2021 Chosen Few picnic postponed; online event scheduled for July 4 weekend

Chicagoans craving a semblance of live summer music in the city are taking yet another hit to their plans as a popular local event rebrands as a virtual festival due to COVID-19 concerns.

The Chosen Few Picnic & House Music Festival, which takes place annually in Jackson Park, has postponed its usual slate of in-person activities in favor of a July 3 online event, according to an official announcement Monday.

Last spring, the group consisting of DJs Wayne Williams, Jesse Saunders, Alan King, Andre Hatchett, Mike Dunn and Terry Hatcher made a similar announcement, and despite ideas to hold an in-person socially distanced show, the group wants to wait for an actual picnic and festival. It’s a popular event on the social calendar of many Black Chicagoans, and one that local house heads know and love.

“The health and safety of our attendees continue to be our top priority, and it is not possible for us to execute the very costly and time-consuming process of planning for an event that may not happen given the level of public health uncertainty that still exists,” the Chosen Few DJs said in a website statement.

The Chosen Few DJs said the details on the 2021 virtual event are coming in the “next few days.” Tickets purchased for the 2020 festival will be honored at the 2022 in-person event.

Ticket holders also have the option to submit a request for a refund at https://explore.seetickets.us/refund-form-chosen-few-2021/. Refund requests must be made by 11:59 p.m. on May 22, 2021.

Earlier this month, the Silver Room Block Club Party, which normally takes place in July in the Hyde Park neighborhood, was also canceled for the second consecutive summer amid COVID-19 and business concerns.