Busy Memorial Day weekend kicks off Chicago's summer festival season

A jam-packed Memorial Day weekend in the Chicago area marks the unofficial start to summer.

In the Lakeview East neighborhood, the Belmont Sheffield Music Festival is celebrating its 41st year. Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce executive director Maureen Martino said the festival offers something for everyone.

"From funnel cakes to barbecue to tacos for food and lots of art and lots of little trinkets that you can pick up," she said.

Martino said the return of street festival season is a welcome boost of foot traffic for the neighborhoods.

"Our businesses that really could use the push, and our nonprofits as well, so this festival really gives back to some of the nonprofits, and also it is really a boost for the businesses that are in our neighborhood," she said.

This weekend also marks the start of events taking over Grant Park for the summer, with the Sueños Music Festival bringing in some of the hottest acts in Latin music on Saturday and Sunday. Crews were out Friday putting the final touches for the event now in its fifth year.

This weekend, people also can go to northwest suburban Cary for the annual "Field of the Fallen" tribute, featuring hundreds of American flags, each bearing the name, military branch, and hometown of a fallen service member from Illinois who died in action since the Gulf War.

Every hour during the event at 3340 Three Oaks Rd, organizers read aloud the names of Illinois service members who have died in combat since 1991.

"These are Illinois soldiers that we're representing by all these flags in the background. There's 354 flags that represent the 354 soldiers who haven't returned home," said Aaron Stain, president of the Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois, which has held the event for 14 years.

The volunteers who put on the tribute hope the reason for Memorial Day is not lost.

"To me, Memorial Day is really about remembering those who served and didn't make it back," Stain said. "It's about remembrance and understanding, and that's why it's important for us to continue to do this."

The opening ceremony for the Field of the Fallen was held Friday evening, and the closing ceremony will be at 5 p.m. on Memorial Day.