The Chosen Few Picnic is the Saturday nearest July 4, and its single day provides Chicagoans with a blueprint for the perfect summer: all you need is good music, friends and family, and lots of barbecue. House DJ collective the Chosen Few launched the picnic in 1990 as part of the Hatchett family barbecue behind the Museum of Science and Industry—DJs Andre and Tony Hatchett are original members of the Chosen Few. The picnic settled in Jackson Park in 2008, and these days it’s one of the biggest Black festivals in the city, drawing crowds of nearly 50,000 people—dozens if not hundreds of whom spend the day cooking, providing the event with much of its backyard-party charm.
Fred Anderson was in charge of the grill for Nu Bang Clan, a DJ and production collective whose members also include Alan King of the Chosen Few. Their crew’s name was emblazoned on a large white tent, which protected several tables of food. Anderson spent two days preparing everything for the picnic.
Chosen Few 2019
July 6, 2019
