Chicago City Guide

When to visit Chicago

The hot Chicago summer is the peak of the festival season, with major events taking place in the parks and neighbourhoods every weekend. September is blessed with reliably warm days and is probably the most pleasant month of the year, weather wise, but there's less going on during this period.

January to March is when Chicago is least busy and hotels and airfares are usually at their cheapest; however, temperatures and brisk winds will guarantee that you'll spend most of the time indoors.

Weather

Weather in Chicago

They don't call it the 'Windy City' for nothin'. There's everything from cool, God-sent lake breezes at the height of summer to skirt-raising gusts in the spring to spine-chilling, nose-chiselling blasts of icy air in the winter. Late spring and early autumn are pleasant, being generally warm, clear and dry. July and August can get really hot, with temperatures from 27-32°C (80-90°F) and high humidity. Winters can be damp and cold - between -11°C and -2°C (12°F and 29°F) if you're lucky - and snowy for days on end.

Events in Chicago

Blues and jazz musicians have been flocking to Chicago since 1915, so it's no surprise that the city knows how to celebrate its musical heritage with style. The Chicago Blues Festival is a highly regarded three-day festival held in Grant Park on the first weekend in June. Soon after, Grant Park hosts the weekend-long Chicago Gospel Festival and, on Labor Day weekend, the Chicago Jazz Festival.

Taste of Chicago is an enormous festival that closes Grant Park for 10 days leading up to Independence Day in July. Over 100 local eateries serve some of the greasiest food you've ever tried to rub off your fingers. Live music on several stages drowns out the rumble of the belches from the 3.5 million people who attend. The German-American Festival is an enjoyable Oktoberfest-type event held in the heart of an old German neighbourhood at Lincoln Square during the third weekend in September.

In May, artsy types get along to Art Chicago. This massive mid-month festival on Navy Pier is a Very Big Deal in Chicago's art world. Over 3000 artists are featured, and city-wide events are held at museums and galleries. Also features the Stray Show, a separate event for up-and-coming artists.