7 Things to Do in Chicago, Including the Blues Fest

Whether your music is blues, electronic dance music or Dead & Company, Chicago has a concert for you this weekend. And we haven’t even mentioned art festivals.

Lead vocalist Robert Smith founded the band that built gothic music in England in 1978. Several decades, a few line-up changes and 13 studio albums later, the band is touring with new material from the upcoming “Songs of the Lost World”. “, playing Chicago this weekend and then headlining Riot Fest again in September.

June 10 at 7:30 pm at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; sold out, more information at www.unitedcenter.com

This weekend, the Old Town Triangle neighborhood will welcome over 200 artists selling drawings, paintings, photographs, ceramics, glass, jewelry, metal, stone and wood at this juried event. Art lovers can browse the stalls, enjoy the stroll through the garden, listen to live music and grab a bite to eat in the food court.

10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 10 and June 11 from 10 am to 6 pm in the Old Town Triangle Historic District at North Park Avenue, Menomonee and surrounding streets; Suggested donation of $12, oldtownartfair.org

If you just can’t get enough of art, the Wells Street Art Festival is also taking place in Old Town this weekend and will feature juried artists representing a range of disciplines, including painting, sculpture, woodworking, goldsmithing, jewelery and the arts. digital. This event also has a performance stage where local bands including Sixteen Candles and Hello Weekend will perform. 10 a.m. to dusk June 10-11 on Wells Street between North Avenue and Division; Suggested donation of $10, more information at wellsstreetartfest.es

This free two-day music festival highlights Chicago soul music and traditions. DJ Lee Quentin kicks off the event on Saturday with the Chi-Soul Fest Lawn Party. Sunday’s lineup includes LeftJones and DJ Steve Gerard at the Beer Garden House Party.

June 10 and 11 at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.; free, more information at marinapier.org

This festival celebrates the past, present, and future of this Chicago-born musical tradition. Headliners include Los Lobos, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush and Mud Morganfield. Wally’s BBQ Pit in the park’s North Promenade Tent will offer barbecue, cornbread and drinks.

Noon to 9 pm June 9-11 at Millennium Park, 201 E Randolph St., with entrances at Michigan Avenue and Washington, Madison, Randolph or Monroe; free, more information at chicago.gov

This two-day festival celebrating dance music from around the world moves to a new home this year on Northerly Island on the lakefront. The lineup includes the Chicago debut of Kx5, a collaboration between Chicago-born DJ Kaskade and deadmau5; producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist GRiZ; Tiësto and the Calumny.

June 10-11 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island, 1300 S. Linn White Drive; one-day tickets from $129 (over 18s), more information at heatwavemusicfestival.com

If there has to be an end to the long and strange journey, this could be it. Dead & Company, the band consisting of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann (along with John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge), will play two nights at Wrigley Field as part of The Final Tour. Chicago, of course, was the last stop on the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well tour in 2015 with five shows at Soldier Field. A decade before that, the Grateful Dead performed their last concert with frontman Jerry Garcia at Soldier Field before his death in 1995. Ask any Deadhead in attendance this weekend and they’ll tell you the music will live on.

6:30 p.m. June 9-10 at Wrigley Field, 1060 W Addison St.; sold out, more information at www.mlb.com