As a child of the suburbs, I always thought of downtown Chicago as the place to be. Bursting with energy, activity and mystery, one could argue that Chi-town is the greatest city in the world. But drive thirty miles north and you’ll end up in my suburban hometown. For years it seemed as if my friends and I were always finding an excuse to complain, “There is nothing to do here!” That was until we discovered what I consider the precious gem of Chicago’s northern suburbs: Ravinia.

Ravinia is an outdoor concert venue located in Highland Park. It brings quite the variety of talent and offers something for everyone. This summer’s lineup included Carrie Underwood, Tony Bennett, John Legend, Elvis Costello, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Doobie Brothers and the Julliard String Quartet – just to name a few. Lawn seats range from $10 to $22 (which I always appreciate on my post-college budget); kids 10 and under are just $5.

Aside from its convenient location, fantastic performers, and low-priced admission, Ravinia’s best quality is its unique and beautiful outdoor atmosphere. The grounds are meticulously maintained, allowing upwards of 10,000 people to eat, drink and listen to music under canopied trees. Patrons can bring their own food and beverages, blankets, lawn chairs, and candles to simultaneously enjoy a concert and a picnic with friends, family or a date. I highly recommend finger foods, dips, chilled white wine, and of course, a lot of bug spray!

Even though I plan on moving to the city one day, I know I’ll return to the suburbs often to enjoy many summer nights at Ravinia.

- Claire Prendergast

*Claire is guest contributor on behalf of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism
- Read more blogs about the state of Illinois at http://www.enjoyillinoisblog.com

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