Chicago Fam · Section 08
Festivals + Gatherings
Chicago festivals · national Black festivals · block parties
Where the culture gathers in the open air. Chicago first — from the Bud Billiken Parade to the Silver Room Block Party — plus the national Black festivals worth traveling for.
6 listings · every business Black-owned to the best of our verification.
African Festival of the Arts
Washington Park · SeptemberLabor Day weekend in Washington Park — 30+ years of African art, music, and marketplace produced by Africa International House.
Black & Bronze: A Bronzeville Music Fest
Bronzeville · AugustBronzeville's Black-led music festival — live sets, local vendors, and neighborhood celebration.
Black Harvest Film Festival
Chicago · NovemberThe Gene Siskel Film Center's annual celebration of Black cinema — one of the longest-running Black film festivals in the country.
Bud Billiken Parade
Bronzeville · AugustThe largest and oldest African American parade in the United States — every August down King Drive since 1929. Hosted by the Chicago Defender Charities.
Chosen Few Picnic & Music Festival
Jackson Park · JulyFounding fathers of Chicago house — the Chosen Few DJs' summer picnic in Jackson Park is a global pilgrimage.
Silver Room Sound System Block Party
Hyde Park · JulyEric Williams's Hyde Park block party — 20+ years of Black music, art, and community on 53rd Street.