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.      

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.   

 

Chicago's Dusable Museum of African American History is presenting the 35th Annual Arts and Festival 2009 this weekend.  On Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12 between noon and 8:00pm Artists will be leading workshops, demonstrating crafts, and exhibiting fine arts and crafts that relate to African American themes.  The art fair will feature a juried exhibition of both local and national artists working in traditional, ethnic, and experimental art.  Family freindly entertainment includes; Jamal on Fire & the Red Machine, Violinist Jamilia Clark, and Kjdzjcjans (yes that's the right spelling!).  This year the festival celebrates children.  There will be plenty of  activities for children as well as pets. This celebration of African American art draws thousands of people each year. The museum is located at 740 E.56th place in Chicago.  Admission if free.   

Bring the kids, bring the dog, bring yourselves but please leave your iguana at home.  On Saturday, July 11 and Sunday July 12 the West Town Chamber of Commerce presents West Fest.  West Fest is an annual Chicago neighborhood festival celebrating the eclectic persono of the West Town community.  The focus is on "all things local from the food to the talent".  Beginning at around 12:30pm three stages will feature local artists performing original music and entertainment. The main stage is located on Chicago Ave. and Damon.  There will also be a DJ stage and an Adventure Stage Chicago stage.  For a line up of West Fest entertainment click here.  

You can bring the entire  family to this festival.  The Kidfest at Wolcott and Rice street will feature programming and music for kids on the Adventure Stage Chicago stage.  The kids can also partake in crafts, face painting, pony rides, bounce houses and more.  Don't forget about fido!  Dogs are welcome and you can enjoy Petfest with your pet at Wolcott and Chicago Ave.  where there will be pup scrubs for charity.  This year's Petfest will have information for Chicago pet owners on how to keep their city pet happy, healthy, and safe.  There will be lots of free samples and give aways for pet owners and their pets.

On Sunday, July 12 at 2:00pm there will be a fashion show featuring fashions from Chicago's own Soko Fashion Boutique.  In addition to all of the above fun, over 80 vendors will be offering deals on clothes, food, and cold drinks.  You might want to ride your bike and take advantage of the free bike valet.  A $5.00 donation to the West Town Chamber of Commerce is requested to get into the festival.

     

   

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.           

So you think you can't dance?  Nonsense!  Get ready to kick up your heels and learn a few new moves as the 13th annual Chicago Summer Dance Festival kicks off this Thursday, June 11 in Grant Park with the music of Bandoleros.  For 11 weeks, Grant Park will sponsor free dance lessons followed by two hours of free outdoor dancing to some of the city's best live music.  The lessons and dancing take place in the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:00pm until 9:30 pm and on Sundays between 4pm and 7pm.  Thursdays feature world music, while Fridays and Saturdays include jazz, latin, country, and funk.  On Sunday afternoons all you ballroom dancers can polish your steps to the tunes of big band music.  Chicago Summer Dance runs through August 23, 2009, click here to see the schedule of dance events.  Put on your dancing shoes and join me as we dance our way through the Chicago summer.  No Excuses!      

It's street fest time in Chicago and this weekend is promising to be the perfect weather to be outside.  Take the family to the Do Division Street Fest for some fun activities, good music, tasty food and funky sidewalk shopping.  The Division street fest takes place in Wicker park over a ten block stretch of Division street from Ashland to Leavitt.  Live music will be sponsered by the Empty Bottle on the Empty Bottle Presents stage.  The music line up includes JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound and Hollywood Holt among other bands.  Take the kids to the family fun fest area where you'll find a family stage featuring kids' music and performances, cookie decoratoing, crafts, face painting, pony rides and more.  What better way to get to know this edgy, hip neighborhood?  The fun runs through Saturday, May 30 through Sunday May 31 from noon until 10:00pm and concures with the Around the Coyote 2009 Spring Arts Festival.   

 After the Sunday Bar-B-Q when you're looking for something to do take the family down to Millennium Park.  On Sunday, May 24, at 6:30pm in the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park, the city of Chicago will be presenting Percussion and Jazz alive.  Its an evening concert featuring percussionists She-E-Wu and Bob Becker along with Bandoneon superstar Peter Soave and the award winning Northwestern Universtity Percussion enseble.  Also Joining them will be Jazz great Victor goines and the well known Northwestern University Jazz Band.  All of this is free!