Don’t Let Anyone Tell You That Summer Is Almost Over
Don’t Let Anyone Tell You That Summer Is Almost Over
There are still plenty of great days to spend outside for festivals, outdoor dining, cocktail and pool parties, and so much more.
Repeat after me: Summer is NOT winding down.
Do not let anyone tell you otherwise because we still have more than two months of warm weather to go. And full disclosure: I live my best life all September because it’s my birthday month.
I tend to spend much of my summer in Chicago because there’s simply nothing else like it. Also, because we roughly get approximately three and a half solid months of great weather, we don’t take it for granted.
Highlights thus far include all the James Beard Foundation festivities during a picture perfect weekend in June; endless evenings sitting on restaurant rooftops and patios; live music at Ravinia and Millennium Park; strolling through neighborhood festivals like Taste of Randolph and Roscoe Burger Fest; and joining more than 3,000 revelers in head-to-toe white at the 10th annual Diner en Blanc Chicago.
As a native Chicagoan, I’m always running into people around town from all stages of my life, from kindergarten to college to current times. During summer, that count is at an all-time high, especially at events like Diner en Blanc, a massive, elegant “secret” picnic where guests learn of the location only hours before the event. Through a swath of crisp white outfits, I see so many friendly, familiar faces and it never gets old. There’s just something about people dressing up in union that brings about a sense of community. For once, it feels like everyone is on the same team— even though it’s only for about five hours.
It’s one of my favorite food enthusiast events. So is Chicago Gourmet, which has turned into the city’s premier food-and-drink celebration, leaving Taste of Chicago in its dust. I’m old enough to remember when Taste was three weeks long, beginning right before the Fourth of July and ending almost at the end of the month. Now, it’s a shell of its glory days with only three days this year, Sept. 6-8.
I’m going to go ahead and say the quiet part out loud: WHOSE idea was it to have Taste in September after Labor Day?! They must be new here because that event is supposed to happen in the middle of summer so that families, whether they’re locals or visitors, can check it out. And not only has it been whittled down to only three days, but the number of vendors has also drastically decreased. Here’s hoping that it’ll get better—and move back to July—in 2025.
Meanwhile, what is constantly changing for the better is Chicago Gourmet, which occurs Sept. 21-29. What started off as a two-day event is now a weeklong extravaganza. And now, there’s even a fashion component to it and I could not be more thrilled.
Guests are encouraged to dress their best, plus I’m certain there will be spontaneous fashion happenings at some of the events. I’m crossing my fingers that we’ll experience at least one at Hamburger Hop, the signature Friday night party where talented chefs from all over the city compete with their original burgers for the title of “Judge's Choice” and “People's Choice.” Yours Truly is a judge again for the sixth or seventh year in a row. I lost count!
In the meantime, continue to enjoy this wonderful summer we’re having.
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Good stuff!