Chicago is fast becoming the major conference city in the USA, and barely a week goes past without at least one large exhibition taking place in the heart of the city. Thanks to its location in the heart of the USA, Chicago appeals to businesses on both the East and west coasts of the country and you will often find that your hotel has plenty of people in it wearing some kind of badge to explain who they are.

An effect of the large transient population of Chicago is that there are plenty of entertainment events that take place in the city throughout the year in order to ensure that visitors come away with a positive impression of what is on offer for them. Chicago events have a reputation for being both fun and extravagant, offering a real taste of what the locals love about their home alongside the enthusiasm that you would always expect from the USA.

Perhaps the biggest things in the Chicago calendar are the parades that pass along Michigan Avenue to celebrate the main USA holidays. The thanksgiving parade and St Patrick’s Day parades are amongst the most spectacular street parties that you will ever see, with plenty of floats and dancers filling the street for hours in a cavalcade of color.

The most important festival in the calendar in the USA is Independence Day – July 4th, and Chicago, the heart of the country celebrates the national holiday more than most. Thanks to its location on the banks of Lake Michigan, there are plenty of places such as beaches and quiet national parks within easy reach of the city centre where you can enjoy a carnival ride or two and join in with an Independence Day barbeque on the lake shore.

The biggest party of the year takes place in the Loop on New Year’s Eve, when more than a million people flood the streets for music and an incredible fireworks display above the still waters of Lake Michigan at midnight.

Of course, every evening in Chicago is a time to celebrate, and thanks to the range of different activities available along with the large student and young population in the city, you will find that Chicago events tend to happen all the time. There is a large theatre district, a huge number of bars, and always plenty of action in the form of music, comedy, and much much more.