Chicago offers a great opportunity to experience the best of Chicago after the summer heat has subsided, and the winter snows have yet to arrive. Although the summer’s block parties and airshows are over, Chicago will still be alive once fall arrives. This is actually when you will find the best events throughout the year.
Get Out Into Nature
The perfect time of year to be outside in Chicago’s autumn is when the weather is ideal. You can go apple picking at Honey Hill Orchard, the classic Chicago fall activity. This is the closest apple orchard to Chicago, and you will want to take home a box of cider donuts. These seasonal donuts, ubiquitous in the Midwest, are made with fresh apple cider and brown sugar.
Fall Music Festivals
Chicago summers are almost synonymous with music festivals. While giants like Lollapalooza or Pitchfork dominate the summer, the fall brings some unique music festivals.
The Riot Fest kicks off the fall festival season. The punk-heavy music festival was once held in Humboldt Park. It now takes place in Douglass Park every year in mid-September. They are well-known for billing local Chicago bands alongside major names from other states.
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is a collaborative festival that takes place at several venues on the South Side. It has grown every year since its original 2007 edition.
Chicago Gourmet: Experience Chicago’s Fine Dining Scene
The Illinois Restaurant Association organizes a series of fall events every year to introduce people to Chicago’s fine dining scene. The Hamburger Hop is probably the most well-known. This event sees some of Chicago’s best chefs compete for the best burger. A panel of celebrity chefs will decide which burger is Chicago’s best.
They also produce the Grand Cru wine tasting event, and the multi-venue restaurant crawl Go Gourmet.
Celebrate Oktoberfest
Chicago’s German community mimicked the Munich celebrations and brought Oktoberfest to Chicago. St. Alphonsus is where you will find all the trimmings of Oktoberfest Bavaria, including bratwursts and pretzels, music, and plenty of beer.
Other venues are now following the trend and offering their version of Oktoberfest.
Black Out Wednesday: Join the Party
The perfect storm is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. First, Thanksgiving is a public holiday. This means that most people don’t work or go to school daily. It’s also a family-oriented holiday. If you have moved, you will be expected to return home to your family. This results in thousands of 20-somethings being thrown back to their homes together.
Black Out Wednesday, also known as Drinksgiving, was created from a genuine desire to connect with old friends. It has become a drag-out, all-nighter of binge drinking, diner food and bacchanalian glee in Chicago. It’s open to all, and you’ll have more fun if there are a few friends in the area. They don’t call it Black Out Wednesday without reason.
