This weekend’s Wisch List newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …
The WISCH LIST
By Dave Wischnowsky
It’s almost July.
But we’re still waiting for summer to arrive in Chicago.
Between the rain and the gloom and the gloom and the rain, it’s also been kind of chilly.
But, hey, one of these days, you have to figure that the season will finally stick. And then, of course, it will get sticky.
Even if summer has proved to be elusive thus far in the Windy City, there are still plenty of reasons to visit Chicago during July. Here are a few of the festivities that you might be interested in taking advantage of during the coming month.
July 5-27: Chicago Children’s Museum Summer Dance Party
A day after Navy Pier stages its July 4 fireworks celebration (9:30 p.m., visit navypier.com for details), the venue will play host to a monthlong dance party at the Chicago Children’s Museum located on the Pier.
Held at 5:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday evening, the Summer Dance Party is geared for kids, but the entire family is invited to take the floor. And as TimeOut Chicago says, “Deep down, you’re a little jealous of your kid’s completely un-self-aware, utterly joyful gyrations.”
For more information, visit chicagochildrensmuseum.org.
July 10-14: Taste of Chicago
These days, the Taste of Chicago can’t quite figure out what it is as the mayor’s office tinkers with its length and offerings in the hopes of making the summertime staple more profitable.
Now in its 34th year, this 2013 incarnation of the Taste will be held in Grant Park for just four days, with its hours running from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day. The new twist to this year’s event is the inclusion of 14 food trucks, with up to seven of them serving food each day at alternating spots throughout the festival.
The food trucks include Bombay Wraps, Giordano’s, Royal Cupcakes and Bakes, Pork Chop and The Salsa Truck. For full information about the Taste’s musical acts and full list of participating restaurants, visit cityofchicago.org.
July 13-14: Roscoe Village Burger Fest
From veggie to turkey to ground beef to steak, burger lovers of all kinds will flock to the corner of Belmont and Damen in the Roscoe Village neighborhood to feast on patties from some of Chicago’s finest restaurants.
Last year, Wrigleyville’s Rockit Burger Bar took home the top honors in visitors’ voting for their “favorite burger,” followed by Stanley’s Kitchen & Tap and the Burtcher & The Burger. Meanwhile, winning the Critics’ Choice Award for best burger was Cortland’s Garage, which is a restaurant not a body shop.
Personally, I’d say it’s tough to decide which burger is tops, but at Burger Fest you can top them off with anything under the sun. For more information about the event, visit chicagoevents.com.
July 19-21: Taste of River North
Nestled beside Ward Park at Kingsbury and Erie, the Taste of River North offers up a smorgasbord of food from many of Chicago’s trendiest restaurants, including American Junkie, Moe’s Cantina, John Barleycorn and Taco Joint.
It also features a buffet of music from the city’s finest cover bands with Wedding Banned, Sixteen Candles and Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press among those scheduled to perform, along with Lucky Boys Confusion. For more information, visit tasteofrivernoth.com.
July 27-28: Wicker Park Fest
Billed as the “Can’t Miss Music Event” of Chicago’s summer street fest lineup, Wicker Park Fest is held on Milwaukee Avenue from North to Pauline and features three stages of eclectic bands ranging from the national act Meat Puppets to a wide array of local performers.
For more information, visit wickerparkfest.com.