Halsted Market Days 2026

Northalsted Market Days is the biggest street festival in the Midwest and one of the largest in the country — a full weekend when half a mile of North Halsted Street, the spine of Chicago's historic gay neighbourhood, is closed off and handed to the party. In 2026 it runs Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August, from Belmont up to Addison in Lakeview.

It is a street fair, not a Pride parade: four stages of live music and DJs, hundreds of vendors, drag, food and drink, and a crowd that fills the street shoulder to shoulder all weekend. The 2026 line-up is headlined by Keri Hilson and Daya, with Dawn Richard, comedian Jessica Kirson, Drag Race winner Myki Meeks and a deep list of DJs across the stages.

Entry is free with a $20 suggested donation at the gates — the money pays the performers and festival workers and supports local LGBTQ+ causes, including the Chicago Pride crosswalks — and there are Gold and Platinum VIP tiers if you want lounges and a better view. It is run by the Northalsted Business Alliance, the neighbourhood's business group.

Practical notes: the Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop drops you right at the south end, so skip the car. August in Chicago is hot and humid but the lake breeze helps; bring water and sun cover for standing on asphalt all day. The bars along Halsted — Sidetrack, Roscoe's and the rest — run full tilt around the festival all weekend.