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Things to Do for Kids in Chicago in August 2026
Kidzapalooza (at Grant Park)
Downtown
Thursday - Sunday, July 30 - August 2, 2026
Kidzapalooza is a family-oriented festival within a festival, most famously known as the dedicated kids' zone at Lollapalooza. It features its own stage with kid-friendly performers, interactive music and art stations, and various workshops. Website
Chicago Italian Beef Fest (formerly Jeff Fest) in Jefferson Park
Jefferson Park
Friday - Sunday, July 31- August 2, 2026
Jeff Fest has rebranded as Chicago Italian Beef Fest! Families can still enjoy music, food, and kids' entertainment at Jefferson Memorial Park at this annual neighborhood festival. But this year families can also sample and vote on their favorite Italian beef from a variety of Chicago-area restaurants. A kids' area features cool activities and a stage with family-friendly performers. Website
Destination Asia Festival (at the Morton Arboretum)
Lisle
Saturday & Sunday, August 1 & 2, 2026
This fun-filled festival will immerse guests in celebrating the diverse cultures of Asia through music, dance, food, and more. The weekend will include cultural performances and demonstrations, a bonsai exhibit, shopping and art vendors, and food trucks. Guests can also explore the Arboretum’s vast tree and shrub collections from China, Japan, and Korea. Website
Fast Track Racing Team Kids Night (at Eisenhower Junior High)
Hoffman Estates- FREE
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Kids can test their speed and race others at this free Fast Track Racing Team event. Compete in the 100-, 400-, or 1600-meter races and enjoy post-race fun. The littlest kids can compete in a 15-yard dash. Website
Northbrook Days
Northbrook - FREE
Thursday - Sunday, August 5-9, 2026
North Suburban residents and visitors can enjoy rides, games, live music, food, beer, and wine at this annual festival in Northbrook's Metra Commuter Lot West. Website
CircEsteem Around Chicago Summer Tour
Various Chicago Parks - FREE
August 6, 7, 13, & 20, 2026
The show features youth from across the country who come together to teach each other, create a show together, and perform together! Enjoy an evening of music and fantastic feats like juggling, trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, aerial arts, and more. Website
Chicago Ducky Derby
Downtown - FREE
Thursday, August 6, 2026
The Ducky Derby is an event that benefits the Special Olympics of Illinois by encouraging spectators to "adopt" a yellow rubber ducky (or many duckies) to send racing down the Chicago River. It is a fun spectacle for a great cause! Website
Bud Billiken Parade
Bronzeville - FREE
Saturday, August 8, 2026
The Bud Billiken Parade is the oldest and largest African American parade in the United States, and this year marks its 94th anniversary! Guests of all ages can enjoy a procession of bands, dance groups, and floats marching down King Drive, commemorating the community's past and celebrating its future. Website
Latinxt Music Festival at Navy Pier
Downtown - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, August 8 & 9, 2026
Navy Pier hosts LatiNxt, a two-day Latin music and art festival featuring performances from Latin artists around the globe, as well as art, crafts, and plenty of dancing! Website
Bugapalooza (at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum)
Lincoln Park
Sunday, August 9, 2026
Celebrate invertebrates at this annual bug festival. Check out insect specimens up close, interact with native spiders, craft your own insect, and see a bug pinning demonstration. Younger kids might enjoy the bugstacle course! Website
Highwood Garlic Fest
Highwood - FREE
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Join the stinkiest festival in town to celebrate garlic in Highwood in conjuction with the Evening Gourmet Market. Families can sample traditionally garlicky foods like pasta, sandwiches, sauces, and spreads, or wilder garlic-infused items like chocolate, cookies, ice cream, funnel cakes, and cocktails. Vote for your favorites and stay to see who wins the People's Choice Award. Live entertainment and breath mints will also be on hand. Website
Chicago SummerDance in the Spririt of Music Garden
Downtown - FREE
Thursdays - Saturdays, August 13-29, 2026
Grant Park hosts Chicago SummerDance, where kids of all ages can enjoy music in the Spirit of Music Garden and dance to the sounds of different live bands and DJs all month long! Themes vary by day and include salsa, plena, swing, Bollywood, ballroom, country, samba, house music, and Chicago Steppin'. Website
Hummingbird Fest (at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center)
Lemont - FREE
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Celebrate hummingbirds with viewings and activities at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center. Hummingbirds will be banded for tracking and research. Visit interactive stations to learn about migration, behaviors, and physiology, make crafts, and more! A cultural performance by Xochitl-Quetzal will take place at 10:30am. Website
Chicago Air and Water Show
Old Town - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, August 15 & 16, 2026
The Chicago Air and Water Show presented by the City of Chicago is the largest FREE show of its kind in the United States. The show can be viewed along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the focal point. Website
Walking Plays at Morton Arboretum: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Naperville
Saturdays & Sundays, through August 16, 2026
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the classic Shakespearean comdey, comes to the forest of the Arboretum. In this tale, audiences will experience magic, music, and mistaken identities. The play is appropriate for everyone from first timers to Shakespeare fans. Website
Millennium Park Summer Film Series
Downtown - FREE
Tuesdays, through August 18, 2026
Millennium Park hosts free movies in the park throughout July and August. Films are shown on a state-of-the-art 40-foot LED screen. Website
ACS Fall Kids Zone (at Navy Pier)
Navy Pier - FREE
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Discover the magic of science through hands-on, construction-themed activities for kids and families! Guided by chemists and student volunteers, young learners will explore how chemistry shapes the world around them. Enjoy interactive STEM stations, giveaways, and a themed coloring book. Website
Chalk Howard Street
Rogers Park - FREE
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Food, live music, an outdoor chalk-art gallery, and a creative space for aspiring chalk artists are all at Chalk Howard Street. Website
West Loop Art Festival
West Loop - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, August 22 & 23, 2026
Stroll through four blocks of amazing artwork and visit food vendors to try tasty treats in the West Loop. Art is available in a variety of mediums and at all price points, making this festival a shopping destination for even casual art lovers. Website
Skokie's Backlot Bash
Skokie - FREE
Friday - Sunday, August 28-30, 2026
With some of the best music at suburban festivals, this event also has plenty of family-friendly activities on tap. Kids can enjoy a carnival midway, a 5k run, a kids' stage, an auto show, bingo, and a pancake breakfast throughout the last weekend before Labor Day at this near north suburban festival. Website
Edison Park Fest
Edison Park
Friday - Sunday, August 28-30, 2026
Since 1972, Chicago families have enjoyed shopping from local vendors at Edison Park Fest. Since then, the festival has grown to include music from local bands, street festival food, and kids' entertainment. Website
Bucktown Arts Fest
Bucktown - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, August 29 & 30, 2026
Families can enjoy the arts at this annual festival that includes a juried arts show, a kids' art area, live musical entertainment, and food. Proceeds from the fest benefit arts education programming in the neighborhood. Website