From downtown to the neighborhoods, streets boom with festivity in Chicago this Labor Day weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- This Labor Day weekend, there are street festivals galore all around the city.
CBS 2's Jermont Terry had the very difficult and cumbersome assignment of hitting the streets and enjoying himself Friday night. But he rose to the challenge.
The food was sizzling, and bands were rocking, as the Lincoln Square Greek Fest kicked off the Labor Day weekend festivities Friday evening. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church holds the festival through Monday at 2727 W. Winona St.
"You do not have to be Greek," said Nick Halkias. "It's called the Lincoln Square Greek Fest for a reason. It's for the community."
Halkias and his family make the festival their end-of-summer gathering.
"I've been coming to this festival for the last 30 summers, and it's usually a kickoff into the school year, and basically a summer bash, or end-of-summer bash," he said. "It's fantastic. You hang with family and friends and people you haven't seen in a while."
Meanwhile in another Labor Day tradition, the Chicago Jazz Festival is under way in Millennium Park downtown. Ethan Philion's Meditations on Mingus – a Charles Mingus tribute – kicked off the lineup Friday, followed by JD Allen, Jazzmeia Horn, and finally Bill Frisell.
Jazz lovers can catch the tunes at Millennium Park for free.
And this Sunday is the final day of Sundays on State – the popular State Street Festival downtown that started after things reopened from the pandemic, in an effort to bring folks back downtown.
But Sundays on State has grown into a summer favorite, where Chicagoans and visitors dance on State Street.
You can follow the drums to Washington Park. The 33rd annual African Festival of the Arts runs through Labor Day there.
"I have a lot of African stuff, so I look for something unique," said Girtha Allen.
Allen and her friend, Glenda Jones, are sure to find something they like.
"She's visiting me from L.A.," Allen said. "She just got in town, and she wanted to look at artwork."
There are vendors and artists from around the country displaying their finest on the South Side.
"I am in Africa – Uganda, Kenya – every two years before the pandemic. It's kind of like feeling like home – you know, some of the smells, the colors," said Jones. "I'm digging this. Everybody should be here. This is wonderful."
And back at the Greek Fest in Lincoln Square, remember how we said CBS 2's Terry rose to the challenge for this story? You didn't get to see it on TV, but during a mic check before the 10 o'clock news started, we caught Terry singing "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie with the band.