I love Halloween and Halloween is coming early early to the Lincoln Park Zoo's Spooky Zoo Spectacular on Saturday, October 24 at 11:00am.  The Auxiliary Board of the Lincoln Park Zoo invites children to celebrate Halloween at a free, family-friendly event at the Lincoln Park Zoo.  Come dressed in your favorite costume and make crafts, visit the Education Zone, and trick-or-treat with the animals.  There will be entertainment throughout the zoo.   Dont miss out on this free, spooktacular opportunity to celebrate Halloween with the Lincoln Park Zoo.     

Come down to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum as it celebrates its 10th anniverary with 10 free days filled with special programming.  From October 23 - November 1 admission to the Nature Museum is free!  Take the Family to see Videos shot by the National Geographic Crittercam in The World Through Animal Eyes exhibit.  Get up close to exotic butterflies as they sit on your shoulder or perch on your arms in the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven.  Engage in a bit of waterplay while exploring the dynamics of rivers in the Riverworks display.  These are just a few examples of the variety of learning experiences you can enjoy with your family for free during the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's 10th Anniversary celebration.  The Museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm and Saturday and Sunday 10:00am to 5:00pm.  It's located at  2430 N. Cannon Drive in Chicago, near Lincoln Park.

Has it been to long since you've seen a show?.  Chicago has one of the most vibrant theater communities in the nation and now you can experience it for free.  The Theatre Communications Group is celebrating the 5th anniversary of a Free Night of Theater program by offering free tickets to over 700 plays coast to coast.  Starting October 1 2009, you can experience what our local theaters have to offer free of cost.  To see what is available in the Chicago area click here.  Stop using lack of funds as an excuse not to go out to a show.  Get your tickets now to a Free Night of Theater.  Hurry, tickets go fast!    

Has it been too long since you've seen a show?  Chicago has one of the most vibrant theater communities in the nation and now you can experience it for free.  The Theatre Communications Group is celebrating the 5th anniversary of a Free Night of Theater program by offering free tickets to over 700 plays coast to coast.  Starting October 1 2009, you can experience what our local theaters have to offer free of cost.  To see what is available in the Chicago area click here.  Stop using lack of funds as an excuse not to go out to a show.  Get your tickets now to a Free Night of Theater.  Hurry, tickets go fast!    

Celebrate art of all forms at the 24th annual Bucktown Arts Fest.  This weekend, on August 29th and 30th from 11:00am-7:00pm, artists from all over the city invite you to join them for a glorious celebration of art.  Participants will include painters, photographers, crafts people, dancers, musicians, poets, actors and more.  Film buffs can enjoy a film program curated by the Chicago Short Film Brigade.  Don't forget to bring the kids!  Children's activities include baloon artists, painting tles, and using found objects to create mobiles.  The fun takes place at Holstein Park located at 2200 N. Oakley in Bucktown.  It's a good opportunity to meet the artists, explore the neighborhood, and experience a wide variety of art.  For a schedule of performances click here.      

Hot, sticky and sweaty pretty much describes a typical August day in Chicago.   The airconditioner is broken, the kids are bored, the backyard is steamy, where can you get relief?  Pack your swimsuites and head over to the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park.  It's the coolest spot in Millennium Park.  Here you'll see kids of all ages keeping cool in the mists and sprays of the delightful Crown Fountain.  Giant faces smile down and occasionally spit fountains of water on people taking advantage of free, cool, refreshing entertainment.  This is one place where people are not only allowed, but encouraged to play in a public fountain.   If you don't feel like getting wet, it's a great place to people watch as mothers chase toddlers, kids play, and people of all ages keep cool on a hot summer's day.   If you want to be cool, head to Crown Fountain!   

It's the end of July and that means it's time for a party at  Chicago's 52nd annual Venetian Night.  This year's theme is "Hollywood on the Lake" and is expected to draw over half a million people to Chicago's lakefront. 

One of the highlights of this festival is the spectacle of over 35 boats decked out in their finest decorations and lights sailing in a parade along the lakefront between the Shedd Aquarium at Roosevelt Dr. and the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe Street followed by a fireworks display over the lakefront.  Festivities begin at the Red Bull High Rise in Butler Field in Grant Park at 6:00pm.  The Chicago Fire Department's Air/Sea Rescue Reinactment will start at 8:00 pm followed by the boat parade at 8:15.  Immediately following the parade, there will be a mega fireworks display over the lakefront choreographed to music. 

If you really want to celebrate in style with a free concert, head over to the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park.  From 6:30pm until 8:30pm  the Grant Park Music Festival will be presenting a program of Italian arias featuring Nicole Cabell and Russell Thomas.  You can watch the fireworks from your seats at the end of the show.  This should be a fantastic night for all and it's free.

Grab a picnic and head down to the lakefront early, on public transporation, as it will be jamming and the parking will be scarce.   

 

July Fourth is a day to spend outside, with your family doing something fun.  Some people spend the day at the pool, others go to parades and many top the day off with a Barb-B-Que.  For something a little different, you might want to consider heading to Millenium Park.  Here you'll find plenty of free fun for the whole family all day long.

Get a healthy start to the day with a morning workout on the Great Lawn.  From 7:00am until 11:00 am a variety of work outs from yoga to arobics to workouts will be offered free to the public.

At 10:00am take the kids and head over to the Chase Prominade North. The  Millenium Park Family Fun Festival  will just be starting for the day.  Take part in musical games and interactive activities fun for kids of all ages.   

When everyone starts to get hungry, it's time to head to the Fourth of July Celebration Picnic on the Great Lawn of Millenium Park.  This isn't just an ordinairy picnic, it's a picnic inspired by the cartoons of John T McCutcheon.  From 11:00am until 1:00pm the Northside Southpaws, a mandolin and guitar duo will be entertaining picnicking people with ragtime, country, and turn of the century inspired waltzes.  You can bring your own picnic lunch or purchase a boxed lunch for $6.95.  The fun doesn't end after lunch!

At 1:30pm the Grant Park Music Festival will make history and present the first Independence Day Concert in Millenium Park's J Pritzker Pavillion.  The free concert will feature the Grant Park Orchestra performing traditional and patriotic favorites.  Chicago tapdance master Lou Alexander will be on hand as a special guest.   

     

After the days festivities, you'll still have time to head home and light the Bar-B-Q and watch the fireworks from your back yard.  What a day!

 Would you like to experience another culture, eat exotic food and shop in a souk?  You don't have to travel far and you don't need to break the bank.  Just head down to Daley Plaza at 50 W. Washington Street where you'll find the third annual Chicago Arabesque in full swing.  From Wednsday, June 24 until Saturday, June 27 Daley Plaze will be transformed into a mecca of Arabic culture.  Watch fashion shows of Arabic style, listen to both traditional and modern middle eastern musicians, sample a variety of Arabic cuisine,  and enjoy all kinds of entertainment and artesian demonstrations.  Bring the kids along as well because  activity booths will feature story tellers, a magic show, face painters, henna tatoos, and more.   Imerse yourself in Arabic culture as you peruse the booths in the souk, otherwise known as a bazaar where jewelry, artwork and crafts will be for sale.  The hours are 10:00am till 3:00pm on Wednsday through Friday and 11:00am-7:00pm on Saturday. For a program schedule click here.   This festival is presented by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations Advisory Council on Arab Affairs.

 

My tastebuds are dancing with visions of melt in your mouth ribs, fresh off the barbecue.  I can't wait for the Chicago Ribfest this weekend on the corner of Lincoln Ave., Damen and Irving Park.  The combination of ribs, music, dancing, and family activities adds up to one heck of a party.  What started out as a neighborhood block party is now a fun festival where over 50,000 people are expected to attend and consume over 65,000 pounds of ribs.  Whew that's alot of ribs!  Along with the ribs, there will be two music stages set up so you can shimmy those ribs off your hips.  The music schedule includes around 25 bands playing from 5:00pm-10:00pm on Friday, and 12:00pm - 10:00pm Saturday and Sunday.  The kids are invited to the party as well.  Check out the Kids Square featuring sing alongs, dancers, music, crafts, and more on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  I'm drooling with anticipation for one of the best parties around.