Ravinia Festival

The oldest outdoor music festival in North America, Ravinia has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936, drawing audiences to its wooded park on Chicago's North Shore. The festival's celebrated lawn seating tradition — where patrons spread elaborate picnics beneath the trees — is as much a part of the experience as the music itself. Beyond its classical programming, Ravinia presents a broad summer season spanning jazz, pop, and chamber music across multiple venues. The Martin Theatre and the open-air Pavilion together create one of America's most enchanting concert settings.