled. Please call ahead to make sure they are still scheduled to take place.
1 Fantastic Beasts
Mexican artists created dozens of chimeras for Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World, an outdoor sculpture exhibition at Wheaton’s Cantigny Park celebrating the mythical hybrids associated with the Day of the Dead. June 1–Oct. 30. cantigny.org
2 Ancestral Lines
In the evening-length program Rejoinder at Links Hall, experimental company Dropshift Dance presents new movement work inspired by its dancers’ family histories. June 3–4. dropshiftdance.com
3 Your Art’s Desire
Marking the rebranding of the Cleve Carney Art Gallery as the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, Hooking Up shows pieces from the institution’s permanent collection — including works by artists from Rembrandt to Kehinde Wiley — alongside those by contemporary Chicago artists. June 4–Aug. 7. theccma.org
4 Stable Condition
After winning the Grulke Prize, awarded to developing acts breaking creative ground, at this year’s South by Southwest, teenage rock trio Horsegirl celebrates the release of Versions of Modern Performance, its debut album for Matador, on a bill with other young local bands at Thalia Hall. June 5. thaliahallchicago.com
5 Make ’Em Squirm
You could sense which sketches on the recent season of Saturday Night Live came from the brain of new cast member Sarah Sherman: They were the weirdest ones. The former host of local showcase Helltrap Nightmare, the outré comedian (a.k.a. Sarah Squirm) comes home for four shows at Sleeping Village. June 9–10. sleeping-village.com
6 Midsommar Lovin’
The ne plus ultra of Chicago street fests, Andersonville Midsommarfest has been a neighborhood staple since the 1960s. The Swedish-ish celebration returns after a two-year hiatus with local entertainers on five stages along Clark Street. June 10–12. andersonville.org
7 Taste of Puerto Rico
The 43rd annual Puerto Rican Day People’s Parade marches down Paseo Boricua, the half-mile stretch of Division Street in Humboldt Park bookended by soon-to-be-landmarked Puerto Rican flag sculptures. June 11. puertoricanfest.com
8 Good Grief
In Canadian composer and playwright Britta Johnson’s musical Life After, a teenager struggles to reckon with the loss of her father. The Goodman Theatre mounts the Chicago premiere of the work, which won six of Toronto’s Dora Awards in its original staging. June 11–July 17. goodmantheatre.org
9 The Wordy City
More than 160 contemporary poets and artists sing odes to our city in the pages of Wherever I’m At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry, newly published by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. You might be able to nab some signatures at the book launch party at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. June 13. chicagoliteraryhof.org
10 Summer Beats
Quench your thirst for hip-hop at the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash. The top-tier fest brings more than 60 artists to three stages in Douglass Park; this year’s headliners include Post Malone, Playboi Carti, and a joint set by Young Thug and Gunna. June 17–19. thesummersmash.com
11 Catch More Fly Honeys
Landing somewhere between burlesque, cabaret, and dance party, there’s nothing quite like the Fly Honey Show. The raucous sex- and body-positive performance troupe arrives at Thalia Hall for a Pride weekend blowout packed with dancers, DJs, and a live band. June 23–25. theflyhoneyshow.com
12 Loud and Proud
The Chicago Pride Parade regularly draws upward of a million spectators to its North Side route. After two pandemic years off, and amid a rise in right-wing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, expect this year’s rainbow to be extra bright. June 26. chicagopridecalendar.org
13 Elevated Action
A company of 20 dancers takes to the air in Broken Compass, a new 90-minute performance piece created by choreographers Chloe Jensen, Karen Fisher Doyle, and Tracy Von Kaenel for Aerial Dance Chicago. July 8–9. aerialdancechicago.org
14 Musicals in Millennium Park
Hear some show tunes under the stars on the lawn at Pritzker Pavilion when the Grant Park Orchestra pays tribute to musical theater greats from George Gershwin to Lin-Manuel Miranda in Lights on Broadway. July 8–9. grantparkmusicfestival.com
15 The Old College Try
Represent your alma mater or just run for the fun of it in the Big Ten Network Big 10K, which kicks off from Soldier Field and culminates in a post-race tailgate. July 10. btnbig10k.com
16 ’Fork in the Road
The Pitchfork Music Festival returns to its usual summer slot at Union Park with a typically eclectic slate of headliners, including the National, Mitski, and the Roots. July 15–17. pitchforkmusicfestival.com
17 It’s Actually Cerulean
Chicago gets a first look at the new musical The Devil Wears Prada. Based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel (and its 2006 film adaptation) about an Anna Wintour–type fashion editor, the Broadway-aimed show has a score by Elton John. July 19–Aug. 21. broadwayinchicago.com
18 Sunday Best
The Chicago Loop Alliance’s Sundays on State program returns for a second year, turning that great street into a pedestrian-friendly block party on selected Sundays into September. July 24. loopchicago.com
19 Whatever Lolla Wants, Lolla Gets
The biggest behemoth of Chicago’s summer music fests, Lollapalooza packs Grant Park with more than 160 acts over its four-day span, with headliners ranging from rock statesmen Metallica and Green Day to pop queens Dua Lipa and Doja Cat. July 28–31. lollapalooza.com
20 Killin’ It
Hosted by Zako Ryan, the monthly standup showcase Sorry for Killin’ recently settled into new digs at the Laugh Factory. With quality lineups of local comics on the rise, the higher profile is deserved. July 28. eventbrite.com