Pitchfork

Chicago's summertime neighborhood festivals are a city tradition as ingrained as the copious consumption of pig parts and making apologies for the Bears. This summer's seen some fine ones thus far, but you just knew Wicker Park-- one of the hipper 'hoods in the Second City-- would be the one spot worth braving the Blue Line for.

This year's Wicker Park Fest, stuffing July 28 and 29 with music, food, and a whole lot of dudes in black jeans and bandanas, sports a bodacious lineup: Man Man, the Thermals, a live band set from Prefuse 73, Maritime, Centro-matic, Catfish Haven, Elliot Lipp, and the Benevento/Russo Duo serve as Saturday's highlights, while Sunday snaps up High on Fire, Pit er Pat, the reformed Don Caballero, Russian Circles, Mannequin Men, and a host of others. All that, in exchange for a small donation at the gate!