City Council Prepares For Possible Return Of Summer Festivals

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the city's preparing for the possibility this summer will have a pre-pandemic vibe, and the City Council forwarded a plan to pack the calendar with a full complement of festivals.

"I feel very optimistic about summer activities and gatherings this summer. ... I believe that the summer of 2021 is gonna look more like 2019 and less like 2020," Lightfoot said Wednesday. "We know so much more about this virus, how it spreads than we did a year ago. We know in particular about outside events, that we can manage these in a safe way ... consistent with public health guidance."

On Monday, the mayor announced that some fans would be allowed to return to Sox and Cubs games this season, a sign of hope that fun might return to Chicago with the change of seasons.

The City Council's special events committee forwarded a measure that calls for City Hall to prepare for the possible return of Taste of Chicago, the Air and Water Show, Blues Fest and other outdoor festivals this year.

When asked about the return of major musical festivals, including Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Lightfoot said it's too soon to say which, if any of those events might make a post-pandemic return. She said city officials have been in talks with organizers of some "large-scale events, and remains "cautiously optimistic."

The 2021 budget currently doesn't include funding for festivals. But cultural affairs and special events department Commissioner Mark Kelly told aldermen Wednesday that federal funding may be available for cultural events, and decision on the fate of festivals is expected in coming weeks.