North Shore Views

Thornwood Park Concert – 2011

If you live in or around Wilmette’s Kenilworth Gardens neighborhood, you won’t want to miss the 7th annual Thornwood Park Concert this Sunday, July 10. First conceived of by Harper parents Terri and Tony Lorenz, and sponsored by the Friends of Thornwood Park, the concert is truly a neighborhood event. Bring your lawn chairs and your picnic and relax for a few hours with friends, family and neighbors.

As usual there will be performances by three bands of neighborhood dads who are frustrated rock stars. The opening act is the Junior Concert, with performances by some of our talented neighborhood kids.

In addition to great music, there will be a balloon artist and face painting, as well as a bouncy house, sponsored by yours truly. Last, but definitely not least, we’ll look forward to a visit from the Wilmette Fire Department, who will bathe willing concert goers with a 40 ft. vertical spray of water from the fire hose.

The Junior Concert starts at 3:00 pm and will be followed directly by the dads’ concert. The fun will continue til 8:00 pm.

All are welcome at the concert. We only ask that you make a donation to cover the cost of the event. Any remaining proceeds go to help purchase items for the park, like picnic tables. You can make a donation here.

Related Articles

• Thornwood Park Concert 2010

• Egg Hunt in Thornwood Park

Tags: Kenilworth Gardens, summer concerts, Thornwood Park

Live Across from Thornwood Park

If you like the idea of having a huge yard for your kids to play in that you don’t have to mow, then this may be just the house for you!

This lovely and liveable home at 2345 Thornwood Avenue in Wilmette has a lot to offer both inside and out. It’s got lots of space and an up to date decor. But here’s what I think are its best and most unique features:

1. It’s right on the park so it has a wonderful view and great amenities, including playlot and tennis courts.

2. It’s a block from Harper School, so if you have elementary school age kids, it’s incredibly convenient.

3. Inside, the home has great flow, yet the formal part of the house is separate from the informal areas of the house.

4. The lower level has high ceilings and large windows so the basement doesn’t feel like a basement.

5. The master suite is spacious, private and comfortable and the other family bedrooms are good-sized also.

6. There’s a wonderful roof-top deck that’s perfect for enjoying your morning coffee or an evening cocktail.

7. Two (count ‘em, two!) walk-in pantries to store all your Costco purchases.

8. Tons of storage space  throughout the house.

I could go on and on but why don’t you take the virtual tour and see for yourself. The home has 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms and 4.1 baths and is listed for $1,225,000.

Tags: Thornwood Park, Wilmette homes

Egg Hunt in Thornwood Park

You’re Invited!

Hop on over for some eggs-citement at Thornwood Park on Saturday morning.

Maureen and I are hosting our first annual Thornwood Park Egg Hunt for kids 10 and under. The weather may be a little iffy but we’re hoping for at least an hour of sunshine. Bring your camera to take pictures with the Easter Bunny. And be sure to bring a basket for collecting your eggs. We’ll have prizes for the kids and a drawing for the parents.

Where: Thornwood Park in Wilmette (2400 Thornwood Ave.)

When: The hunt will start at 10:00 am SHARP! But come early to meet the Easter Bunny and guess the number of jelly beans in the jar.

See you there!

Tags: egg hunt, Thornwood Park

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