North Side Summerfest
When: 5 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday
Where: Lincoln and Belle Plaine Avenues in North Center
Entry: $5
Get there: No. 11 Lincoln bus; Western Brown Line “L” stop
The basics: If your tolerance for sweaty, beer-spilling crowds is wearing thin, try your luck at this relative newbie in the cozy North Center neighborhood. Organizers expect more than 20,000 fun-loving locals at the third annual fest, but that’s low foam compared to the outpouring of two million expected at North Avenue Beach for this weekend’s Air & Water Show’s (details below). The third annual fest sticks to the standard formula of music, food and arts and crafts, so you’re sure to find your footing even if crowds get thick.
Don’t miss: Party bands 7th Heaven (Friday, pictured at top), 16 Candles (Saturday) and Hairbangers Ball (Sunday).
MORE FESTIVALS
Chicago Air & Water Show
Bill Murray jumps out of a plane with the Golden Knights parachute team on Friday as part of the show’s 50th anniversary. Also on Friday: Florence Henderson sings the national anthem (3 p.m.), Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band perform a lakefront concert (5 p.m.), and a fireworks display (8:45 p.m.) rounds out the night. Watch from North Avenue Beach or Oak Street Beach for best views. Air and water stunts continue through Sunday.
Barrio Art Fest 2008
Live music, dance, literature, films, art demos and more showcase more than 50 local artists of Puerto Rican descent at the fifth annual fest on Saturday in the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse.
Chicago Carifete
A parade highlights the 13th annual Caribbean-style carnival in Hyde Park. Watch as costumed dancers, musicians and DJs strut their stuff along Midway Plaisance for the chance to win prizes. Also includes food, arts and crafts and live music. Saturday.
Croatian Fest
Head to Bridgeport on Friday for the 102nd annual fest, where plenty of roasted lamb and pig are on the menu, plus homemade Croatian foods such as fritula (fried dough), risotto and sauerkraut. A beer garden, dancing and songs round it out. Princeton Avenue and 28th Place.
The Raven: Experience the Magic of Ravenswood
Be first on the scene for this new party in Chase Park and along adjacent Clark Street. The inaugural, dramatically named fest includes live music on two stages, a marketplace, and food, beer and wine vendors. Saturday and Sunday.
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