From Garfield Park Conservatory to Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago has a wonderful variety of free things to do year-round but once summer these gratuitous experiences only multiply.
While free days at Chicago’s many world-class museums come and go throughout the year and tend to dry up in the busy summer months, fairs, markets, concerts, and an array of special annual events announce themselves once the sun starts shining offering a wealth of free fun.
One of these comes in the form of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s free Tuesdays on the Terrace — a free musical event series for Illinois residents that is about to return for its 25th year.
Offering Chicagoans the chance to turn the average underwhelming Tuesday into a jubilant evening at the MCA’s Anne and John Kern Terrace Garden, Tuesdays on the Terrace is back with its first show of the summer on Tuesday, June 25th.
Running from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m., the free shows will then continue every Tuesday through August 27, 2024, highlighting artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned musical community all summer long.
Though traditionally consisting of jazz performances, last year Tuesdays on the Terrace expanded beyond its jazz focus to include more diverse genres and styles that have unique Chicago roots.
This year, while maintaining an “expansive and contemporary look at jazz” the event series will continue to explore other types of music including “house, Guatemalan marimba, electro-pop, and more.”
Admission to Tuesdays on the Terrace is free but capacity is limited so it is advised getting there early or securing a pass online to ensure entry. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with the first performance beginning at 5:30 p.m. each week and one set break before finishing at 8 p.m.
There will be light fare and refreshments from the bar though guests are welcome to bring their own food and drink with the exception of alcoholic beverages.
Tuesdays on the Terrace will run from June 25 to August 27, 2024.
More information can be found here.