Things to do in Chicago June 22-28: The Mix

Saweetie performs onstage during the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live at Banc of California Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The rapper headlines Pride in the Park Chicago on June 24. (Getty Images)

Celebrate Pride

• Among the performers at Pride in the Park Chicago are Zedd, Saweetie, Sara Larsson, Circuit Mom, Years & Years, DJ Lady D and many more. Also find vendors, food, art and more. From 3-10 p.m. June 23-24 in Grant Park, Petrillo Band Shell, 280 S. Columbus. Tickets: $70+. Visit prideparkchi.com.
• Party and celebrate at the always colorful and fun Chicago Pride Parade which steps off at noon on June 25 at Montrose and Broadway and makes its way to Diversey and Sheridan. For a map of parade route visit, chicagopride.gopride.com.
• Stand-up with Pride is a pride-themed comedy show featuring LGBTQ+ comedians who bring their own unique style and perspective: Gwen La Roka, Krystal Ball, Jayleigh, Princess Gwen Rose, Beckett Kenny, Sonal Aggarwal and Matt Brown. At 7:30 p.m. June 23 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee. Tickets: $26. Visit thedentheatre.com.
• Navy Pier Pride celebrates with the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, The Lakeside Pride Marching Band, Ariana DJ, Too Much Molly, Cecy Santana and more. From 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. June 24 at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand. Admission i free. Visit navypier.org.

Theater

“A Distinct Society” at Writers Theatre features Aila Ayilam Peck (floor), Kate Fry and Amir Abdulah. (Saverio Truglia)

• Kareen Fahmy’s drama “A Distinct Society,” is set at a quiet library located at the border of the U.S. and Canada that is used as a meeting place for an Iranian family separated by world events and where the head librarian, a border patrol officer and a local teenager become involved in the situation. Fahmy directs. From June 22-July 23 at Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor, Glencoe. Tickets: $35-$90. Visit writerstheatre.org.

“The SpongeBob Musical” features Sarah Patin (from left), Parker Guidry, Frankie Leo Bennett, Quinn Rigg and Isabel Cecilia García. (Collin Quinn Rice)

• Kokandy Productions presents “The SpongeBob Musical,“ created by Kyle Jarrow and Tina Landau and based on the animated series about optimistic SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends as they come together to save their undersea world, Bikini Bottom, from an erupting volcano. JD Caudill directs. From June 22-Sept. 3 at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division. Tickets: $40. Visit kokandyproductions.com.
• Cinema on Stage presents “Mughal-e-Azam,” a Broadway-style musical based on the 1960 Bollywood film of the same name. Called a “visual marvel,” it’s based on the love story of Mughal Prince Salim and courtesan Anarkali and portrays the conflict faced by Emperor Akbar as he faces the future of his empire. In Hindi/Urdu with English subtitles. At 7 p.m. June 23 and 1, 7 p.m. June 24 at Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells. Tickets: $96+. Visit auditoriumtheatre.org.
• Congo Square Theatre’s Festival on the Square features readings of new plays: Paris Clayton’s “Welcome to the Blue Swan” (7 p.m. June 22 at Retreat at Currency Exchange, 305 E. Garfield); excerpts from Bair Warburton Brown’s “The Playgrounds,” Helaina Coggs “The September Show” and Maria D. Smith’s “Tisha, Rita and Mary Lee vs. The World” (7 p.m. June 28 at Boxville Marketplace, 330 E. 51st); Seshat Yon’shea Wallker’s “CHRCH: A Black Music Story” (July 29 at Silver Room Block Party, details TBA). Visit congosquaretheatre.org.
• Cherry Orchard Festival presents “I Am Here,” starring Anatoly Beliy as a lonely and lost everyman who takes the audience on an emotional exploration of identity. Egor Trukhin directs. At 8 p.m. June 23 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: $65-$95. Visit northshorecenter.org.
• MadKap Productions stages “Hair,” Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot’s classic musical that celebrates the sixties in all glory and is set to a rock beat. Derek Van Barham directs. From June 23-July 30 at Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln, Skokie. Tickets: $45. Visit skokietheatre.org.

Dance

Joffrey Ballet’s “Suite Saint-Saëns.” (Cheryl Mann)

• Joffrey Ballet’s “Joffrey for All Celebration” is an evening of dance workshops and performances by company artists and students. Among the pieces performed are the pas de deux from “Anna Karenina,” Chanel DaSilva’s “colorem,” Nicolas Blanc’s “Convergence” and “Red Violin Caprices,” Gerald Arpino’s “Suite Saint-Saens” and more. At 5:30 p.m. June 25 at Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Michigan and Randolph. Admission is free. Visit joffrey.org.

Music

Robert Owens. (Boaz Arad Photo)

• The annual Chicago House Music Festival and Conference brings panel discussions to the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington) from 5-9 p.m. June 23 with house legend Robert Owens as keynote speaker. A dance party takes place at the Humboldt Park Boathouse lawn (1400 N. Humboldt) from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. June 24. Featured are Queen! featuring Owens, Cedeno, J. Star, DJ Psycho, Emmaculate, Roy Davis Jr. and more. Also DJs spin at Maxwell Street Market from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. June 25. Admission is free. Visit chicagohousemusicfestival.us.
• Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra close out the season with the annual Concert for Chicago. The program features performances of Florence Price’s Andante moderato and Tchaikovsky’s exhilarating Symphony No. 5. At 6:30 p.m. June 27 in Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion, Michigan and Randolph. Admission is free. Visit cso.org.
• Milwaukee’s annual blowout music event, Summerfest, takes place along the city’s lakefront from June 22-July 8 and features more than 100 artists. The something-for-everyone roster includes Eric Church, Elle King, James Taylor, Odesza, Imagine Dragons, The Avett brothers, Smokey Robinson, Cypress Hill, Tegan & Sara, Sean Paul, Jenny Lewis, Japanese Breakfast and much more. Tickets: $26+. Visit summerfest.com.
• A wide array of Latino music headlines Miche Fest including Prince Royce, Natti Natasha, Elvis Crespo, Gerardo Ortiz, Alex Lora y El Tri Banda los Recoditos, Grupa Kual and more. From noon-10 p.m. June 24-25 at Harrison Park, 1824 S. Wood. Tickets: $89+ per day; $149 weekend tix. Visit michefest.live.
• Re:SET Chicago features performances by Steve Lacy, Boygenius, LCD Soundsystem, James Blake, Clairo, Jamie XX, Toro Y Moi, Dijon and more. From 3-10 p.m. June 23-25 in Riis Park, 6100 W. Fullerton. Tickets: $99+. Visit chicago.resetconcertseries.com.

Museums

Gary Simmons, “Hollywood,” 2008. Pigment, oil paint, and cold wax on canvas. Courtesy Rubell Museum, Miami. (© Gary Simmons)

• “Gary Simmons: Public Enemy,” the first comprehensive career survey of the work of the influential artist, covers 30 years and features around 70 works. Simmons has played a key role in placing questions of race, class and gender identity at the center of contemporary art discourse by revealing traces of these histories in sports, cinema, literature, music and architecture. To Nov. 1 at MCA Chicago, 220 E. Chicago. Admission: $15. Visit mcachicago.org.
• The life and work of the French architect and designer whose name is synonymous with the French Art Nouveau movement is the focus of “Hector Guimard: Art Nouveau to Modernism.” Included are furniture, jewelry, metalworks, ceramics, drawing and textiles in an exhibit co-organized with New York’s Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. From June 22-Nov. 5 at Richard H. Driehaus Museum, 40 E. Erie. Admission: $20. Visit driehausmuseum.org.

Festival Fun

• Taste of Chicago gets underway with three neighborhood Taste events featuring local eateries in Humboldt Park (11 a.m.-9 p.m. June 24 at 1301 N. Humboldt), Pullman Park (noon-8 p.m. July 15 at 11101 S. Cottage Grove) and Marquette Park (noon-8 p.m. Aug. 5 at 6743 S. Kedzie). Grant Park’s Taste of Chicago takes place Sept. 8-10. Admission is free. Visit tasteofchicago.us.
• Logan Square Arts Festival features artisans, food and music including performances by Duster, Sextile, Global Currency, Agua de Rosas, Free Range and more. From 5-10 p.m. June 23, noon-10 p.m. June 24-25 at Logan, Kedzie and Milwaukee. Admission: $5 donation. Visit logansquareartsfestival.com.
• Strawberry Fest features everything from classics like chocolate-dipped strawberries to strawberry infused donuts, popcorn, cheesecake, cookies, candy and soda. Plus there’s music and family entertainment. From noon-11 p.m. June 23, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. June 24 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 25 in downtown Long Grove, 145 Old McHenry Rd. Visit longgove.org.