Chicago vacations invariably come with a liberal dose of jazz, but the labor day weekend is something special, even for jazz struck Chi-town. The City of Chicago’s longest running lakefront annual music festival - The Chicago Jazz Festival - turns 30 this year. Scheduled for the Labor Day weekend from August 28-31, 2008, at Grant Park in Downtown Chicago, the 3 day festival will be headlined by Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman. Free admission. Photo copyrights - City of Chicago/Chicago Jazz Festival

Sonny Rollins kicks off the proceeedings with a free evening concert at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion on August 28, after which the festival moves to Grant Park for a 3 day celebration of jazz from Aug 29-31, the equivalent of which you won’t find anywhere else in the nation. Bookending the festival on the last day - Sunday, August 31, at the Petrillo Music Shell - is the father of ‘free jazz’ Ornette Coleman.

In addition to the mind-boggling lineup and collection of some of the world’s best jazz musicians, the Chicago Jazz Festival also hosts an art fair in the rose garden between Jackson Blvd. and Buckingham Fountain. A new children’s area has also been included this year.

There’s also a 3-day prelude to the Festival, in the form of Monday’s Made in Chicago closing concert in Millennium Park, Tuesday’s Jazz Institute 40th Birthday gala concert and Wednesday’s Jazz Club Tour. If you plan it out properly, you can have max out with 7 days of pure and dazzling jazz, sprinkled in with a dose of sight-seeing and shopping on the Magnificent Mile and all the other wonderful things to do in Chicago.

Suggested Chicago hotels from ChooseChicago and more details about the Chicago Jazz Festival at their official site, including directions, an faq and the scheduled lineup.

Posted on August 4th, 2008 by Thomas
Filed under: USA