City of Chicago Announces the 2022 Millennium Park Summer Season

May 20, 2022

The Midwest’s #1 Attraction Welcomes the Return of the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, Summer Workouts—Plus Dozens of Free Admission Concerts, Dance Performances and Special Events

Madeline Long, Director of Communications    madeline.long@cityofchicago.org

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Announcing Millennium Park Summer Film Series Lineup with

In the Heights, Encanto and Films Inspired by 2022 “Year of Chicago Dance” including Dirty Dancing, Strictly Ballroom

 

Plan Your Visit: Park Safety and Security

 

CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) are pleased to announce the entire 2022 Millennium Park Summer Season with highlights that include free programming celebrating the “Year of Chicago Dance;” the return of popular offerings such as the Millennium Park Summer Film Series, Summer Music Series and Summer Workouts; the Chicago Gospel Music Festival; Chicago Blues Festival; Millennium Park Summer Music Series; Chicago Jazz Festival; Chicago House Music Festival and Conference; and the SummerDance Celebration in addition to dozens of free concerts, performances, special events, family activities, nature programs, public art and more. Details at MillenniumPark.org.

“We are ready to celebrate warmer weather and enjoy the wealth of free cultural programming and activities that make Chicago summers truly iconic,” shared Mayor Lightfoot. “DCASE and our community partners have curated an incredible schedule in Millennium Park with something for everyone every single day of this summer, and I am excited to see residents and visitors alike partake in the exciting programming we have in store.”

2022 is the Year of Chicago Dance and Millennium Park will be celebrating with dance residencies, movies and family events. The Millennium Park Summer Film Series (Tuesdays, July 12 - August 30, 2022), presented by ZENB, announces a dance-inspired lineup with classics and family friendly favorites that will be shown on a state-of-the-art, 40-foot LED screen.

 

Millennium Park Summer Film Series schedule (Tuesdays, screenings start at 6:30pm):

  • July 12, 2022 - In the Heights
  • July 19, 2022 - Encanto
  • July 26, 2022 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
  • August 2, 2022 - Dirty Dancing
  • August 9, 2022 - Knives Out
  • August 16, 2022 - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings
  • August 23, 2022 - Save the Last Dance
  • August 30, 2022 - Strictly Ballroom

 

Chicagoans and visitors alike will get moving with the return of the free Millennium Park Summer Workouts (May 28 – September 3) held on the Great Lawn offering a series of classes each Saturday; newly announced schedule below. ASL interpretation provided for all workouts. Summer Workouts are supported by the McDonald's Active Lifestyles Endowment managed by the Millennium Park Foundation.

Millennium Park Summer Workouts schedule (Saturdays, May 28 – September 3):

  • 8–8:45am - Tai Chi
  • 9–9:45am – Yoga
  • 10–10:45am - Pilates (not offered on June 4 & 11)
  • 11–11:45am - Zumba® (not offered on June 4 & 11)

 

Additionally, as part of the Year of Chicago Dance, Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project in partnership with DCASE will present a free concert on Saturday, August 27 on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion showcasing diverse Chicago dance organizations. The summer programming culminates on Saturday, September 17 with a day-long SummerDance Celebration in honor of “National Dance Day” activating the entire park with performances and classes for all ages and skill levels. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks, ChicagoSummerDance.org.

“Chicago was gifted the most magnificent town square when Millennium Park was built, and we are thrilled to be able to gather there all summer long with non-stop creative programming,” shared Erin Harkey, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “After two years of virtual and hybrid offerings, we encourage everyone to come downtown and experience new and familiar art forms set against the beautiful backdrop of the park and Chicago skyline.”

Visitors will enjoy a premier experience at all of this summer’s programming at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, one of the world’s best outdoor concert sound systems. Lineups for the return of the City of Chicago’s iconic music festivals, including Chicago Gospel Music Festival (June 4); the Chicago Blues Festival (June 9 – 12, also citywide) and Millennium Park Summer Music Series (June 20 – August 18), are now posted on each of the festival’s respective websites.

The Chicago Jazz Festival (September 1-4) returns with performances in Millennium Park and at the Chicago Cultural Center. Produced by DCASE and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, schedule highlights include Henry Threadgill and Zooid, Bill Frisell, William Parker and his quintet, Miguel Zenón, Linda May Han Oh and Jazzmeia Horn, among many others. Full schedule to be released in the coming weeks at ChicagoJazzFestival.us.

Millennium Park is the official home of the Grant Park Music Festival, which returns June 15 with Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar leading the award-winning Grant Park Orchestra in a ten-week season that runs through August 20. GPMF.org.

Throughout the summer season, Millennium Park also features a series of one-night-only special performances showcasing classical music, dance, opera, Broadway hits and more, performed by some of Chicago’s best-loved cultural institutions. Highlights include Paint the Town Red produced by the Chicago Children’s Choir on Saturday, May 26 at 11am; Concert for Chicago produced by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association on Monday, June 27 at 6:30pm; the Stars of Lyric Opera on Sunday, August 21 at 7pm. For details and times, visit MillenniumPark.org.

Millennium Park summer season is produced by DCASE and its programming collaborators and is supported by the Millennium Park Foundation and others

Park Safety and Security:
Millennium Park is a safe and welcoming space for everyone.

Effective immediately, guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult (21 years and older) after 6pm, Thursday through Sunday — and may be asked to present a valid ID. Plan Your Visit at MillenniumPark.org.

As in previous years, outside alcohol is not allowed for the following events: Chicago Gospel Music Festival (June 4, 2022), Chicago Blues Festival (June 9–12, 2022), Grant Park Music Festival Independence Day Salute (July 2, 2022) and Chicago Jazz Festival (September 1–4, 2022). For these events, alcohol at various price points may be purchased inside the venue. Before visiting, please be advised of other Prohibited Items at MillenniumPark.org.

 

About Millennium Park

Discover a world-class collection of architecture, landscape design and art that provides the backdrop for hundreds of free cultural programs including concerts, exhibitions, interactive art and family activities. In Millennium Park, you’ll find a spectacular gathering spot located in the heart of the city, a destination for all Chicagoans and visitors alike. Millennium Park is the #1 attraction in the Midwest and among the top 10 most-visited sites in the U.S. It is also the anchor of an urban cultural campus (Millennium Park Campus) that includes the Chicago Cultural Center, Maggie Daley Park and The Art Institute of Chicago. Millennium Park is located on Michigan Avenue, bordered by Randolph St. to the north, Columbus Dr. to the east and Monroe St. to the south. The Park is open daily during the summer from 6am to 11pm. Plan your visit at MillenniumPark.org; follow us on Facebook (@MillenniumParkChicago), Twitter and Instagram (@Millennium_Park); and join the conversation on social media using #MillenniumPark.

Eleven North Hospitality, the new concessionaire of Millennium Park, is preparing to unveil a broad range of food and beverage options for park visitors this summer, including a total rebrand and makeover of the restaurant space, formerly The Park Grill; a new cafe serving Mexican cuisine that will operate across from the Cloud Gate sculpture; two new kiosks with one serving “grab and go” food items; a coffee bar and tearoom operated by Momentum Coffee; the new NAPOLITA PIZZERIA, serving Neapolitan cuisine and American bar fare with local beer from their own DOUBLE CLUTCH BREWERY and more. Details to be released in the coming weeks. 

 

2022 Millennium Park Summer Season (May – September)

Subject to change. Updates (including weather-related announcements) will be shared on Millennium Park’s Facebook, Twitter and website.

 

Millennium Park Summer Workouts (May 28 – September 3) The workouts program takes place on the Great Lawn in Millennium Park on Saturdays beginning May 28 from 8-11:45am with a series of 45-minute workouts including Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and Zumba®. ASL interpretation will be provided for all workouts. Summer workouts are supported by the McDonald's Active Lifestyles Endowment managed by the Millennium Park Foundation.

 

Summer Workout Schedule (Saturdays, May 28 – September 3):

  • 8–8:45am - Tai Chi
  • 9–9:45am – Yoga
  • 10–10:45am - Pilates (not offered on June 4 & 11)
  • 11–11:45am - Zumba® (not offered on June 4 & 11)

 

Chicago Gospel Music Festival (June 4 from 3–9pm), a joyful, family-friendly celebration of the music genre born in this city featuring the top artists today at the iconic Jay Pritzker Pavilion including The Walls Group, Kierra Sheard Kelly, The Williams Singers, Brian Courtney Wilson, John P. Kee, and choir performances from GMAC Mass Choir, The Traditional Choir and more. Sponsored by Chicago Transit Authority, Millennium Garages; promotional partner Inspiration 1390. Schedule at ChicagoGospelMusicFestival.us #ChiGospelMusic

Chicago Blues Festival (June 9 – 12), 2022 marks the first citywide Chicago Blues Festival bringing top talent to downtown and the neighborhoods where Blues originated in Chicago. In Millennium Park, highlights include special tributes to Blues legends: Erwin Helfer, Bob Stroger, Gene Barge, Cicero Blake, Willie Henderson, and Mary Lane, Chicago's preeminent female blues vocalist; sponsored by Visit Mississippi, Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago Transit Authority, Rosa's Lounge, Millennium Garages, WGN-TV and 90.9fm WDCB. For full schedule, visit  ChicagoBluesFestival.us #ChicagoBluesFestival

As part of Millennium Park Pop-Up Performances, The Seldoms present “Bower Dance” a new, short dance in the Boeing North Gallery of the Park on June 18 at 4pm, 4:30pm and 5pm (each performance is 15 minutes). Choreographed by Artistic Director Carrie Hanson and set to riveting music by Chicago composer Renee Baker and the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project, the work captures both the repeating circles and geometry of Screenhouse, a structure currently on display in Millennium Park by artist Edra Soto that incorporates architectural patterns of the rejas and quiebrasoles found in her birthplace, Puerto Rico.

Millennium Park Summer Music Series (June 20 – August 18), offered Mondays and Thursdays, returns with an exciting variety of music from established and emerging artists at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. This program is made possible by the Millennium Park Foundation. Sponsors include Chicago Transit Authority, Millennium Garages. Schedule below; details at MillenniumPark.org.

 

Millennium Park Summer Music Series Schedule (6:30–9pm)

 

Millennium Park Summer Film Series (July 12 – September 6): DCASE is pleased to present the Millennium Park Summer Film Series on Tuesdays from July 12 through September 6. Guests may take a seat at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion or lounge on the Great Lawn as crowd-pleasing movies are presented on the state-of- the-art, 40-foot LED screen. The film series welcomes ZENB as its new Presenting Sponsor.

 

Millennium Park Film Series schedule (screenings start at 6:30pm)

  • July 12, 2022 - In the Heights
  • July 19, 2022 - Encanto
  • July 26, 2022 - No Film
  • August 2, 2022 - Dirty Dancing
  • August 9, 2022 - Knives Out
  • August 16, 2022 - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings
  • August 23, 2022 - Save the Last Dance
  • August 30, 2022 - Strictly Ballroom
  • September 6, 2022 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Presenting sponsor, ZENB (pronounced ZEN-bee), will be providing free samples prior to the start of each movie during the Millennium Park Film Series of their “ZENB Spaghetti Cones,” featuring a better-for-you twist on spaghetti with the classic texture you expect, a subtle taste, and delicious flavor, made from 100% yellow peas. ZENB, a Fulton-Market direct-to-consumer plant-based food brand committed to providing a new way of thinking about what plants can do, will kick off the series on Tuesday, July 12 with a screening of its mini-documentary, “What Plants Can Do”, that showcases the power of plants through a journey from yellow pea farm to table.

Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Concert (August 27) presents a special free showcase highlighting a diverse array of dance companies as part of the 2022 Year of Chicago Dance in Millennium Park. Details at YearofChicagoDance.com.

Chicago Jazz Festival (September 1-4) returns to showcase Chicago’s vast jazz talent alongside national and international artists with performances citywide, at the Chicago Cultural Center and in Millennium Park. Produced by DCASE and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park schedule highlights include Henry Threadgill and Zooid, Bill Frisell, William Parker and his quintet, Miguel Zenón, Linda May Han Oh and Jazzmeia Horn, among many others. Full schedule to be released in the coming weeks at ChicagoJazzFestival.us.

Chicago House Music Festival and Conference (September 16 — plus ancillary community events and more) features DJs and live performances showcasing the various sounds and styles of house music, the genre born in Chicago that has gone on to revolutionize dance music internationally. Schedule to be announced. MillenniumPark.org and ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us.

Chicago SummerDance (September 17) brings a full day of participatory and professional dancing throughout Millennium Park on the Great Lawn, Cloud Gate, and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in celebration of “National Dance Day,” as the city also celebrates the 2022 Year of Chicago Dance. Details to be announced. ChicagoSummerDance.org.

Lurie Garden is an internationally-acclaimed, 3.5-acre urban oasis for people and wildlife alike in the southeast corner of Millennium Park, open daily 6am–11pm. Lurie Garden offers over 75 free public nature programs during the year, including free walking tours. Lurie Garden is supported by the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation Endowment managed by the Millennium Park Foundation. For details about Lurie Garden's wildlife, programs and tour schedule visit luriegarden.org.

Millennium Park’s free exhibitions currently on display include “When we call…”by Chicago-based artist Christine Tarkowski through Spring 2023 in Boeing Gallery South. The startling presence of candy-colored hand blown glass boulders suspended above and about earthbound boulders evokes a strange, yet elemental landscape–ironically similar to our environment, both natural and built. Also on display is Screenhouse by Edra Soto on display through Spring 2023 in Boeing Gallery North. Constructed from approximately 400 charcoal-hued, 12-inch cast concrete blocks, the 10-foot-high pavilion-like structure comes out of an ongoing series exploring symbolic transplants of iron grills and decorative concrete screen blocks found throughout the Caribbean and the American South.

 

Parking and Transportation:

Millennium Park is located on Michigan Avenue, bordered by Randolph St. to the north, Columbus Dr. to the east and Monroe St. to the south. The Park is open 6am–11pm daily. The accessible drop off point is 201 E. Randolph. For the latest news and events, visit millenniumpark.org, like Millennium Park on Facebook and follow @Millennium_Park on Twitter and Instagram. Visitors are encouraged to take CTA to Millennium Park. To plan your route, visit www.transitchicago.com. For those parking, Millennium Park Garages are located at Millennium Park Garage and Millennium Lakeside Garage at 5 S. Columbus Drive, Grant Park North Garage at 25 N. Michigan Ave. and Grant Park South Garage at 325 S. Michigan Ave. Pre-purchase parking at millenniumgarages.com and save up to 50% off drive-up rates.

 

Accessibility:

For information about American Sign Language, Open Captioning and other accessibility services at events please visit MillenniumPark.org -> Accessibility.

 

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Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. Visit chicago.gov/dcase.

DCASE programming is supported by the Chicago Transit Authority and Millennium Garages.

 

Millennium Park Foundation

The Millennium Park Foundation, a private, philanthropic not-for-profit partner, was created in 1998 to support the City of Chicago’s efforts in the design, construction and management of Millennium Park. It is the steward of Millennium Park’s internationally-recognized icons and public features. These include the prestigious Jay Pritzker Pavilion and dramatic BP Pedestrian Bridge, world-renowned Cloud Gate and Lurie Garden, iconic Crown Fountain, and exquisite Boeing Galleries for public art exhibitions. Through its ongoing development initiatives, the Millennium Park Foundation is dedicated to keeping Millennium Park a free and accessible venue for all Chicagoans today, and for generations to come.

 

Year of Chicago Dance

In deep partnership with the local dance community, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) have designated 2022 as the Year of Chicago Dance. This citywide, year-long focus on dance is the first of its kind in the U.S. The collaborative initiative will activate Chicago’s dance industry to address critical issues facing dancers and the field of dance including funding, space, and capacity building — and to consider the sustainability of this work. The Year of Chicago Dance will, of course, also include dance performances, social dancing, and special events for the public in dozens of venues throughout the city. The 2022 Year of Chicago Dance follows the successes of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020/21 initiatives, which highlighted Chicago's public art, our creative youth, and the city's vibrant theatre and music scenes. Partners include dance service organizations Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Chicago Dancemakers Forum, and See Chicago Dance — as well as Art on theMART, Night Out in the Parks at the Chicago Park District and many other presenters and funders. For updates throughout the year, visit Chicago.gov/Dance, YearofChicagoDance.com and join the conversation on social media using #YearofChicagoDance.