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Archive for the 'Community Events' Category

5th Annual Hounds for Hadley

My kids, our three dogs and I look forward to this event every year. Where else can you raise money for a good cause just by walking the dogs? With that many dogs in one place it’s an orgy of barking, wagging and sniffing. You can almost see the smiles on the faces of the dogs (except the ones who are dressed up…they’re looking a little embarrassed).

Hounds for Hadley is a fundraiser for the Hadley School for the Blind in Winnetka. Hadley provides distance education for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

What: A two mile walk through Winnetka with your dog(s) plus refreshments and a contest for best-dressed dogs and owners

When: Saturday, October 23 at 9:00 am (check in begins at 7:30)

Where: The Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL

How it Works: Register for the event ($30 pre-registration, $40 day-of-event registration) and collect pledges from friends and family to donate to the walk. (Registered walkers will receive a packet with t-shirt, dog bandana, goody bag and raffle ticket).

Come dressed in your Halloween costume and with your dog in his costume (if he’ll allow it…mine absolutely refuse). You could win the “best-dressed” contest.

Oh, and by the way, you don’t need to have a dog to walk in this event. Everyone is welcome.

Fire Station Open House

Hey kids- grab your parents and come on down to Fire Station # 26 at 1304 Lake Avenue tomorrow.

The Wilmette Fire Department and Sparky the Fire Dog would like to invite you to this year’s Fire Open House on October 9th from 9 am to noon.

Fire trucks, ambulances, firefighting gear, paramedic equipment, water rescue gear, and special rescue tools will all be on display. There will also be hands on activities for children, including the always popular Teddy Bear Check-up.

Did you know that the Wilmette Fire Department is one of only 113 accredited fire departments in the world? The accreditation process independently evaluates the department’s compliance on over 230 individual performance indicators. Wilmette was first accredited in 2001, becoming the 21st agency in the world to earn such recognition, and re-accredited in 2006. The organization is driven to provide a cost effective and efficient fire department while honoring our values, accomplishing our mission and achieving our goals.

So come on out and see for yourself why we are so proud of our fire department!

And remember:  Fire Prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

Tags: fire department

Contagion in Wilmette

Wilmette is in for a bad case of celebrity-itis.

Even those of us who spurn Us Weekly and its ilk, will not be immune to the fever when the cast and crew from a new movie descend upon the town in a couple of months.

The movie is called “Contagion” and it is an action-thriller about the worldwide outbreak of a deadly disease, and the international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the epidemic. Apparently it won’t be a sensationalist sci-fi movie, but rather an examination of how different groups (media, politicians, medical community and the general public) deal with the threat of a worldwide pandemic.

Director Steven Soderbergh must have liked the North Shore when he was here last time (shooting Ocean’s Twelve in Winnetka and Lake Forest), but this time he’s going to show Wilmette some love. He has several locations already scouted, including Central School, Gillson Park, a private home on Greenleaf and the Wm H. Scott Funeral Home. (Guess that’s where they’ll take all the bodies of people killed off by the virus). Filming in Wilmette is set to take place between November 23 and December 9.

It’s got quite the star-studded cast:

Gwyneth Paltrow as Beth Emhoff, a business woman who returns from Asia and comes down with a mysterious ailment.

Matt Damon as her husband, who is forced to care for her as her condition worsens.

Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Ellis Cheever, head of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control)

Kate Winslet as Erin Mears, a doctor for the CDC.

Jude Law as a blogger with an unfortunate interest in conspiracy theories.

Parts of the movie will also be shot out in Elgin at the old Sherman Hospital, as well as outside a Yorkville High School.

The movie is set for release in October 2011.

Tags: Contagion

The Big Top Comes to Wilmette

There is something about a tent circus that makes me nostalgic. Not that I ever went to a tent circus when I was a kid. By that time Barnum and Bailey was a three-ring extravaganza you had to drive all the way downtown to the Civic Center to see. It didn’t arrive on a train in the dead of night (at least I don’t think it did). There was no tent. And you had to drive 40 minutes and pay to park in some big underground parking garage. Not exactly small town Americana.

But I did see movies about how circuses used to be in the good old days. My favorite was a Disney one called Toby Tyler about a kid who runs away from home to join the circus. He starts out with a job peddling concessions and then (somehow) manages to work his way up to being a bareback rider (within about a week of joining the circus!). I willingly suspended my disbelief and imagined myself as Toby doing acrobatics on the back of a horse to the cheers of the crowd.

So, I’m looking forward to indulging my childhood fantasies once again when the circus comes to Wilmette. The Kelly Miller Circus is a traditional tent circus with elephants, horses, a dog act, clowns, trapeze artists and jugglers as well as a midway. The proceeds from the circus will go to support the District 39 Education Foundation, which provides funding for enrichment activities and programs for the District’s six schools. (Full disclosure: I am on the board of the Foundation).

Not to be missed is the elephant-powered raising of the big top at 9:00 am on the morning of the circus. This is sure to be a kid-pleaser and there is no charge to attend.

Two performances will be held on Saturday, September 25 at 2:00 and 5:30 pm.  Tickets are $25. They can be purchased at Lad & Lassie, Fuel, The Noodle, or Depot Nuevo in downtown Wilmette, at Nail Art on Ridge Rd. or at the Mikaelian Center on Locust Rd. They can also be ordered online at www.D39Foundation.org.

For those who are not into the circus (or are afraid of clowns), you can still support the District 39 Education Foundation by buying raffle tickets. They are $10 apiece or $25 for three tickets. First prize is $1000 cash, second prize is $500 and third prize is $250. Raffle tickets are available at the same outlets where circus tickets are sold (or you can buy them online).

Tags: District 39 Education Foundation, Kelly Miller Circus

End of August Festivals

Summer may be winding down but there are still plenty of fairs and festivals going on around the North Shore. Here’s what’s going on through the end of August:

Wilmette

Summerfest at Beth Hillel Congregation on Saturday, August 22 from 11 am to 4 pm. Live music, food, children’s activities, Israeli dancing and appearances by alumni Blackhawks players. Free admission.
3220 Big Tree Lane, Wilmette. Call 847-256-1213 for more information.

Evanston

American Craft Exposition. 150 juried craftspeople will exhibit baskets, ceramics, furniture, glass, jewlry and mixed media crafts. Friday, August 27 from 10 am to 8 pm Saturday and Sunday, August 28-29 from 11 am to 5 pm.  Tickets: $12 in advance; $15 at the door (good all 3 days). Proceeds benefit breast and ovarian cancer research.
Northwestern University’s Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, 2311 Campus Drive.

Skokie

Backlot Bash. A summer tradition featuring live music on the main stage at Oakton Avenue, amusement park/carnival, classic auto show, sidewalk sale and teen activities. Friday, August 27 from 6 to 10 pm, Saturday, August 28 from 11 am to 10 pm and Sunday, August 29 from noon to 8 pm. Lincoln at Oakton in downtown Skokie. You can see the schedule of events here.

Highland Park

Port Clinton Art Festival featuring works by 260  juried artists, live music, children’s activities and Taste of Highland Park. August 28-29 from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission free. Port Clinton Square, 600 Central Ave.

Tags: fairs and festivals

Kids’ Dog Show in Northfield

OK,  these dogs may not be ready for the American Kennel Club Dog Show, but they do have their talents, and kids will have an opportunity to show them off at Northfield’s annual Kids’ Dog Show on Saturday, July 24 at 10:00 am.

The show will be held at Clarkson Park on Willow Rd. All dogs will be entered into either the smallest or largest dog category. In addition, contestants can choose two more categories to enter:

• Best costume
• Fanciest trick
• Best looking
• Best behaved
• Floppiest ears

I’m not sure which category any of my dogs would even have a chance to win, but I know they’d refuse to enter the “best dressed” competition. Way too embarrassing for a self-respecting lab!

If you’d like to enter, call 847-446-4428 to register.

Tags: kids' dog show, pets

Summer Sidewalk Sales on the North Shore

Every year it seems like the sidewalk sales along the North Shore get better and better. Now it’s not just about shopping…the sales have turned into veritable street festivals, with food, music, games and other activities for kids. Here’s the line-up for the rest of July:

Wilmette

Friday and Saturday, July 9 and 10
9 am – 4 pm
Shopping, food and family fun, including DJ entertainment, magician, face painting, moonwalk and petting zoo on Saturday.
Call 847-251-3800 or visit www.wilmettechamber.org

Evanston – Central Street

Thursday to Saturday, July 15 to 17
10 am – 5 pm
Bargains from businesses located between the 1900 and 2100 blocks of Central Street. Central Street, located in North Evanston, is chock full of mom and pop run businesses and retains a local and distinctive charm which sets it apart from many shopping districts. There are women’s boutiques, flower shops, bakeries (including one for dogs), restaurants, a renowned spice shop, realtors, and much much more!
For more information visit www.centralstreet-evanston.com.

Winnetka

Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17
9 am to 5 pm
This year’s theme is “Jazzing Up July”. In addition to shopping, listen to New Orleans jazz while the kids enjoy games, activities and face painting.

Phil Passen and Petra van Nuis will be performing live music during the two-day event. Passen, musician and singer, will perform a variety of traditional American music. Playing the hammered dulcimer, Passen says his music will “capture the essence of old-time music. The beautiful sound and versatility of the dulcimer shine in this captivating performance.” Consistent with the theme of the weekend, Chicago based jazz vocalist Petra van Nuis will perform several songs from her extensive repertoire on Saturday.

And some star power will be added to this year’s sale. Winnetka also will welcome Kathryn Stockett, the author of the best-selling novel The Help to the sale. The novel, set in 1960s Jackson, Miss., deals with the issue of segregation in the South a century after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Call (847) 446-4451 or visit www.winnekachamber.com.

Evanston – Downtown

Saturday, July 24
10 am to 5 pm

Close to 200 Evanston merchants in both downtown Evanston and the Chicago/Dempster district will offer deals on summer inventory, featuring the ideal mix of independent shops and your favorite national chain stores. Expect to find deals on apparel, shoes, one-of-a-kind accessories and decorative arts, including the best in specialty designed, hand-crafted goods. Resale shoppers and antique & vintage hunters will find a variety of shops to explore.

To get to the sale on public transit, take the CTA Purple Line “el” to the Davis, Dempster, or Main stop; or take Metra to the Davis or Main stop.
Call 847.866.6319 or visit http://www.downtownevanston.org

Highland Park

Thursday to Sunday, July 22 to 25
This is your opportunity to get clothing, shoes, jewelry, home décor, and other great stuff at 50 to 75 percent off regular prices. Great back-to-school bargains, too. Of course, early shoppers always find the best one-of-a-kind deals.

And this year, look for a balloonist, magician, face painters, and musicians to entertain the kids while you look for great buys.
To get there, just take the Edens Expressway – exit at Central Avenue East – travel about one mile – and you’re there.
Call 847-432-0284 or visit www.ehighlandpark.com

Tags: sidewalk sales

Thornwood Park Concert

There are so many things to love about summer on the North Shore, but for me one of the highlights has to be the Thornwood Park Concert, right here in Kenilworth Gardens.

In its sixth year, the annual concert is the brainchild of Terri and Tony Lorenz, who organized the first concert back in 2005 and have continued to be the driving force behind it. They had moved from the city and bought a house across the street from the park. And they thought, “Wow, wouldn’t this be the perfect venue for a fun neighborhood event.” And the Thornwood Park Concert was born.

The performers? Local dads (and one mom) who play in rock bands (for fun). It was a big hit that first year and has increased in popularity ever since. The concert is held on a Sunday afternoon and families wander over after nap time with strollers, wagons, bikes, picnics and coolers to enjoy the music and visit with friends.

This year’s concert features five bands. The first four are made up of Harper parents (and one Romona parent).

• Name It
• East of Edens
• Lucky Jackson Band
• Jimbo Jones
• Legs Akimbo

A new addition this year is the junior concert featuring local artists under 18, who will kick-off the event at 2:00 pm. There will also be other fun things for kids to do while parents enjoy the music: face painting, balloon animals and a bouncy house.

Last but not least, we’ll have a visit from the Wilmette Police in their squad cars and the Fire Department. For the kids, the highlight of the day is when the firetruck shoots a stream of water high in the air for the kids to run under and cool off.

This is truly a neighborhood event, and the $5000 cost of producing it is entirely funded by passing the hat among the folks who come to enjoy it, plus a couple of local sponsors.  (Most of the hat-passing is done online at the concert web site). Any money that’s left over after the concert expenses are paid goes to fund things for the playground or for maintenance of the beautiful  Prairie Garden along Kenilworth Avenue.

This year’s  concert will be held on Sunday, July 11 from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Thornwood Park is in the Kenilworth Gardens neighborhood in Wilmette. It is bounded by Kenilworth Avenue, Dartmouth Street and Thornwood Avenue, catty-corner to Harper School.

You can get more info about the concert at www.thornwoodparkconcerts.com. If you would like to come and enjoy great music and a fun afternoon, please consider making a donation to help offset the concert’s cost. You can do this right on the web site.

Tags: Thornwood Park

Independence Day on the North Shore

This year the weather promises to be absolutely perfect for 4th of July celebrations – sunny, clear and warm (not hot) from now through Sunday. There are lots of fun things going on all up and down the North Shore, and if you’ve got the energy, you can spread your celebration out over three days. As always, Wilmette holds its celebration on July 3rd, while Glenview waits til the 5th. (Thunderstorms are currently in the forecast for Monday, so if you live in Glenview you may want to join the festivities in another town on the 4th, just to be on the safe side.). Also, note that, in Winnetka, the parade begins at 1:00 pm and not 10:00 am, as in previous years.

Evanston

July 4
7:30 pm – Twilight Concert featuring the Palatine Concert Band
9:00 pm – The musical fireworks extravaganza will be launched from Clark Street Beach and can be viewed from any part of the lakefront area east of Downtown Evanston.

Wilmette

July 3
4:00 pm -  Games and rides for children, entertainment, roving performers, and a Tastefest at Gillson Park.
7:30 pm – A traditional concert of patriotic music by the Palatine Concert Band in the Wallace Bowl. It will be preceded by a sneak preview of this summer’s Starlight Theatre musical feature.
9:30 p.m – Fireworks begin. In case of rain, the fireworks will be rescheduled to a later date.

The easiest way to get to and from the Independence Day celebrations in Gillson Park is by using the special Pace shuttle bus service. Motorists may park at Edens Plaza or at the METRA commuter lot. To see a complete listing of events or for additional transportation information see the Wilmette Park District’s website.

Winnetka

July 4
1:00 pm – The celebration begins with Winnetka’s annual parade. (Note the change in time from past years). The parade sets off from the corner of Elm and Glendale Streets, and heads east to the Village Green.
2:00 pm – -A flag-raising ceremony, children’s flag parade, and family races follow the parade on the Green.
6:30 pm -  “Fourth Fest,” featuring food, children’s entertainment, and a pre-fireworks concert at Duke Child’s Field
9:15 pm – Fireworks begin

Northfield

July 4
9:45 am -  Bike parade kicks off from two locations — Somerset and Old Willow or the Ameritech Lot. Both routes end at Willow Park.
10:30 am -  Bike judging, music and amusement rides begin. Family activities include relays, wheelbarrow races, a hula-hoop contest and an egg toss. For more information, go to northfieldparkdistrict.org or call 847-446-4428.

Glencoe

July 4
8:00 am – Fun Run starts at the train station, 724 Green Bay Road
10:00 am – Games in Kalk Park, Park Aveune and Green Bay Road
2:00 pm – Parade
6:30 pm -  Barbecue on the beach with children’s entertainment and music
9:00 pm – Fireworks on the beach
847-835-3050

Glenview

July 5

11:00 am -  Bike Parade starting at the corner of Glenview rd. and Church St.
11:30 am -  Main parade starting from OLPH parking lot and ending at Johns Park.
7:30 pm – Twilight Show with patriotic concert by the North Shore Concert Band. The show’s finale will be fireworks synchronized to patriotic music.
847-724-5670

Highland Park

July 4
11:00 am – Parade in downtown Highland Park
12:00 pm – Fourth Fest at Sunset Woods Park
9:15 pm – Fireworks at Wolters Field on Park Avenue West
847-432-0800

Lake Forest

July 4
6:00 pm – Beer garden with kids activities and live music by Sixteen Candles at Deerpath Community Park
8:00 pm – KC and the Sunshine Band
9:30 pm -  Fireworks sponsored by the Lake Forest Symphony

Tags: 4th of july, Independence Day

Winnetka Children’s Fair

Every June children from Winnetka and surrounding communities celebrate the end of school with a day at the Winnetka Children’s Fair. For two glorious days, the Village Green is transformed into a magic kingdom of sorts, with rides, games and other activities for preschoolers to preteens. The fair is held the Friday and Saturday after school lets out, this year on June 11-12. A 60 year tradition, the fair is actually a fundraiser for the Winnetka Community Nursery School. It’s run by the school’s forty-strong Board of Directors with the help of hundreds of volunteers from the community. If you live in Winnetka, have friends in Winnetka or your child attends (or has ever attended) Winnetka Community Nursery, you will be tapped for a shift as a volunteer.

I got my first taste of volunteering at the fair the spring after we moved back to the area. We had enrolled our daughter in the Nursery School and my husband was the first-ever male member of the Board. He was tapped to run the hot dog stand, along with another Board member. The first order of business was finding thirty volunteers to take two hour shifts for each of the two days of the fair. Since we had just moved here after being gone for seven years, we didn’t know a ton of people in the area and it seemed that all of the ones we did know had already been asked by someone else to work at their game or booth or ride. He managed to scrounge up most of the volunteers he needed, though I found myself working all eight hours, both days.

I will say that, of all the jobs at the fair, working the hot dog stand is the best. It’s always busy and you get to see everyone you know. You move around a lot and the tasks are varied, so you don’t get bored. And there is a constant supply of food and drink available should you get hungry or thirsty. (I always felt sorry for the people stuck in a booth by themselves baking in the hot sun without anything to eat or drink). And the best part was that the stand was right across the street from the house of our good friends, and they graciously made their bathroom available to us so we didn’t need to use the porta-potties at the fair.

The fair will be held this year on June 11 and 12 from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Winnetka’s Village Green (between Elm and Oak Streets, east of Green Bay Rd.). It’s a great way to kick-off the summer, so if you have children between the ages of 3 and 12, don’t miss it.

Tags: Winnetka Children's Fair