Downtown Chicago
Photograph: Shutterstock
Photograph: Shutterstock

The best August 2024 events in Chicago

Plan your August in Chicago with our events calendar of the best things to do, including concerts, festivals and movies in parks.

Jeffy Mai
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It's the last full month of summer in Chicago, but that doesn't mean the fun is stopping anytime soon! From the annual Chicago Air and Water Show along the lakefront and Bud Billiken Parade in Bronzeville to summer festivals like Lollapalooza, North Coast Music Festival and ARC Music Festival, you'll find plenty of ways to keep busy in the hazy late summer heat. Plus, don't forget to plan a couple of languid afternoons at the best Chicago beaches—Lake Michigan's often frigid water is at its warmest this month. Looking for even more ways to fill your summer days? Scroll through our list of the best things to do in Chicago this August.

RECOMMENDED: Events calendar for Chicago in 2024

Time Out Market Chicago

We've rounded up the best chefs in the city to join us at Time Out Market Chicago, a culinary and cultural destination in the heart of Fulton Market featuring 18 kitchens, three bars and one drop-dead gorgeous rooftop terrace—all spread across three floors.

Featured events in August 2024

  • Museums
  • Museum Campus

Escape the planet with exhibits about the first lunar missions, the solar system and more, plus immersive shows in the dome theater. The Doane Observatory is also home to the largest public telescope in the area, and gathers 7,000 times more light than the human eye. Every Wednesday, the Adler stays open late from 4pm-10pm so that folks can visit after work or school. And best of all, admission is free on those nights for Illinois residents.

  • Art
  • Film and video

Displaying a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of THE MART, ART on THE MART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with programming that changes seasonally. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations after dusk every evening. It’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

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  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • Lincoln Park
Green City Market Lincoln Park
Green City Market Lincoln Park

One of Chicago's most popular farmer's markets, Green City Market welcomes vendors selling regional produce to the south end of Lincoln Park (between Clark Street and Stockton Drive) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Amid the rows, you’ll find farm-fresh eggs from Michigan, cheese from Wisconsin and scrumptious pies baked by Chicago’s own Hoosier Mama Pie Co.

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