What a beautiful show! It's free. Some people bring lawn chairs, but most people just bring a blanket or sit on the ground. It's totally worth checking out in the evening. read more

Fun and fancy free - Full Moon Fire Jam will leave you in awe & amazement and hopefully allow you to chill out while enjoying the view. When deciding to go, we had no idea what to expect and thought it would be some kind of coordinated fire show. It's not that. So the show starts at 8pm but I recommend getting there by 7pm. It gets really packed - like picnic blanket to blanket tight so getting there early will help you claim your spot while the sun is still up and you aren't stepping all over people. What then happens for the next two hours is super cool! Various fire performers queue up and take turns doing their fire acts and moves as drums pound providing beats for them. There were usually 8 on the lawn at any given time and they come off and on 'stage' in a very organized and safe form. Volunteers monitor the performers with them getting about 5 minutes each time they go on and they can get right off & back into line to perform again. There must have been 100 different fire artists! Who knew the fire community was such a big thing? Your experience will vary depending on where you are sitting because you'll see different acts from various locations around the roped off section of lawn. All of these mini shows culminate in a grand finale of a fire breathing dragon and the cast fighting him, trying to defeat the fiery beast! Overall an incredibly entertaining evening not allowing for a dull moment. The drummers should get major kudos as they began playing around 630pm and didn't stop until 1030pm! My suggestions and tips... +Bring a blanket to sit on or if you bring lawn chairs, bring those low 2" off the ground chairs. Don't be a douchecanoe with full height lawn chairs, setting them up in front, blocking the view of others. +Along those same lines, sit your booty down and enjoy the show. If you stand, you're blocking hundreds of people sitting behind you. +Bring some food to enjoy prior to the show starting. I am a law abiding citizen who would never violate city rules ;) , but I did see a good amount of people drinking and smoking the cushy stuff around us. You're going to do one or both of these things inevitably...so just use your noggin and be smart with it. +You'll find Full Moon Fire Jam directly under the viaduct by Argyle. It's in the lawn before you hit the beach, just south of Foster Beach. +Though it ends around 10pm, tons of people stick around doing other type of light show mini performances. I felt like I was 18 again in an after hours club. +Be sure to check their website just before you go to ensure the show is on. The Jam can get easily cancelled due to weather conditions. Safety first! +This event attracts all types of people, mostly adults, but be open to it and leave your judgments at the metaphorical door. This event is absolutely fascinating and feels ritual like...so much so that my British friends in town kept feeling like they were going to be sacrificed to the blood moon. I really enjoyed watching the talents of all the fire performers and would go to this event again in a heartbeat. Highly recommended for a nice summer evening! read more

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Come on a romantic date, with a group of wild friends, or with your kiddos and dog. Bring a big blanked or lawn chairs on which to sit. Bring food/snacks and non alcoholic drinks, according to park rules. *(Or have your drink in an unmarked container...as apparently many do.) Chat, lounge, eat, hydrate, enjoy the full moon, enjoy the stars, and enjoy the amazing group of performers. It's free! It's close to Argyle and Marine Dr in Uptown. Easy redline access. The jams, started in 2004 as a birthday party among friends, are a volunteer-run, not-for-profit, free-to-attend, family-friendly gatherings that adhere to the "Ten Principles of Burning Man": radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, "Leave no trace," participation and immediacy. Spectators and performers are encouraged to respect the park space by picking up trash before leaving. As per park rules, open containers of alcohol and illegal substances are not allowed. Pets are welcome! Check out their website for dates and events: http://www.fullmoonjam.org/schedule-location/#fmj-schedule read more

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Best free event i went to and will go again Best fire performance kool crowds nice vibes lots of fun #hippie #fire #chill good music read more

I came here with a friend on a Tuesday night. Apparently they hold this event every month in the summer when there is a full moon, and fire dancers from all over the Chicagoland area congregate to perform/free-style. To get here, you can take the red line to the Argyle stop, walk east toward the lake, and you should be able to hear the festival from there. It was pretty crowded when we got there. I swear everyone is either drunk of high, and there's just a plume of smoke over the whole event. There is a drum circle of people just tapping away to no cohesive rhythm, so it's just all miscellaneous sound. You should bring your own drum, or try to find a nice person with a spare drum to lend you. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to find someone to borrow a drum from :( Overall, I'm glad that I attended but it was somewhat underwhelming. I'm sure the performers had a much better time performing than I had watching, and many of the other viewers had a better time than a completely sober person such as myself (the lights can be pretty trippy if you're high). The idea of fire dancing under the full moon is pretty damn cool, but I don't think I would come again. read more

Full Moon Fire Jam - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had no idea Chicago had things like this!!! I love that it's this totally alternative culture burning man thing but presented in an accessible, family-friendly format so that normal Chicagoans can enjoy it. You can stay for hours or just stop by at any time. Even in the middle of the event it's pretty easy to scrounge up a spot for your blanket with a great view. About six or seven fire spinners inside the huge performance ring will perform for several minutes at a time and then switch up. There's dramatic stunt performances as well as calm artistic performances, and a wonderful diversity of gender, age, and race. After the official show ends at 10:15PM there's a big group that continues the fun till 11PM with LED-lit hoops and things. There was definitely some pot smoking, and while I support drug legalization all the way, I think it's a bad idea for people to illegally light up right in the middle of a public park with tons of kids all over the place, potentially jeopardizing the event. Please people, at least consume your recreational substances in a more discreet form! It starts at different times depending on the month, so check the schedule: http://www.fullmoonjam.org/schedule-location/ read more

This is one of Chicago's "best of's" which many have never heard of. You may have heard or been part of a conversation where someone mentioned seeing some live performances at the Lake shore, but you never knew exactly where or when. That's me, I had heard something about it but didn't know where to locate it. Until I Google'd it of course. Based on the name alone, you should bookmark it. It's free and well worth the time. Full moon fire jam is a one night per month event which takes place in the grassy area across the street from say the Foster beach area. Free parking and free entrance. All you need to do is bring a good attitude and can expect a great time watching live performances involving all fire performers. Anything from fire baton twirling, to burning ropes twirling, fire dancers, performers in elaborate costumes with fire and smoke all while drum circles provide a beat. Most often the events take place in clear weather and allow you the chance to sit up close (on the grass) and watch. Bring a blanket & camera or recording device but try to minimize the amount of flash you cast on a performer working a few feet away from you. Watch in amazement at the skill of each performer, some so good they've been doing it for years and travel around the U.S to festivals to perform. Also including junior fire performers that are just like you and I, except willing and wanting to try just as their main performers do. These events usually happen at night. Usually towards the end of the month when a full moon will arrive. Rain or shine, the show would go on, unless otherwise posted on their website. It's important to remember that everyone involved is volunteering in a sense. Us as customers never pay an entrance fee or any other cost. Also, much of the staff which helps out with events, volunteer to do so. Some bad elements which come up... those excessively drinking and leaving bottles behind, pot smokers and litter bugs which happen to be the worst. It's a free event and knowing that everyone is volunteering to be here, it's best to be a volunteer yourself. Clean up after yourself, if you drink do it incognito. You are in a Chicago park and boozing it up openly is not accepted, regardless of what your friend told you. If a volunteer organizer requests something of you, try to adhere to their policies. Remember, this is a free event so show some respect for the performers and those around you. In the latter months of 2012, there were some incidents involving openly displayed drinking and excessive pot smoking in the open despite warnings from volunteers. On top of that, these folks took harsh attitudes against the volunteers. Just stupid.. and because of these actions one or more events were cancelled. Do us all a solid and help maintain the awesome of each event. Come out with good vibes and have a good time. If we're lucky, the performers will return in 2013 and continue the tradition. read more

A huge crowd gathers to watch fire dancers (some with hula hoops, bars, glove looking things), regardless, they're all pretty impressive. On one end of the circle you have the drum circle where people are banging in unison on whatever object they can find. It's a pretty cool sound. There are dancers usually going crazy by the drums, it's definitely good people watching. They have lighted jugglers at the other end of the circle. If you're hungry the taco and ice cream carts are always stationed nearby. No alcohol or illegal substances, but come on, they're everywhere. Show ends around 10:15 as there's an 11pm curfew. Not quite at Foster beach, just south of the beach. read more

This is an other worldly spiritual romp! Too bad they're over for the season. Next year try to catch more of them!

I went to the last full moon fire jam of 2017 and it was a cool experience. I would recommend bringing snacks and comfortable seating and it's a good idea to get there early so you can have your pick of where you want to sit. There was also a drum circle there that enhanced the experience. It's a cool free thing to do after work. I totally enjoyed myself. read more

Used to be my favorite event Burning Man Playa style event in Chicago. Now it gets more and touristy and less hippie

This event was larger than i imagined! It was amazing to see a community event that seemed to sprout from the ground. There was a crowd of over 1,000 people. Dozens of fire dancers with different techniques. And not to mention the epicenter of the gathering, the full moon. People were dancing with glow hoops and toys and there was a large group of drummers to add a liveliness to the event. Awesome Community Event read more

What was i thinking? 4 stars? where else aside from a circus or theater can one see the most dynamic spectacular performance with FIYAAAA. Not to mention it's free! What???? read more

Just discovered it. I can't believe that I have never been to it. One of the most amazing activities I've done in the city.

It's like Ravinia for fire dancing! You bring your blanket or chair, food and booze (not officially allowed), sit back and watch the show. Different fire artists get a opportunity in the roped off performance area and do their thing. And by thing I mean amazing fire action! In the background a drum circle performs non-stop for hours. It's free and fun and just south of Foster Beach right off the Lake Front path. read more

It sounds pretty cool, fire dancers, drum circles, full moon...we made a trek out to the lakefront gathering last weekend to find a handful of performers surrounded by a large crowd. The smell of patchouli in the air and the rhythmic beats of almost voodoo like music, with people twirling glowing hula hoops and tripping out over other glow in the dark objects, it was a sight to see. For about 10 minutes. And then you might grab a churro from the vendor and call it a night. Seeing the full moon over the lake was pretty awesome, though. read more

It's just a bunch of freaks having a good time. I happened to be one of them banging on the drums. Come out and forget your troubles for few hours. Go home with a clear mind and an uplifting spirit. read more

This is one of my favorite events in Chicago. Fire, juggling, and drum circles by the lake under the full moon.