This Week In Street Fests: BenFest, Sheffield Garden Walk & More
By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 18, 2013 8:20PM
For those who aren't attending Pitchfork, check out these festivals for choice tastes and tunes.
BenFest
BenFest is celebrated at St. Benedict's parish in the North Center neighborhood. The little local street fest is a friendly block party that features music, including Led Zeppelin 2 and Libido Funk Circus, plus Irish step dancers. If you're feeling competitive, try entering the 3-on-3 basketball tournament or the Burger Cook-off on Sunday.
BenFest is at 2215 W Irving Park Road on Friday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sheffield Garden Walk & Festival
The Sheffield Garden Walk has been getting wilder every year. What was once a nice tour of gardens is now a two-day party in Lincoln Park. You can still join the garden tour to see the neighborhood greenthumbs, then at night cool off with headliners JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound on Saturday and Poi Dog Pondering on Sunday. For daytime partying, we like the one-two punch of the Saturday afternoon lineup of Carbon Leaf and Archie Powell & The Exports.
The Sheffield Garden Walk is at Sheffield and Webster on Saturday and Sunday from noon to dusk.
Celebrate Clark Street
Rogers Park embraces world music this weekend with featured artists from Chad, Colombia, Canada and more. Show up early in the day for some Zumba and Balkan gypsy dance classes, too.
Celebrate Clark Street is on Clark Street between Morse and Estes on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Taste Of River North
River North is doing some daytime partying this weekend. Restaurants like Kinzie Chophouse and Moe's Cantina offer up bites while bands perform on stages sponsored by 7-11 and Walmart Express.
The Taste of River North is at Ward Park at Kingsbury and Erie streets on Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., on Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.