FULL MOON JAM 2026 SUMMER SCHEDULE
We are thrilled to announce our entire line-up for the 2026 Summer Season Schedule! This will be our 22nd Anniversary, and we have so many exciting things planned this year!
HOW THE JAMS HAPPEN
We first want to take a moment to remind folks that the Full Moon Jams are a 100% volunteer-run non-profit organization, and coordinating the Jams takes a lot of work. It takes us hundreds of hours every year to pull permits, contact aldermen for approval, plan logistics, create site plans, order supplies, hire security, design flyers, draft newsletters & social media posts, update our website, purchase insurance, coordinate trainings, sign contracts, schedule volunteer meetings, organize inventory, order supplies, service fire extinguishers, apply for grants, compile budgets, and much, much more. The Jams are also not cheap, and hosting each Jam costs, on average, thousands of dollars.
All of this work is done behind the scenes by dedicated volunteers, so that the Jams can be enjoyed for free by thousands of attendees each year. We ask that everyone keep this in mind as our schedule and locations adjust, and extend patience and understanding as we work diligently to keep this incredible tradition alive and grow our programming.
As always, we want to thank our organizers and volunteers for all of their incredible support in this unique and magical endeavor. It is because of their love of community that we are able to continue to gather each year.
We have many events happening around the city this year, so for easy reference, we have created a map of all the events taking place over the summer.
NIGHT OUT IN THE PARKS FOSTER BEACH JAMS
Photo By: Cedric Salisbury
First up in our season is the return to our home fields of Foster Beach (near Margate Park). This year, we will be hosting three events at Foster Beach scheduled on June 1st, June 29th & July 26th from 6pm - 10pm! We are grateful to once again be sponsored by the Chicago Park District and part of their Night Out In The Parks programming. The closest address to the Foster Beach Jam location is 5100 N Simmonds Drive, Chicago IL 60640.
We want to remind everyone of the Full Moon Jam policies that we have in place in order to maintain the safety and comfort of all our attendees and to help ensure that our events can continue to happen for years to come. We want to thank everyone in advance for helping us to share these policies with others.
Full Moon Jam & Chicago Park District Policies:
• Family-Friendly
• Leave No Trace (help us clean up)
• Be Respectful and Inclusive
• No alcohol or illegal substances
• No flash photography
• No open flames, tiki torches, floating lanterns, or fireworks
• No weapons
• No lasers
• No drones
• No glass
• No bright lights (must face away from the fire circle and the crowd)
• No amplified sound over 90 decibels or sounds that are discordant with the drum circle
• Protect The Community
• Protect The Jams
If you see anyone not adhering to these policies or creating a disturbance, please find an event organizer (by the south end of the Jam) and let us know so we can help out.
EVANSTON DARK SIDE OF THE MOON JAM
Photo By: Larry Smith
Thanks to the generous support of Climate Action Evanston and the City of Evanston, the Chicago Full Moon Jam is thrilled to announce that we will return to host a Jam at the Arrington Lagoon in Dawes Park, Evanston, IL, on Saturday, June 13th between 6:00pm - 9:30pm!
Fire performances will take place on the lagoon terrace, and folks are encouraged to sit around the lagoon to enjoy the show. As always, there will be no alcohol, illegal substances, open flames, fireworks, flash photography, lasers, or drones permitted per Park District laws.
The Arrington Lagoon is located near the Evanston lakefront, about 5 blocks east of both the Davis Purple Line stop and the Metra UP-N Evanston Davis St. station. A small amount of paid street parking is located near the lagoon. There is a public parking garage about two blocks away at the Church Street Self Park with entrances from Church St. or Clark St. east of Chicago Avenue.
Drummers and Dancers - we request that you gather in the grassy area Northeast of the Lagoon!
Fire Performers - Any fire performers who have already taken FMJ Fire Safety Training since 2024 are welcome to participate (no sign-up necessary). There will be NO fire safety training prior to this event.
As always, this will be a free-to-attend, family-friendly, leave-no-trace, and sober event. We thank everyone in advance for aiding us in cleaning up the parks after the Jam and for helping us leave the world better than when we arrived. We appreciate your support as we continue to improve the accessibility of our event to more communities and to better share our love of Dancing, Drumming, Fire, and the Moon with all!
Climate Action Evanston (CGE) is a 501 (c)(3) organization working to make Evanston a more environmentally just, sustainable, and resilient community. CGE’s programs focus on critical areas that will help the City achieve its climate goals: renewable energy, transportation, natural habitat, food, environmental justice, water, climate change, and waste. For more information, visit www.climateactionevanston.org
WINNEMAC FOURTH FOR ALL
Photo By: Larry Smith
We are excited to announce that we will once again be hosting a Jam on the Fourth of July in Winnemac Park! This event is sponsored by the Winnemac Park Advisory Council, and it is our hope to bring a sense of peace and calm to an otherwise chaotic day of celebration.
We must ask that NO ONE BRING FIREWORKS to this event, and encourage our community to discourage the use of them during our performances, as these can be a hazard to the performers and audience, and pose a risk to our ability to pull permits in the future. If you see anyone attempting to light fireworks in the vicinity of our event, we ask that you find an event organizer and notify them immediately.
There will be food trucks and daytime activities throughout the day, so be sure to come out early and enjoy a stroll through the park!
RESERVE JAM FIRE SAFETY TRAINING SIGN-UP
Photo By: Stone Watters
Just a reminder: anyone interested in performing at the Jams must complete Fire Safety Training and sign up in advance by filling out the form below.
IMPORTANT: If you HAVE NEVER performed at the Jams before, or if you plan to perform with large/unique props, fire breath, or volunteer, you must first attend a fire safety training at one of the "Reserve Jams" on May 31st, June 28th, July 26th, August 23rd, or September 27th from 6pm - 10pm.
Our Level 2 Training also provides valuable information on permitting, insurance, and guidance on organizing your own jams and performing professionally.
If you HAVE performed at a Jam before, but have not taken the training since 2023, you can sign up to attend a Refresher Course held at 6pm at any Full Moon Jam held at Foster Beach to renew your status on our Approved Performer List through the end of 2028. Email us at info@fullmoonjam.org if you don't remember when you last took the training.
Please follow the link below for more information, and feel free to share this link with anyone you know who may be interested in performing with fire! Our community relies on everyone using best safety practices to grow and thrive, and we would love to share our knowledge and experience with everyone!
GUARDIAN TRAINING
We will also be hosting Guardian Trainings at each Reserve Jam at 8pm (after the Level 1 Safety Training).
Guardians are extremely important to the Jams as they are the eyes, ears, and helping hands of the organizers. Guardian training covers how the Full Moon Jams are organized, various bystander intervention techniques, how to use a radio, and much, much more. It's a great way to provide meaningful support to the Jams and a fantastic way to make new friends!
If you or anyone you know is interested in learning how to help out more at the Full Moon Jams, please sign up! We are always looking for more folks to take this training, not just in hopes of finding more volunteers for the jams, but so that more people are empowered to help others and be a voice of calm reason wherever they go.
All Jam volunteers also get Full Moon Jam stickers!
RESERVE JAM FIRE SAFETY + GUARDIAN TRAINING SIGN-UP FORM:
APRIL 2026 WORKSHOP
The warm weather drew 74 attendees to the April workshop held in Humboldt Park Field House! Thank you to all the instructors and volunteers for contributing to a wonderful day filled with learning, connection, and growth. We hope to see everyone show off their new moves in the fire circle this summer!
Photos By: Stone Watters
CRESCENT MOON FUNDRAISER
Photo By: Stone Watters
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Crescent Moon Fundraiser last weekend! Together we raised over $4,000 to support our educational programs thanks to the skills, passion, and hard work of dozens of volunteers, performers, and artists. This enormous success is a testament to the immense generosity of this community and what we can accomplish by coming together and celebrating our love of flow arts.
Photo By: Stone Watters
