New summer series on Riverwalk will spotlight Chicago’s sister cities

A new summer series will celebrate Chicago’s 28 international sister cities with food, drinks and music on the Riverwalk.

“Unifest on the River: One Globe, Many Cultures” kicks off from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and will continue weekly through Aug. 17 across the river from the Merchandise Mart, according to the mayor’s office.

Each week, seven sister cities will be profiled. Guests can listen to world music from Colombia and India, imbibe spirits from Ireland, Mexico and Poland and taste food from Sweden, Morocco and Pakistan.

“The Chicago Riverwalk offers residents and visitors alike a uniquely-Chicago experience,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “With the Riverwalk’s surrounding architecture and bridges as a backdrop, Unifest celebrates what makes Chicago a world class city — a global mix of cultures and communities coming together to enjoy everything the city has to offer.”

The Riverwalk, completed in fall 2016, opened 1.25 miles of the Chicago River to the public via a connected path system.

Chicago’s first sister cities agreement was made by Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1960 with Warshaw, Poland, according to Chicago Sister Cities International. The organization works to promote Chicago as a global city through international partnerships.