Cost: Free

Organizer: City of Chicago

What to expect: As if this even needs an explanation. Jazz Fest is certainly one of Grant Park's (and now Millennium Park's) best, a weekend teeming with the best in local and national acts on three stages.

Why to go: The headliners are huge: saxophone greats Sonny Rollins (he opens the fest on Thursday at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park) and Ornette Coleman. Other headliners include artist-in-residence Edward Wilkerson, Jr., The Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Eddie Palmeiri.

Additional info:The event kicks off on Thursday night, with a special performance at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. There's a whole spate of jazz-related events in the week leading up to the fest, highlighted by the 22nd annual Jazz Club Tour on Wednesday, featuring trolley stops at 14 different clubs around the city. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 at the door of any participating club.

For complete coverage of the fest, visit the new ChicagoJazzFestival.org or the Official City of Chicago website here.

Centerstage Reviewer: Ben Rubenstein