Disability Pride, Metric & a Taste of Lincoln Ave

Your daily guide to what's popping in Chicago

By Raj Singh · Published July 23, 2026.

It's a cool, overcast Thursday — 73 and gray with barely a whisper of rain — which is exactly the weather that makes a free night on the Millennium Park lawn or in a neighborhood park feel like a gift. The city is also buzzing with WNBA All-Star weekend energy, so between the free stuff and the big-league buzz, there's plenty to fill a mild summer evening. Here's where we'd go today, tomorrow, and this weekend.

THURSDAY, JULY 23

Broadway Sings America @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion

The Grant Park Music Festival is Chicago's great free summer tradition, and tonight the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus — conducted by Jason Seber — team up with Broadway vocalists Scott Coulter, Blaine Krauss, Tiffany Mann and Jessica Hendy for a run of showstoppers from Ragtime, Hamilton, Hair and South Pacific. No ticket, no cover, just a full orchestra and a stack of songs you already know the words to.

Spread a blanket on the Great Lawn behind the Frank Gehry bandshell — the steel trellis overhead carries the sound clean to the back row, so there's no bad spot. If you want to eat first, The Berghoff on Adams is a short walk into the Loop for a classic German plate before you settle in.

6:30–8:30PM, free, lawn seating first-come. It's 73 and overcast with a 1% chance of rain, so bring a light layer for after sundown and skip the umbrella. Every train line lands you within a few blocks of Millennium Park.

Aimee Mann — Bachelor No. 2 Album Tour @ The Riviera Theatre

Aimee Mann is out revisiting Bachelor No. 2, the sharp, wounded 2000 record that turned her from a band frontwoman into one of the finest songwriters of her generation, with Kimon Kirk opening. If you've only got her hits in your head, a full night built around that album is the deep cut worth showing up for.

The Riviera is a 1917 Rapp & Rapp former movie palace in Uptown — ornate plaster, a wide general-admission floor, and sightlines that stay generous even when you drift toward the back. Furama on Broadway is a couple blocks off for dim sum before doors.

Showtime 7:30PM. The Red Line to Lawrence puts you a short walk from the marquee.

WNBA Live @ McCormick Place

AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend has landed in Chicago, and WNBA Live is the interactive fan fest at McCormick Place's Lakeside Center — hoops, music and culture under one roof — running today through Saturday. It's the low-commitment way to plug into the weekend if you didn't land seats to the main event.

Expect all-ages, big convention-hall energy on the South Loop lakefront. Worth knowing: the All-Star Game itself is Saturday over at the United Center, so this is the fan-experience half of the weekend. Concessions are on-site, and the South Loop and Motor Row are close for a real meal after.

Doors from 5:00PM today, running Jul 23–25. Check the WNBA All-Star site for entry details and the best transit route to McCormick Place.

Gladiator Fight Out in the Parks @ Wilson (JP) Park

Here's the wildcard: Point Theatre Project takes its 'Gladiator Fight Night' outdoors as a free Night Out in the Parks show, staging a bracket-style tournament where Chicago icons battle for a championship while the crowd cheers each round. It's theater, it's a sporting bracket, and it's completely free.

After a winner is crowned, there's a hands-on stage-combat workshop where you learn the basics of wielding a (stage) weapon and keeping your sparring partner safe. All ages, at Wilson (John P.) Park on 34th Place — bring a lawn chair.

6:00–7:30PM, free, no ticket. With 73 and overcast skies and just a 1% chance of rain, it's a comfortable evening for a park show.

FRIDAY, JULY 24

Taste of Lincoln Avenue @ Sheffield & DePaul

Now in its 42nd year, Taste of Lincoln Avenue takes over the Lincoln Park stretch of Lincoln Ave between Fullerton and Wrightwood for three days of eating outdoors, kicking off Friday. Neighborhood restaurants haul their best dishes to the street — this is the festival where the food actually is the point.

Beyond the plates you'll find live music, a dog parade, and a kids carnival with face painting and games — and don't skip the whiskey tasting of Midwestern spirits curated by Delilah's. Friday's forecast is 78 and overcast with no rain, about as good as street-fest weather gets.

Opens Fri Jul 24 at 4PM and runs through Sunday, $10 suggested donation. Take the Red, Brown or rush-hour Purple Line to Fullerton, or hop the 8 or 11 bus.

Metric — All the Feelings Tour @ Aragon Ballroom

Three pillars of 2000s Canadian indie on one stage: Metric's co-headlining All the Feelings Tour is a triple bill with Broken Social Scene and Stars. If any of those three soundtracked your college years, this is the Friday to clear.

The Aragon Ballroom is a 1926 Uptown landmark with a Spanish-castle ceiling and a cavernous, famously boomy general-admission floor — dense and loud, and worth getting there early to catch all three sets. Furama on Broadway is close for dim sum before the doors.

Fri Jul 24, heading toward a 6:30PM start. The Red Line to Lawrence is a couple blocks away.

ON THE HORIZON

Chicago Disability Pride Parade @ Daley Plaza

The weekend's marquee moment beyond the music stages: the 23rd annual Chicago Disability Pride Parade steps off Saturday from Daley Plaza — the longest-running disability pride parade in the nation. It's a downtown celebration of the disability community, free and open to everyone.

The parade rolls through the Loop from Daley Plaza, an easy anchor point that's a short walk from nearly every train line. Come to march, cheer, or just be part of the crowd.

Sat Jul 25, 11:00AM–2:00PM, free. Saturday's forecast turns warmer at 83 with heavy drizzle possible, so pack a light rain layer just in case.