EXPO CHICAGO and how to plan your April visit

EXPO CHICAGO fills a large exhibition hall at Navy Pier with galleries showing modern and contemporary work, alongside sections for younger galleries and focused presentations. Chicago galleries are well represented, which makes the fair a good introduction to the city's program.

• Read the exhibitor list in advance and mark your priority booths on the floor plan.
• An invitation only opening on Navy Pier comes first, and the general public arrives over the following days.
• A half day to a full day lets you see the fair at a comfortable pace.
• The pier sits on the lake, and April can be windy and cool. Bring a coat for the walk in.

Navy Pier extends into Lake Michigan from Streeterville, a short ride from downtown hotels. Buses, taxis and rideshare serve the pier, and many visitors walk along the lakefront in good weather. River North, the historic gallery district, is a short ride west, so it is easy to continue from the fair to gallery openings.

Chicago galleries open strong exhibitions around the fair, and evenings fill with openings and events.

• Give the fair one day, ideally a weekday.
• Spend a day in the West Loop, around Fulton Market and the Peoria and Washington area, where several galleries share buildings.
• Spend another half day in River North, close to downtown and the pier.
• Chicago galleries outside the fair mostly keep Tuesday to Saturday hours, so plan city visits for those days.
• Our chicago art galleries guide covers both districts in detail.

Chicago booth staff are usually happy to email the list of works on view with prices, which saves photographing every label.

• Ask about a work by title and booth number, and photograph the label.
• A hold at EXPO rarely lasts past the closing day of the fair, and often only until the next morning.
• If a work is sold, ask whether related work is available from the gallery's inventory.
• Ask what the price includes. Illinois sales tax may apply depending on delivery, and crating and shipping usually appear as separate lines on the invoice.

Before you confirm a purchase on Navy Pier, our page on buying art from galleries shows what the invoice and delivery from Chicago usually include.

Preparation makes a fair day calmer and more useful.

• Make a short list of galleries and artists you want to see, then find them on the floor plan before you arrive.
• If you already follow some galleries, ask whether they will be at the fair and what they plan to show. Many share a PDF of available works or a private viewing room link in advance.
• Decide roughly what you are looking for, such as works on paper, painting or photography, and a comfortable price range, so you can move quickly past booths that do not fit.
• Keep a simple list during the day with booth, gallery, title and price. It makes your follow up emails quick to write.
• Plan a meal break away from the hall. The pier and nearby Streeterville both have options.

Public days at the fair can feel calmer than preview days, which makes conversation easier, but booths still get busy on preview days. Keep first questions specific, ask before photographing work, and leave your name and email with galleries you want to hear from. If you are only looking, it is fine to say so.

Send one short email after the fair, naming EXPO CHICAGO, the booth and the work by title, with one clear question about price, availability or related work. Give galleries a few days after the fair closes. If a Chicago gallery invites you to its space, a visit the following week is a good way to see more work by the same artists. For the other spring and autumn fairs, see our art fairs calendar.