Chosen Few DJs · 37th Annual Picnic & Festival
The Homecoming
House At 50
July 10, 2027 · Jackson Park, Chicago
1977–2027
NEXT UP:
CHOSEN FEW CRUISE JAN. 3-10, 2027
SAVE THE DATE
37th Annual Chosen Few Picnic & Festival
July 10, 2027 • "Homecoming" • Celebrating 50 Years of House Music
JACKSON PARK, CHICAGO — MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Our History
36 Years of House Music
From a DJs' Christmas gathering behind the Museum of Science & Industry to 45,000 people in Jackson Park — this is how the Chosen Few Picnic & House Music Festival became Chicago's longest-running celebration of house music. Scroll to explore the timeline.
1990
A Christmas Idea, Moved to Summer
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What began as a Chicago DJs' holiday gathering became a summer picnic at Jesse Saunders' suggestion. Spearheaded by Wayne Williams, Alan King, and the Chosen Few DJs, the first picnic came together behind the Museum of Science & Industry.
1990s
Word of Mouth & The Deep House Page
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No marketing budget, no sponsors — just Chicago's house music community spreading the word, year after year, through friends, flyers, and early online gathering spots like the Deep House Page.
2004
Rain Couldn't Stop It
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A downpour that year didn't scare anyone off — roughly 3,000 people stayed and danced in the mud. The moment became part of Chosen Few lore.
2005
Attendance Quadruples
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The year after the rain, attendance quadrupled. The picnic outgrew its original home and moved to Jackson Park — where it has lived, free and open to all, ever since.
2015
25 Years Strong
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The festival marked its 25th anniversary, officially cementing its place as the world's longest-running house music picnic — still rooted in the same Chicago community that started it.
2026
36th Annual — 45,000 Strong
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The biggest gathering yet. 45,000 people, one family, one unforgettable day in Jackson Park — and the bar for every festival still to come.
2027
Homecoming · House at 50
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The 37th Annual Festival returns July 10, 2027 — a homecoming that also marks 50 years since Jesse Saunders' "On & On" helped give birth to house music itself.
Year 37 is coming home.
July 10, 2027.
Chosen Few Week 2026
CHOSEN FEW IS |
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Jackson Park for another unforgettable celebration of House Music. Relive the moments, the music, and the memories from this year’s festival.