Market Days Is Upon Us!

This weekend in Boystown marks the summer's most glorious street festival, North Halsted Market Days! Market Days marks the last of the gay holidays, as I call them, here in Chicago for the year. Really, when you think about it, Summer is the gayest time of the year, what with men wandering around everywhere shitless.

Market Days is pretty much Pride 2.0. Without a parade. Although a parade would be nice, and I don't think anyone would oppose another parade per se, but who wants to over do a theme? On that line, this year's Market Days is the first year that they are attempting to incorporate a theme to the event (aside from gay, Gay, GAY): Mardi Gras! We probably shouldn't tell the organizers they are a few months late for a Mardi Gras theme, as it may cause a bit of a panic. It'd probably be more appropriate go with Southern Decadence, which is the August gay sister event of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. But whatevs, I'm down for some King Cakes!

This year also promises to be a bit bigger, in terms of entertainment at least. Music generally tends to be the focus of Market Days, and each year brings some cool acts. This year though, we have Jody Watley, The Village People, CeCe Penniston, Kathy Sledge, Berlin, and En Vogue. OK… so they're all washed up artists that work on the cheap, but damn it, they were big at one point! Also, two gay singer songwriters that I really enjoy, Eric Himan and Levi Kreis, will both be performing this year.

So this weekend is the mini gay music fest, and next week is Lollapalooza. Whatever, who cares about Jane's Addiction… and Tool… and Kings of Leon… and Silversun Pickups... oh dang it, never mind! Market Days is $7. Lolla is $9,672.53. Per day. Plus food and water. And lots and lots of drunken, post-frat boy types. Which, while kinda sorta hot, is not too exciting.

In any case, if you're in Chicago and at the parade, hit me up on Twitter or use that nifty Google Voice box in the right hand panel and leave me a Voicemail.