Land of 1,000 Dances.

Summer is neighborhood festival season in Chicago. The weekend calendar starts filling up even before Memorial Day.  Most of these fests are strictly local affairs, block parties on steroids; "Taste of.. " "Burger Fest", etc. My own neighborhood of Rogers Park is throwing theirs this weekend, but for an avid world music aficionado like myself, it's not the only game in town.

Choose Chicago is the city's official tourism website, and they have a section called "Chicago Like a Local" that tries to give visitors a taste of the metropolis beyond downtown, the lakefront and the major attractions. It's just the sort of thing I look for when traveling - what do the locals do for fun?  So when I was asked to contribute story ideas, I gladly accepted.

Here's the beginning of this month's contribution. Click on the link below to be taken to the complete article. As always, enjoy. And, hey, maybe I'll see you this weekend.
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Chicago comes alive with the spirit of its Latino community this month with three exciting festivals. Whether you head north, west, or south, you'll find vibrant neighborhoods celebrating with the music, food and culture that makes each event unique.

Chicago Latin Jazz Festival, (July 19-20, Humboldt Park Boathouse) 

The festival features two days of music, dance and family activities, all in the pastoral splendor of the 200 acre park and its ponds, wetlands, ball fields and gardens. Friday night is headlined by Cuban percussionist Candido Camero, who played with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, and the Edwin Sanchez Project. Saturday daytime activities include...

The park itself is home to a number of food trucks serving Puerto Rican cuisine. One of the best is...

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