After months of planning, the Prairie State is ready to usher in the nation’s semiquincentennial with celebratory events and thought-provoking programs. Those who live in the Chicago area can choose from a number of exhibits, concerts, panels and parties; here are 15 events to consider, with many happening this weekend and throughout July.
With its debut coinciding with America’s 250th birthday, the Tinley Park Country Fest will offer three days of country music, food, rides and fireworks. Entertainers include Ashley Walls, Eric Chesser, The Morgan Wallen Experience and the Knievel Daredevil Band, with Evel Knievel’s granddaughter, Krysten Knievel. July 3-5. 18001 S. 80th Ave. Admission: $18.39 each day for non-residents; Tinley Park residents get in free on Saturday and for half off on Friday and Sunday.
For its “Independence Day Salute,” the Grant Park Music Festival will present favorites from Copland and Sousa. The program also includes Gershwin’s “Three Preludes” with principal clarinetist Dario Brignoli and Carlos Gardel’s “Tango (Por Una Cabeza)” with concertmaster Jeremy Black. July 4. Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St. Admission: free lawn seating, reserved seating varies.
The newly opened Obama Presidential Center will kick off its “You Are America” series with “The People’s Fourth,” a free July 4 party featuring live music and activities. The subsequent programming runs for eight weeks and includes live music, talks, garden gatherings and a karaoke celebration of Obama’s birthday on Aug. 4. July 4 through Aug. 22. 6001 S. Stony Island Ave. Admission: varies.
The Chicago History Museum is honoring America’s 250th birthday by presenting rotating art installations in the lobby and making updates to its “Facing Freedom in America” exhibition, which reopens July 4. Other attractions include a forthcoming historical clothing exhibition. 601 N. Clark St. Admission: $19.
The Southern Illinois Music Festival is offering celebratory events, including five orchestral programs and five Patriotic Pops concerts featuring three centuries of American music. Through July 4. Various locations. Admission: Varies.
Chicago Cabaret Professionals will reflect on the country’s history at a special “America 250” edition of its “Musical Mondays” series. A cast of singers will perform patriotic songs, protest pieces and Broadway hits that uplift, critique and inspire hope for the future. July 13, 7:30 p.m. Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave. Admission: $30+.
As part of the city’s official “America 250” celebrations, the Chicago Air and Water Show will incorporate the country’s semiquincentennial into its weekend of events. Chicago’s cultural contributions to the U.S. will be highlighted during the lakeside spectacle. Aug. 15-16, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lakefront between Fullerton Avenue and Oak Street. Admission: free.
The Sones de Mexico Ensemble will perform corridos, or traditional Mexican ballads, inspired by heroes in President Donald Trump’s forthcoming National Garden of American Heroes. Audiences will hear heroic tales in English and Spanish about some of the following figures: Muhammad Ali, Roberto Clemente, Dorothy Day, Joseph H. De Castro, Amelia Earhart, Mary Fields, Woody Guthrie and Abraham Lincoln. Aug. 29, 6-7:30 p.m. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Admission: Free.
The American Writers Museum’s exhibition, “Declarations: 250 Years of Writing Toward Independence,” showcases a print of the historic document, as well as other colonial-era papers signed by the founding fathers. Visitors can also engage with relevant works by Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and more. Through Sept. 7. 180 N. Michigan Avenue, 2nd Floor. Admission: $14 online, $16 at the door.
The Newberry Library’s commemorative programming runs throughout summer, with an exhibit on the Declaration of Independence and a live reading of the historic document on July 8. Other highlights include an exhibit on wartime political illustrations and a Newberry Fest event featuring Revolution-era items. Through Sept. 19. 60 W. Walton St. Admission: free.
The Chicago Botanic Garden will explore the history of gardening in the U.S. with its series, “America Grows: 250 Years of Garden Stories.” The organization will offer themed panels, exhibitions and walking tours. Visitors can view the first-known American cookbook and see crops grown in victory and post-emancipation gardens. Through Sept. 30. 1000 Lake Cook Road. Free with admission.
The Chicago Parks District is using its Night Out in the Park programming to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial. Branded as “America 250: Chicago’s Parks, America’s Stage,” the events will include live music, spoken word, theater, dance and more. Through Oct. 10. Various locations. Admission: free.
The Chicago Architecture Center will highlight the city’s role as a “manufacturing and railroad hub” during Open House Chicago, which showcases notable architectural sites through public tours. Oct. 17-18. Various locations. Admission: free.
Influential American artists will be honored with 10-foot sculptures as part of “Walking with Giants,” an outdoor exhibition presented by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, McAninch Art Center and College of DuPage Foundation. Chicago’s Judith Mayer and Naperville’s Rich Lo designed the works, which depict Dolly Parton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jean-Michel Basquiat and more. Through Oct. 18. McAninch Art Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Admission: free.
The Chicago Public Library is honoring America’s 250th birthday with exhibitions, book clubs, films, craft workshops and more. The organization is also spearheading “Letters to America,” a citywide initiative that encourages residents 18 and older to write about their experiences, criticism and hopes. After the Aug. 31 deadline, the letters will be archived at the Northside Neighborhood History Collection at Sulzer Regional Library. Programming runs throughout the year. Various locations. Admission: free.
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