Chicago House Music Open House & Conference at the Chicago Cultural Center
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
4-8 p.m. • FREE Admission • RSVP Online
DCASE Homepage > Chicago Cultural Center > Open House > Chicago House Music Festival
Join us at the Chicago Cultural Center on Thursday, August 21st for a Chicago House Music Conference Open House from 4-8 p.m.! Stop by and enjoy an inspiring evening of community conversations, dance workshops and live DJ sets inside the Chicago Cultural Center. Panel discussions with music industry professionals will explore themes such as community and collaboration, creative processes, nightlife and culture, music marketing and more.
To request accessibility services for the Chicago House Music Conference, such as ASL Interpretation, please contact dcase@cityofchicago.org by August 18.
RSVPs are encouraged via Eventbrite; but not required.
Welcome Center & Dance Studio, 1st Floor North
- 4-7 p.m. - House Chill Out Space with DJ Kevin Cosgrove
Randolph Square, 1st Floor North
- 4-8 p.m. - The Pop Out: Building A Chicago House Music Archive for the 21st Century with the Chicago Black Social Culture Map (CBSCM)
A pop up activation where you can map your dance music memories, add an entry to the digital map, record a story, or digitize photos, flyers, fashion, and other artifacts and take home a thumb drive with you.
Learning Lab, 1st Floor North
- 4-8 p.m. - Interactive DJ workshop with Tony Montes
Buddy store, 1st Floor South
- 4-7 p.m. - Store Open (snacks, drinks & art for sale!)
House Dance Summit Spotlight (GAR Hall, 2nd Floor North)
- 4 p.m. – Doors Open + House DJ set by TribeCago
- 4:30 p.m. – All Ages / Family-Friendly House Dance Lesson led by Jus.Be House Collective
- Instructor: Jeremiah “JJ” Green (Jus.Be House Collective / BraveSoul Movement)
- 5:45 p.m. – Panel Discussion: This Is Our House: A Discussion Bridging Past, Present, & Future of Chicago House
- Moderated by Jus.Be House Collective, Creative Netwerk, and BraveSoul Movement
- Panelists: Dayvette (House-O-Matics), Terrayne (Main Attraction), Raw Hat and Fathom
- 7 p.m. – Open Dance with TribeCago + Body:House Dance Summit Pre-Qualifiers
- Judges: BraveMonk, Twan Twan, Lil Bit, Wyatt “Willard” Sutter, Fathom and PrinceJron (HAVOC)
Claudia Cassidy Theater, 2nd Floor North
- 6 p.m. Film - Move Ya Body: The Birth of House
5:30 p.m. doors, 6 p.m. film, followed by Q&A
Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement.
Preston Bradley Hall, 3rd Floor South
- 6:15-7:30 p.m.
Panel: Bridging Generations: Legacy, Lineage & New Directions
House music’s legacy is rich—but how is it passed down? This intergenerational conversation looks at the tensions and opportunities between originators and rising artists. From mentorship to misalignment, we’ll examine what it takes to preserve the genre’s roots while creating space for future evolution.
- 8-9 p.m.
Fireside Keynote Conversation with Patrice Rushen
An intimate, in-depth conversation with Patrice Rushen.
North Landing
Chill Out Space
Millennium Park and Washington Rooms, 5th Floor South
Millennium Park Room, 5th Floor South
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Panel: Community, Collaboration & Cross-Pollination
This panel explores how House Music artists, organizers, and communities can break out of silos to foster deeper connections within the scene and across genres. From Techno and Hip-Hop to World Music, we’ll spotlight efforts to cross-pollinate styles, build lasting collaborations, and strengthen DIY networks that fuel the culture.
- 6:45-7:45 p.m.
Panel: Chicago Nightlife & Bars: Culture, Gentrification & DIY Spaces
As the landscape of Chicago nightlife changes, how can dance music culture survive and thrive? Join us as we unpack the pressures facing independent venues, the role of DIY spaces as cultural incubators, and how nightlife responds to shifting economics, demographics, and daytime audiences.
Washington Room, 5th Floor South
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Panel: The Creative Process, Purpose & Production in House Music
What drives the creative process in House music? This session dives into how artists find their purpose, balance intuition and intentionality, and craft sonic spaces that feel authentic. We’ll also explore how emerging technologies—especially AI—are reshaping production workflows and artistic inspiration.
- 6:45-7:45 p.m.
Panel: Marketing, Monetization & the Musician Strategist
Today’s artist is also a strategist. This panel unpacks how musicians can effectively market their work, build audiences in the digital age, and tap into alternative revenue streams—from live shows and merchandise to sync licensing, NFTs, and beyond.
