Sep 1, 2024 - Culture
Chicago end-of-summer bucket list
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A trip to Rainbow Cone always feels like summer. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
It's the unofficial end of summer, which means you have to do everything summery NOW!
Reality check: We still have some warm weather before hibernation begins, but if you've been promising, "We have all summer to do that!" now is the time to make good on your word.
Skip baseball, see soccer
- We love our Sox and Cubs, even when they're terrible, but give some love to the Red Stars and Fire, especially if you want to see some gold medal winners.
Go south
- North Side beaches have some great places to eat and swim, but try the beaches on the South Side, including 31st Street, which has house music on Thursdays.
- South Shore is usually not as crowded, and you can roam its spectacular cultural center.
Climb
- The city has opened a few indoor rock climbing facilities in recent years, but Steelworkers Park is an awesome outdoor wall with great Chicago history. Teach the kids about the steel industry!
Fly
- If you always knew you should join the circus, test your trapeze skills at Foster Beach or watch the professionals at work at Aloft Circus Arts.
Row, row, row your boat
- Rent a kayak on the Chicago River, and then sip a coffee or cocktail at one of the many spots on the Riverwalk.
Biking and shrimpin'
- Bike the Lakefront Trail to Calumet Fisheries, which was out of commission earlier this year after an electrical fire. It's back now with some of the best fried seafood and smoked salmon in the Midwest.
Be young
- Relive the simple delights of your youth and run screaming through a really cold park sprinkler or at Crown Fountain in Millennium Park or Crystal Fountains at Navy Pier.
Go international
- If movies outside are not your thing, the Chicago International Film Festival is hosting free film screenings at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Go high
- Seeing the city's beauty from a rooftop is breathtaking, and that doesn't mean just downtown. There are plenty of interesting neighborhood rooftops, like The Woodlawn and The Robey.