What to do in Chicago this weekend: Panda Fest, Bald Off, Taste of Greektown and more
As Labor Day nears, weekend food and music festivals are still going strong in Chicago. Here are some of the things you can do this weekend.
The three-day Panda Fest kicks of Friday at 4 p.m. at Butler Field on Monroe Streert. The event is one of the nation's fastest growing outdoor Asian food and culture festivals.
Attendees can participate in an immersive celebration of food, art and tradition at Panda Fest, which runs through Sunday.
And back by popular demand this weekend is Chicago's Bald Off. Organizers invite all "baldies and baddies" to meet near the green Keith Haring "Self Portrait" in the AIDS Garden Chicago in Lincoln Park at 5 p.m. Sunday to see who takes home the crown.
Last year more than 500 people attended, 60 people competed and two people won Bald Off bragging rights.
If you're looking for something good to eat, the 36th Taste of Greektown is this weekend in the neighborhood of the same name. The annual festival is a celebration of Hellenic cuisine and culture. There will be food from authentic Greek restaurants, live Greek music and dancing and a gyros eating competition Saturday night.
Taste of Greektown starts Friday and runs through Sunday.
The Chicago House Music Festival also continues through the weekend. You can enjoy free performances, dances and community programming at Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center. From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday there will be dance lessons at the Cultural Center and then from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. there will be performances in Grant Park.
Other neighborhood music festivals this weekend include Edgewater Music Festival from Friday through Sunday with street closures on Broadway between Thorndale and Ardmore, and Edison Park Fest, also Friday through Sunday, with street closures on North Olmstead Avenue, North Oliphant Avenue and North Oshkosh Avenue.
And if you want to help raise money for some furry friends the PAWS Chicago 5K Walk/Run for Their Lives is Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., starting at Montrose Harbor. After the race there will be a festival with dog agility courses, raffles, entertainment, treats for your pups and more.