On July 1, 2025, Chicago’s Ukrainian Community celebrated Ukrainian Village’s recent designation as an Illinois State-Designated Cultural District. Here are my thoughts about and images from the celebration at the Ukrainian Cultural Center
All in Festivals
Gone Mainstream
Chicago’s 54th Annual Gay Pride Parade rolled through Lakeview’s streets today. Here are my thoughts about and images from the parade.
Blues Fest, Day 4
The 2025 Chicago Blues Festival went out with a bang tonight at the Pritzker Pavilion. Unfortunately, C.J. Chenier was scratched from the lineup due to an hour-long rain delay, but Lurrie Bell, Avery R. Young, and Mavis Staples did take the stage. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day’s performances.
Blues Fest, Day 3
Saturday brought an exciting days of Blues to Chicago’s Millennium Park as the 2025 Chicago Blues Festival kept churning out exciting music for the thousands who flooded the park today. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day’s festivities.
Blues Fest, Day 2
The 2025 Chicago Bluesfest opened its run in Chicago’s Millennium Park today. For me, the big name of the day was Christone “Kingfish” ingram who played during the B.B. Ing Centennial Tribute on the main stage at the Pritzker Pavilion. Tomorrow Kingfish is the headliner. Here are my thoughts about Kingfish’s and all the other often incendiary performances, together with my images.
Blues Fest, Day 1
The 2025 Chicago Bluesfest kicked off this evening at the Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport. The bill included 91-year-old living legend Bobby Rush, as well as Billy Branch and the Sons of the Blues. Here are my thoughts about electrifying performances, together with my images from the evening.
Southern Soul at Logan
On January 25, 2025, the University of Chicago staged a Southern Soul Celebration at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. Leading the charge were singers Joe Barr, Theo Huff, and Nellie “Tiger” Travis, backed by the Platinum Band. Here are my thoughts about and images from this fun-filled evening.
Marathon Madness
Today was marathon day in Chicago. For the first time in over a decade, I took to the race course with cameras in hand. Here are my thoughts about and images from a truly memorable event.
JazzFest, Day 4
Day 4 (Sunday) of the 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival saw another day of perfect weather and great music, particularly with Eddie Henderson, George Cables, Mike Clark, Donald Harrison, Orrin Evans, and Alfie Jackson on the bill. Here are my thoughts about and images from the festival's final day.
JazzFest, Day 3
Day 3 of the 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival brought sunny skies and warm temperatures, with lots of excellent music from a variety of artists, including Dennis Carroll, Jeff Parker, René Marie, and Kenny Garrett (if you like sheets of notes). Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
The Arbaeen Procession
On my way to the 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival, I encountered the annual procession honoring Hussain ibn Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson who died a martyr. Here are my thoughts about and images from what is known as the Arbaeen Procession.
JazzFest, Day 2
The second day of the 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival was the first day of outdoor concerts at Chicago's Millennium Park. Here are my thoughts about and images from days performances.
JazzFest, Day 1
The 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival kicked off today with multiple performances at the Chicago Cultural Center. Here are my thoughts and images from Day 1 of the four-day festival.
Venezuelan Election
We have a new ‘heritage’ group demonstrating in the streets of the Chicago: members of Chicago’s recently arrived Venezuelan Community. They took to the downtown streets today to celebrate what they hoped would be the defeat of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in today’s election. Here are my thoughts about and images from this colorful demonstration.
GAYestinian Pride
Today, Chicago’s LGBQT+ Community staged the 54th Annual Gay Pride Parade. In keeping with my activity over the last nine months, I decided to focus on the pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had obtained a coveted slot in the parade’s abbreviated lineup. It was the right decision, because it permitted me to photograph their efforts, as well as the colorful characters lining the parade route, as I walked the route with the pro-Palestinian forces from the start to the finish line.
Bluesfest 2024--Day 3
The 40th Annual Chicago Bluesfest came to a conclusion today with a closing performance by Buddy Guy, a Blues legend. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
Bluesfest 2024--Day 2
The 40th Annual Chicago Bluesfest continued today with performances by Southern Avenue, Vanessa Collier, and a Centennial Tribute to Dinah Washington featuring Dee Alexander. Here are my observations about and images from the Day 2.
Bluesfest 2024--Day 1
The 40th Annual Chicago Bluesfest kicked off its residency in Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion tonight with performances by Corey Harris and Mr. Sipp, together with a centennial tribute to Jimmy Rogers, one of the architects of the Muddy Waters sound. Here are my thoughts about and images from the today’s festivities.
Green
St. Patrick’s Day is the real deal in Chicago, so I headed out to capture those wearin’ the green on Saturday. Much to my surprise, pro-Palestinian demonstrators ‘crashed’ the festivities mid-afternoon. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
Winter JazzFest
On February 23, 2024, the Jazz Institute of Chicago held its Winter Jazz Fair at the Chicago Cultural Center. The day-long festival provided a welcome and much needed relief from the Winter blahs. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.