CHICAGO (June 26, 2023) – WBEZ Chicago and Vocalo are celebrating summer with free events for Chicagoans to make the most of the city’s hottest season. This summer’s free events include:

July 13 – Vocalo Presents Reclaimed Soul Live!

• Thursday, July 13, 7-9 p.m., Columbus Park Refectory, 5701 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago Ill., 60644

• Free! Register here.

This special taping of Reclaimed Soul with Vocalo’s Ayana Contreras will feature sound rich interviews and an all-vinyl playlist as part of Chicago Park District’s Night Out in The Parks series. Reclaimed Soul Live! is family-friendly and open to the public.

August 11 – Vocalo Presents Summer Skate

• Friday, Aug. 11, 6-9:30 p.m., McKinley (William) Park, 2210 West Pershing Road, Chicago, Ill., 60609

• Free! Register here

Vocalo, in collaboration with Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Park, invites Chicago to a special skate session at McKinley Park, transforming the seasonal ice rink into a retro roller rink. The event will feature special dj sets by Vocalo’s Ayana Contreras, Nudia Hernandez & DJ Ca$h Era! Skates will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, though attendees can also bring their own.

August 25 – On the Lawn: Hosted by Roxanne Shanté with Music by DJ Spinderella

• Friday, Aug. 25, 6-9 p.m., Millennium Park (Jay Pritzker Pavilion), 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Ill., 60601

• Free! Register here

The National Public Housing Museum and WBEZ are hosting a FREE concert featuring artists with meaningful connections to public housing. will host the evening with music by legendary hip-hop icon DJ Spinderella and performances by local favorites Isaiah Sharkey and ragtime pianist Reginald Robinson and surprise appearances by special guests. The evening will kick off with a community conversation hosted by Erin Allen, host of WBEZ’s daily Rundown podcast.

The concert will be complemented by a weekend-long installation throughout the park focused on civic love and engagement based on the National Public Housing Museum’s 36 Questions for Civic Love toolkit. This program is made possible by a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events with funding from the Millennium Park Foundation and Pritzker Foundation.

More from WBEZ

• Donate: While these summer events are free, please consider making a donation to support programming and events from WBEZ at www.wbez.org/donate and Vocalo at www.vocalo.org/donate

• Food Aid Festival 2023: Coming this August, WBEZ, Harmonica Dunn and Suburban Unity Alliance will be hosting Food Aid Festival 2023, a two-day musical celebration addressing food insecurity in Chicago’s West Side communities and neighboring suburbs. The festival will be held at Exit Strategy Brewing Co. Forest Park on August 26 and in Scoville Park in downtown Oak Park on August 27; admission is $20. More information is available here.

• WBEZ Events calendar: For more about WBEZ’s live events, visit www.wbez.org/events.

• The WBEZ Summer 250: For more to do around Chicago all summer long, check out the WBEZ Summer 250, an epic summer guide filled with concerts, arts, family activities, workshops and more. Readers can text SUMMER to 312312 to get the best weekly picks sent to their phone.