SummerDance
When: 6 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays;
4 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 26
Where: Grant Park, Spirit of Music Garden, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Entry: Free
Get there: No. 147 Outer Drive Express bus; “L” stops at Adams,
Jackson and Library
The basics: An hourlong lesson precedes live music and the chance to shake it outside in the fresh air. This year, the 11th annual, 11-week bust-a-move bash nods to “Dancing With the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance”-style competitions with a trio of contests in August (see metromix.com for dates). Also, watch for satellite parties to pop up in four neighborhood parks throughout the summer.
Don’t miss: Chicago Afrobeat Project kicks off this year’s live music series on Thursday.
MORE FESTIVALS
– Fiestas Puertorriquenas keeps the party moving in Humboldt Park through Sunday.
– Festa Pasta Vino celebrates Italian culture, crooners and food (with eats from South Oakley Avenue restaurants), Thursday through Sunday. See page 26 for details.
– Q101 Block Party showcases Godsmack, Buckcherry, Taproot, Finger Eleven (Friday) and Good Charlotte, Sum 41, The Bravery, Shiny Toy Guns (Saturday).
– Taste of Randolph Street piles on the eats in the Warehouse District. Hear Fountains of Wayne (Friday), Smoking Popes (Saturday), and Lowen and Navarro (Sunday).
– The Maxwell Street Block Party, a new festival, turns University Village into a fest ground on Saturday.
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FIND MORE SUMMER FESTS AND PARADES IN OUR 2007 FESTIVAL GUIDE AT METROMIX.COM
