Top 4 Summer Events for East Side Teens

Top 4 Summer Events for East Side teens

The East Side teens need ways to keep occupied during the summer. A favorite past time of East Siders is attending summer events. Here is a list of the 4 major summer events that East Side teens attend:

Annunciata Fest

The Annunciata Fest is one of the few events that are organized specifically for East Side residents. Just about every East Side resident attends the Annunciata Fest. This year, the Fest will be held on August 19, 20, and 21^st, in the parking lot of the Annunciata Church located at 11128 S Avenue G. While the adults enjoy live bands and different East Side favorite foods, the teens usually stand on the empty side of the parking lot. However, some of the food vendors give teens the opportunity to volunteer for community service hours.

          

  Picture by: Denis Khriz

Festival of The Lakes

Festival of The Lakes is an event that has a variety of activities to choose from. “This is a family friendly event…we have something for all different age groups, from the music and the carnival, to the organized children’s events,” says one of the event organizers, LeAnne Munoz. The Festival of the Lakes is held in Hammond, Indiana on Wolf Lake. Many East Side teens attend because it is located close to the East Side so it is easy enough to get to. LeAnne Munoz states, “I think social media networks are getting bigger and bigger, and Facebook is definitely an asset because it allows us to interact with festival goers and receive feedback,” when asked if she thought Facebook attracted the younger generations to the festival. This year 

Festival of The Lakes will be held from July 19- July 24.

Picture from Creative Commons 

Taste of Chicago

The Taste of Chicago is a big tourist attraction. Going downtown is kind of a big deal to East Side teens so having a big event like the Taste of Chicago downtown just makes it all the much better. Facebook definitely helps East Side teens to branch out from the East Side and meet teens from other neighborhoods; the Taste of Chicago is a good place to interact with such friends in person. The Taste of Chicago attracts teens because of its many food options, musical entertainment, and various activities.     

Gay Pride Parade

Chicago is known for being a diverse city. This year the annual Gay Pride Parade was held on June 26, and started at Halsted and Belmont. Facebook was filled with “Check ins” and people responding that they were attending. While for East Siders going to the North side can be a long event in itself, it seems many East Side teens are willing to travel the distance in order to do something out of the ordinary. East Side teen Jazmine Herrera met with friends from school to attend the Gay Pride Parade. She said, “I saw a lot of people from the East Side…I also saw picture on Facebook from people I didn’t even know were there.”