Northalsted Market Days is the largest LGBTQ+ street fest in the country, returning for its 43rd annual edition on August 7–9, 2026 along North Halsted Street in Chicago's historic Northalsted neighborhood — the epicenter of the city's vibrant LGBTQ+ community. Each year in early August, more than 100,000 members, family, and friends of the LGBTQ+ community converge on North Halsted to celebrate across six city blocks with 17 entrance gates. The festival features 5 stages of live music with over 45 bands and entertainers, many of them top-name national headliners, nearly 250 exhibitor booths from vendors across the country selected for the quality and uniqueness of their wares, 400+ vendor and sponsor booths in total, plus food, drink, shopping, and nonstop entertainment. What began more than 40 years ago as a sidewalk sale where local merchants put merchandise on the sidewalks has morphed into a massive operation — yet it has always retained its shopping and marketplace roots. The event is so iconic within the LGBTQ+ community that many attendees, including international visitors, plan their summer vacations around it. Market Days has a pronounced economic impact on both the community and the City of Chicago — area hotels and restaurants are booked to capacity a year in advance, and bar and restaurant sales see a significant increase as much as a month before the event. Demographics shift throughout each day: during the day from 11am to late afternoon, the crowd is diverse, including members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as General Market singles and families who come for the shopping, food, and entertainment; as evening comes, the crowd shifts to predominantly LGBTQ+. The festival runs Friday 5pm–10pm and Saturday/Sunday 11am–10pm. Audience Information: - LGBTQ+, ages 21–54 - Gender: 70% male, 30% female - HHI: $80K+ - Education: College degree or higher - High disposable income, upscale crowd - Includes international visitors