Summertime!

There is nothing more exciting than summertime in Chicago. The weather is warm, the Cubbies are winning (fingers-crossed), the hot dogs are grillin,’ and there are plenty of things to do.

The teams at Objective Paradigm and Talution Group love getting out and experiencing Chicago AND it’s proven if you want to be happy at work, you should have a life outside of it.

Here are some of my all time favorite Chicago summer events for you to consider. 

May 27-28, June 4-5, July 29-30: Randolph Street Market Festival

Image Source: http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com/randolphstreetmarket/index.html

The Randolph Street Market Festival is an internationally recognized European-style indoor and outdoor shopping extravaganza in Chicago’s historic West Loop. One weekend each month from May-September (outdoors + indoors), 250+, purveyors of high quality, value-priced “finds” sell at this destination for treasure hunters, fashionistas, designers, Hollywood set decorators, and people who want to see and be seen. To learn more, please click here.

June 10-June 11: Old Town Art Fair

Walk down Wells street with one of Fireplace Inn’s famous Vodka Lemonades and take in all the amazing art and jewelry the independent artists have to offer. There is live music, tons of food vendors and great people watching. Not to mention, the voluntary entry fee is donated to benefit local non-profit organizations.  To learn more, please click here.

June 25: Chicago Pride Parade 2017

Image Source: http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/72799729

Is an event that cannot be missed! Chicago Pride is annual celebration for the LGBT community of Chicago. The fest celebrates the history and accomplishments of the community’s members by organizing a variety of fun events, including activities great for children and families. Attendees can participate in or simply watch the annual Pride Parade and check out other fun events like the “Gay Idol” competition, beach parties, cocktail parties, outdoor marketplaces, educational seminars and workshops, live music, dance performances, drag shows and much more. To learn more, please click here.

June 24: Chicago Cares Serve-A-Thon

Image Source: https://www.chicagocares.org/

Want to give back to our wonderful city this summer? If so, this is a great event to participate in. Serve-a-thon is Chicago Cares’ biggest event and the largest single day of community service in Chicago. We gather thousands of registered volunteers at Daley Plaza and bus them to project sites across the city to perform hands-on service that may include painting, planting, and cleaning under the direction of trained volunteer leaders. After the marathon day of service, we bus the volunteers back to Daley Plaza, where they take part in a celebration with food, drink and live music. To learn more, please click here.

July 21: The 9th Annual Firefly Ball benefiting Kids off the Street Club

Image Source: https://offthestreetclub.com/firefly-ball

This fabulous event takes place in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute. The 9th Annual Firefly Ball gives you the chance to enjoy a perfect Chicago summer night, while affording children of the Off The Street Club the opportunity to enjoy summer bliss at sleep away camp. The goal of the event is to raise funds so that at least 500 children from Chicago’s high-risk neighborhoods can attend and stay away from the heavy gun violence that peaks during these hot summer months. To learn more, please click here.

June 24-25: Chicago Food Truck Fest

Who doesn’t love being able to food hop from food truck to food truck? An appetizer here, a dessert here. If this sounds like you, then this is the fest for you! The event features some of the finest food trucks in the city along with live music and activities for the entire family. To learn more, please click here.

July 14-16: Windy City Smokeout

Image Source: http://windycitysmokeout.com/events/

Held right in River North, Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Fest spotlights some of the finest barbecue around. The soundtrack to accompany this event is decidedly country and includes live performances by some of the biggest names in country music today. Guests can opt to purchase three-day passes or spring for a VIP ticket, which includes prime seating for the live concerts and $50 towards any food they choose to indulge in. This is a fan favorite! To learn more, please click here.

July 22-23: Chicago Craft Beer Festival

Image Source: https://www.chicagoevents.com/events/chicago-craft-beer-fest/

The Chicago Craft Beer Festival is a premier event for boutique breweries and fans of their unique or rare ales. The festival features over 100 craft beers sure to delight lovers of fine microbrews. Its lineup of breweries showcases a great variety of both local and national micro brewers such as Chicago’s very own Revolution and Half Acre brewery, Michigan’s Arcadia Ales, Illinois’ Two Brothers and Wisconsin’s Hinterland. It also hosts a variety of great live music performances on both indoor and outdoor stages. To learn more, please click here.

Sept 8-Sept 9: Windy City Wine Festival

Image Source: http://www.windycitywinefestival.com/

This is definitely one of the most picturesque events the summer has to offer. Picture yourself tasting wine in the heart of the city, at Buckingham Fountain. The Windy City Wine Festival in Chicago exhibits the talents of international and domestic wineries and chefs while creating an opportunity for the public to sample some of the area’s finest cuisine and listen to some fantastic live music. Cooking demonstrations are held throughout the three days as well as seminars hosted by true wine experts, which creates a valuable educational aspect to the festival. To learn more, please click here.

Hope to catch you out and about in the city we all love!

Dayna Stoller, HR Generalist at Objective Paradigm, is a mover and a shaker when it comes to keeping the OP team together. In addition to being the hub of communication and all-knowing on policy and procedure, she is an Ambassador of the OP brand. Whether it’s a volunteer event out of the office or a salsa taste-test to spice up an afternoon, Dayna inspires and encourages everyone to be the best they can at the OP and Talution office – thanks Dayna!

Pictured: Alyssa Lloyd, Sourcing Superstar at OP, and Dayna Stoller, super-Cubs fan!