Residents of the city and its suburbs were out and about Saturday, enjoying the last day of summer and the seasonably warm temperatures.
“Absolutely, because I know what’s on the other end, and it’s winter, and I don’t like winter in Chicago,” laughed Denise Kraujalis, of Tinley Park in the south suburbs.
She and others cycling along the lake enjoyed the summer warmth before the cooldown.
“I train outdoors all year long, so I make the most of it,” said Paul Link, a suburbanite from La Grange. “Do I like it? Not when it’s this cold.”
The temperature was cooler along the lakeshore, however, as people took advantage of the breeze on 31st Street Beach to play in the sand and soak up the sun.
“I already miss summer, so it’s like every day we go to the beach and yesterday we went swimming,” said Madan Thandargaj, a student at Roosevelt University.
Several major events were planned in the Chicago area this weekend, drawing people from across the country and around the world, including the Premier League Mornings Live Fan Fest in Lincoln Park.
“It’s so beautiful to see so many people coming to cheer on their own fans and all the different fans gathered here,” said Premier League fan Paco Sagasti.
Organizers of the two-day festival said fans began lining up overnight Friday into Saturday. The venue has several giant screens so fans can watch multiple football matches at once.
“I tore my Achilles tendon playing football so I’m on a break for a while but I can still enjoy the games,” said Premier League fan Alfredo Ferreira.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, the 26th Chicago Football Classic returns to Soldier Field. Fans celebrated a weekend of HBCUs and their favorite teams as the Morehouse Tigers took on the Kentucky State Thorobreds.
A few miles away, at Douglass Park on the West Side, Saturday marked the second day of Riot Fest, with fans getting their groove on to their favorite bands after months of controversy over the festival’s location.
But come rain, snow or shine, Chicago area residents know the city is truly special all year round.
“I think the city has a lot to offer along the lake,” Karujalis said. “I think it’s by far the most beautiful cityscape in the United States.”
