Festival Cubano at Riis Park on 8/9-/811, Chicago

In five short years, the Festival Cubano has grown from a small grassroots fair to one of the Midwest's largest Latin celebrations, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors in that time. This year's festival, which will be held across three days in Riis Park, is growing even more, with an expanded carnival games area, a Babalu Beer Garden and Cigar Lounge, more than 100 food and merchandise vendors, and a domino tournament. Musicians, including El Gran Combo, Fajardo Jr., Rey Ruiz, and Palo! will keep the beat across the weekend. The family-friendly festivities will also include a Kids' Zone, where little ones can play and participate in arts and crafts, such as how to turn all your big brothers' shoelaces into a macrame potholder.