
The best Memorial Day weekend events in Chicago
Celebrate the start of summer in Chicago with these events.
Get us in your inbox
🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
Memorial Day weekend in Chicago offers a chance to fill your extra day off with food, drinks and fun
After two years of truncated celebrations, Memorial Day 2022 is bringing a full weekend of festivities back to Chicago—including the annual wreath-laying ceremony and downtown parade, which will return for the first time since 2019 to honor those who died serving in the U.S. armed forces. Looking for even more ways to spend the long weekend? Break out a blanket for lunch at the best picnic spots in Chicago, meet friends for drinks at stunning rooftop bars, brave the chilly Lake Michigan water for opening weekend at Chicago beaches or catch some of the first summer street festivals of the season (including Mole de Mayo, Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival and the new, reggaeton-focused Sueños Music Festival in Millennium Park). Plus, don't miss Navy Pier's free holiday fireworks show, which will light up the skies at 10pm on Saturday.
This year, Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 30, but Memorial Day weekend runs from Saturday, May 28 through Monday, May 30.
The city's Memorial Day commemorations kick off at 11am with the wreath laying ceremony at Richard J. Daley Center Plaza (50 W Washington St). At noon, the parade along State Street will step off at State Street and Lake Street and continue to Van Buren Street.
Navy Pier's summer fireworks season kicks off at 10pm on Saturday, May 28. The popular tourist attraction will host weekly fireworks displays through Labor Day, with shows on Wednesdays at 9pm and Saturdays at 10pm.
Celebrate the start of summer in Chicago with these events.
Grab a blanket and head to one of these spots for lunch in the sun.
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer festival season.
Beaches are reopening just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
These trails offer a less hectic ride than the crowded streets of Chicago.
Nothing says "hello, summer" quite like a cocktail under the sun.
Use the extended weekend as an excuse to skip town for a few days.
The iconic yellow boats return to the Chicago River on May 28.
These outdoor restaurants are perfect for soaking up early summer sun.
Gather a few friends, pack some snacks and hit the trails.