Night Out in the Parks Proposals

Through various disciplines such as theater, music, movies, dance, site-specific work, nature programs, culinary arts, literary arts, and community festivals, the Chicago Park District presents world-class performances and cultural events in our parks. Celebrating 14 years in 2026, Night Out in the Parks brings neighbors together, activating parks with robust cultural events that uplift communities.

Since its inception, NOITP has provided thousands of hours of safe, diverse, and unique arts programming. With generous support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), NOITP produces hundreds of free cultural events annually for patrons in parks citywide, in all 77 community areas of Chicago.

Night Out in the Parks draws upon the expertise of artists, community members, and park staff, as well as arts programmers and cultural producers, to curate work that reflects the lives and experiences of Chicago’s citizens. Collectively, we strive to curate a season of partnerships that enhance quality of life across Chicago by amplifying artistic and cultural vibrancy in every neighborhood.

• Ensure that every Chicago neighborhood has access to quality arts and cultural programming that reflects the city’s cultural landscape.
• Provide all Chicagoans with the opportunity to experience cultural events and celebrate local artists in their neighborhood parks.
• Support Chicago-based artists with new audiences, resources, and growth opportunities.
• To increase the utilization, safety, and community connectivity of Chicago parks through the arts.

• You must be a Chicago-based organization or individual artist. Residency within the city of Chicago is required and must be verified at multiple points throughout the process, including upon application, contracting, and payment. NOTE: You do not need to be a not-for-profit organization to be considered. The main applicant must be 21 years of age.
• Your program must be offered to the community for free. We strongly encourage you to diversify your funding strategies to include additional financial support for your program in addition to this application.
• You must commit to building a relationship with your park partners for the duration of the season. The success of your program depends on your ability to connect at the local level to engage the community with your work. Success is not only determined by audience numbers, but by relationships developed through your programming. This is an opportunity to widen your reach within the city and strengthen your mission and brand. Returning applicants must show a proven track record of intentional outreach and meaningful community engagement.
• You must be flexible in terms of location. We prioritize projects that are willing to present in each of the three park district regions: North, Central, and South. Partners must be able to provide their own transportation for all equipment, performers, and staff.
• You must be flexible in terms of scheduling.  Events may happen seven days a week, mostly in the evening, though we welcome proposals that engage park spaces anytime that parks are open. Please note that Field Houses are generally closed on Sundays and in observance of all Federal holidays, including Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veterans Day, and more.  We do not schedule NOITP activities on these days.
• You must be flexible in terms of amenities. Park amenities for performances and events vary widely based on location, event time, and event season. If certain elements or amenities are critical to the success of your program, please be sure to include the cost of their acquisition in your budget and planning.
• You must communicate regularly with your Park District liaison and complete all paperwork, including contracts, schedules, and invoices, by the assigned deadlines.  If selected, you must confirm a performance schedule by mid-March 2026.
   

Additional Considerations

• 2026 Theme: America250 - Chicago’s Parks, America’s Stage
  In celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday in 2026, we especially invite proposals emphasizing democracy, civil liberties, racial, social, and environmental justice, diversity, and culture.

Insurance/Background Checks

• We strongly recommend that both organizations and individual artists have $1 million general liability insurance, naming the Chicago Park District as an additional insured for all events. Organizations will be required to provide a certificate of insurance.
• Night Out in the Parks partners may be subject to fingerprint clearance/background check as part of the contracting process, depending on the scope of their project. Projects where partners will have physical interaction with the general public will be subject to background checks.
• We strongly encourage park programming that is accessible and inclusive. Consider an accessibility plan for your project that includes: mobile access, bilingual narratives, ASL interpretation, audio description, etc.

The Chicago Park District will accept submissions for the 2026 Night Out in the Park season from Saturday, November 1, through Monday, December 8, 2025.  Our NOITP Review Committee includes diverse Chicago Park District staff and members from sister organizations dedicated to the arts. They select programs representing Chicago’s diverse demographics and artistic disciplines, disclose conflicts of interest, and review applications. Feedback from past grantees shapes future grant strategies.

The following criteria will be weighed heavily when evaluating proposals:

• Enriching and Engaging Programming that exhibits high-quality work from artists at every step of their careers, demonstrating programmatic excellence
• Production Viability given both the unique ecosystem of park spaces in the Chicago cultural landscape and the challenges of the pandemic
• Commitment to Community Connectivity with a thorough outreach and marketing strategy that will engage Chicago communities and augment your audience
• Budget Feasibility as evidenced by a sustainable budget that is fair and accurate to the project scope

We will make every effort to notify partners of their acceptance by March 2, 2026.  If you have questions about the process during the completion of your application or once your application has been submitted, please direct them to noitp@chicagoparkdistrict.com 

The NOITP grant supports approved partners by offering the following assistance:

• Permit Fee Waivers for park space
• Financial Support (full or partial support for the overall proposed budget)
• Marketing materials, including up to 1,000 printed pieces such as postcards or posters
• NOITP Liaison to guide you through all aspects of the program and process, including: making connections with park partners and community building efforts, site evaluation and selection support, as well as training and workshops offered through our orientation process.

Support will be offered based on the guidelines set out above, and no two awards are the same.  

If you are a partner applying for financial support, as well as performance space, marketing support, and production support, please fill out the Call for Proposals application by December 8, 2025. We will make our selections for partnerships with financial support through this process only. Not all applications will receive financial support, and priority will be placed on partners who score the highest in all four areas of focus: Enriching and Engaging Programming, Production Viability, Commitment to Community Connectivity, and Budget Feasibility.

Some partners who apply for financial support may be offered space only, which includes marketing support. Marketing support includes being featured on all of the Chicago Park District’s digital platforms, including their website, as well as additional marketing opportunities through their social media, print materials, and local community promotional efforts. For partnerships receiving financial support, limited production support may be available and will be negotiated during the granting process. 

• Rentals and Permits: Individuals, organizations, and businesses are eligible to apply for a permit at any of the 600+ Chicago parks. Permits and Rentals 101

• ARCS partnerships: The Athletic Use, Resident, Contractor, and Service Provider (ARCS) program enables community groups, organizations, and businesses to enter into a mutual agreement to provide mission-centered programs and services to the public on Park District property. ARCs Program 

Interested Filmmakers should apply through Chicago OnScreen

Learn more about other arts and culture opportunities in the parks: Arts & Culture Programs

Explore additional programs and funding opportunities via the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events at City of Chicago: Cultural Affairs and Special Events