Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Fireworks

I usually don't post things outside of Chicago. However, with the change in the fireworks schedule for the summer all 3,000,000 can't all fit at the Navy Pier. So if you're close to some of the suburban locations check out their displays. I heard a lot of them were awesome last year!!



Wilmette – July 3 – Independence Day 2011 festivities, take place Sunday, July 3, in Gillson Park. The annual Fun Run/Walk for Fun—beginning and ending in Gillson Park—will also be held on Sunday, July 3.  Games and rides for children, entertainment, roving performers, and a TasteFest are all part of the festivities beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 3. A traditional concert of patriotic music by the Palatine Concert Band is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Wallace Bowl. It will be preceded by a sneak preview of this summer’s Starlight Theatre musical feature, Carousel, at 7:15 p.m. The Grand Fireworks display lights up the sky at 9:30 p.m.
Palos Heights – July 3rd – 2:30pm parade, 3:30pm festivities and 9:15pm fireworks at Palos Heights – Memorial Park. Petting Zoo, pony wheel, moonwalk, giant slide, adrenaline rush obstacle course, inflatable catapiller, Velcro wall, bungee run, mini golf, Pop’s hot dog eating contest and of course fireworks! Parade is on Harlem Ave., festivities at Memorial Park, 76th St. and College Dr. and fireworks at Lake Katherine, 123rd and 72nd Ct.
Park Ridge - July 3 events held at Maine East High School in Park Ridge. Children’s entertainment starts at 6:30 p.m., a big band will start playing around 8 p.m. and perform until it’s dark enough for the fireworks show to begin around 9:30 p.m., according to the City of Park Ridge.
Skokie - July 4 – The Village of Skokie 2011 Independence Day festivities kick off on Monday, July 4 at noon with a parade on Oakton Street beginning at the Oakton Community College parking lot, heading east from Downtown Skokie to Oakton Park. The parade takes place rain or shine. The celebration continues into the evening with a concert and fireworks display at Niles West High School, 5701 Oakton Street with a “Picnic in the Park,” featuring food, drinks and music. The concert begins at 6 p.m. The Village of Skokie is known for its breathtaking fireworks display and this year is no exception. The spectacular 3-D Fireworks Fest begins at dusk. Skokie’s traditional customized 3-D fireworks glasses will be distributed to the first 10,000 visitors.
Morton Grove – July 4   9:30pm  In Morton Grove, a fireworks show will begin at 9:30 p.m. in Harrer Park, at 6250 Dempster St, Morton Grove, IL 60053 at Fernald Avenue.
Evanston – July 4 – Lakefront Fireworks at 9:15 pm – The 2011 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.   Simply find a place to watch, tune your radio to 90.5 FM, and sit back to enjoy the show.
Itasca – July 4 – The Village of Itasca and Hamilton Lakes present the largest fireworks display outside of Chicago, with internationally known headliners and local music acts!  The family-friendly event is held in an open field surrounded by gently rolling hills in the Hamilton Lakes office campus, 25 miles northwest of Chicago. Attendees enjoy ample parking and plenty of space for blankets. Location: Hamilton Lakes OfficeCampus at: I290 & Thorndale Ave. in Itasca, IL Phone: 630.773.0835 Festival Hours Sunday, July 4: 6:00pm – 10:00pm  Live music begins at 6pm with Vertigo (U2 Tribute band) and continues at 8 with World Class Noise.  The United States Army will be providing a military display and several interactive exhibits. Vendors will be selling food, drinks and adult beverages.   Admission to the event is free.  On-site parking is $20 per car. The fireworks are set to begin between 9:45 and 10pm, and last approximately 25 minutes.
Oak Lawn – July 4th – Fireworks start at Dusk at Richards High School, 10601 S. Central Avenue, Oak Lawn, Illinois. What a way to finish the day! You will love the Grand Finale – FIREWORKS !!! Bring your entire family and friends and witness the spectacular fireworks show provided by Melrose Pyrotechnics, who have been entertaining the residents of Oak Lawn with their fabulous fireworks display for over 20 years. The fireworks are choreographed to a musical soundtrack and the fireworks show is about 20 minutes in length. You don’t want to miss it. General seating will be available in the bleachers at the Richard’s High School football stadium. VIP seating on the field only. If you cannot make it to Richard’s High School, bring a blanket or lawn chair and sit back in the open field at the South Side Baptist School located at 5220 W. 105th Street and enjoy the show.
Mokena – July 4 – Parade, fireworks and live entertainment by the Tailspin Band (Oldies)at 6pm and the Encore Community Band later in the evening at 7:30pm.
North on Wolf Road from LaPorte Road to Revere Rd. 708.479.2468
Tinley Park – July 4 – Free 4th of July celebration featuring live music, children’s games and activities, food tent, beer tent, bingo, and fireworks. Location: McCarthy Park Contact Phone: (708) 342 4200 Website: www.tinleyparkdistrict.org Hours: 4pm 10pm
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Thursday, June 23, 2011

June 23rd-26th

Thursday
Soul on Ice
Funky Buddha Lounge
728 W Grand
9PM-2AM


White Party
China Grill
230 N Michigan
10PM-2AM


Friday
The Icebreaker
Pasha
802 W Randolph
9PM-2AM


Saturday

Day Party 
Lakeshore Athletic Club
211 N Stetson
3PM-7PM


Summerfest
Lincoln Park
11am - 10:00pm
Schedule: http://starevents.com/schedule/summerfest/ 

Chicago Critical Mass
Daley Plaza
50 W Washington
5:30
Last Friday of each month this group meets at Daley Plaza for group bike rides. The routes change. People change! It's sure to be fun! 
Wicker Mic
Wicker Park
1425 N Damen Ave
6-9 pm
Every last Friday of the month
FREE!!
An outdoor open mic features five-minute performances by local comedians, musicians and poets.
Want to step up to the mic? Bring three poems, two songs or five minutes of stand-up material. Sign up begins at 5 p.m


The Big Chill
The W Hotel
132 W Adams
10PM-2AM


Sunday

Summerfest
Lincoln Park
Noon-9PM
Schedule: http://starevents.com/schedule/summerfest/ 



REJUVENATE: 2011 CUSTO-BARCELONA OFFICIAL SPRING / SUMMER FASHION SHOW

5pm to 2amSushi Samba RioToast to Summer with Stylish Fashion, Food, Cocktails, Charity and More: Tickets available:  http://custo-snc.eventbrite.com 


***ticket info for Donovan McNabb weekend***
http://secure.ticketannex.com/WebSales/pages/PackageTypeSelect.aspx?epguid=87a00ad0-1ac0-4ba3-853c-2460547b03db&
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Friday, June 17, 2011

June 18th events

From Puerto Rican Day Parades to fun events for foodies, and for families, here are Saturday’s freebies and must-sees. For more summer fun, visit: www.ExploreChicago.org/summer
Enjoy Free Concerts and Workouts in Millennium Park!
  • The Grant Park Music Festival presents Schoenberg’s Friede auf Erdenand Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, with sopranos Tamara Wilson and Maire O’Brien and tenor Brendan Tuohy. B.Y.O.Picnic! Millennium Park, Pritzker Pavilion, 7:30pm.
  • Quadratic and DJs from the local radio show Abstract Science do free sets during Saturday’s Electric Picnic, part of the park’s daily Lunchbreak Music Series.
  • Break a sweat during Millennium Park’s Summer Workouts, held every Saturday this summer. Start out with Yoga at 8am, work on your beach abs during pilates at 9am, then show off your Zumba moves at 10am, with live music by the Jazz Mata Duo!
Enjoy Fun Events for Foodies!
Celebrate Puertro Rican Day with Two Parades!
  • Celebrate Puerto Rican Pride at the 46th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, which kicks off downtown at Columbus and Balbo Drives at 12noon, and proceeds north on Columbus Dr. to Monroe St. with a procession of floats, folk dancing, reggaeton music, salsa dancing and more.
  • The 33rd annual Puerto Rican People’s Parade kicks off at Division St & Western Ave at 2:30pm. This neighborhood parade takes place in Humboldt Park, where the free Fiestas Puertorriquenas is already under way.
Enjoy Chicago this summer with Family Treks and Activities!
  • Explore the city with fun activities and treks, including family adventures, the daily free admission Family Fun Fest in Millennium Park, neighborhood tours, and much, much more! Plan a Family Adventure today!
  • Make a coil pot and play with clay during Family Field Day at the Field Museum, free with admission, 11am-2pm.
  • Not Free, But Fun: Tour U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, and do a robots activity at the Illinois Institute of Technology on theBridgeport/IIT Family Adventure, July 1 and July 15, $12. Book now!
  • Not Free, But Fun: Visit the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, a hidden gem in Lincoln Park, before a tour of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Thengo fishing in the Lincoln Park Lagoon on the Lincoln Park Family Adventure, July 8 and August 6, $12. Book now! Book now!
Enjoy Free Movie Screenings!
  • Movies in the Parks continues with a free screening of The Karate Kid in Dunham Park. The movies begins at dusk.
  • The Chicago Cultural Center hosts a free screening of a film Two Spirits, originally shown as part of the award-winning PBS series, Independent Lens. 2pm.
  • Check-In at the Movie Mojo: Hand-Painted Posters from Ghana exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center and you’re one step closer to earning our On Location badge for Foursquare, a free game for your mobile phone!
  • Or visit filming locations, choosing from six movie experiences:Transformers 3, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Blues Brothers, The Dark Knight, High Fidelity and Chick Flicks in Chicago.
Take a Free Guided Tour of Chicago Neighborhoods and Attractions!
Head to Taste of Chicago for Delicious Food, Family Fun, and Free Concerts!
  • Taste of Chicago (June 24 – July 3) is coming up soon! Sample a delicious array of food from 59 of Chicago’s neighborhood restaurants. Enjoy free concerts and family entertainment, including multi-Grammy award winning singer Natalie Cole (June 30), 90′s alterna-rockers The Lemonheads (June 28), country legend Loretta Lynn (July 1), alt-country and rock band The Jayhawks (July 2), and YouTube sensation Greyson Chance (July 3). Take a look at the official line-up here!
Not Free, but Fun:
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Superman auditions

It's no secret Superman is filming here this summer. Go Chicago! Do you want to be an extra? There's a movie called Autumn Frost and they're looking for extras. Sources say that it's actually Superman. The studio will neither confirm nor deny this but reelzchannel.com is sure of it!!


If you want to check it out:

Special Casting Call for Plano Residents:
Wednesday, June 22nd
Time: 6PM-8PM (drop in anytime during these hours.)
Plano High School
704 W. Abe Street
Plano, IL 60545-1167
(Follow CASTING CALL signs.)
Open Casting Call:
Saturday, June 18th
Time: 11AM-4PM (drop in anytime during these hours.)
DePaul University Naperville Campus
150 W. Warrenville Rd.
Naperville, IL 60563
(Follow the CASTING CALL signs.)
Saturday, June 25th
Time: 11AM-4PM (drop in anytime during these hours.)
Chicago Academy for the Arts
1010 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
(follow the CASTING CALL signs.)
*Please do not call these venues directly for any information.
For more information, please contact AF Background Cast Dept. at (708) 898-5245 or visit www.afbackground.com
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Keep cool!!

I'm from Texas. I can survive in up to 115 temps and be just fine. So just as a reminder let's go over a few tips to keep cool during the Chicago summers, especially in the wake of the North Ave beach incident!!

Keep yourself cool...
  • Stay in air-conditioned space at home, the library, the mall, movie theater or at a cooling center.
  • Drink lots of water and natural juices. Avoid alcoholic beverages, coffee and colas.
  • Keep shades drawn and blinds closed, but keep windows slightly open.
  • Stay out of the sun and avoid going out in the heat.
  • Keep electric lights off or turned down.
  • Take cool baths or showers.
  • Wear loose, light cotton clothing.
  • Do not eat heavy meals. Avoid cooking with your oven.
  • Avoid or minimize physical exertion.
  • Do not sit in a hot car, even for a short time. Never leave a child in a hot car.
  • Check on family members, friends and neighbors to make sure they stay cool and safe.
  • If you or anyone you know needs emergency medical attention, call 911.
  • It is against the law to open a fire hydrant. An open hydrant hinders the fire department's ability to fight fires, reduces water pressure in your home and may cause basement flooding.


Keep our seniors in mind...
  • During heat emergencies, seniors are urged to contact their local area agencies on Aging or the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 for assistance with locating senior centers, adult day service sites and other buildings that serve as cooling centers.
  • Humidity combined with temperature make up the heat index, which is similar to the wind chill factor in winter. If the temperature is in the 90s with high humidity, it can feel like it is well over 100 degrees.

Remember our non-human friends...
  • Provide water and shelter from the sun at all times.
  • Restrict activity during extreme heat.
  • Never leave pets in parked vehicles. Even moderate heat rapidly increases and can kill the pet quickly.

If you know of someone in need of a cooling center here's a few of the cooling centers operated all around Chicago.

408 North Laramie Avenue
831 West 119th Street
5323 South Western Avenue
500 North Pulaski Road
2753 West North Avenue
2650 West Fulton Street
70 East 21st Street
4105 West Chicago Avenue
610 West Root Street
1642 West 59th Street
11203 S. Ellis Street
8001 South Cottage Grove Avenue
3910 West Ogden
1279 North Milwaukee
915 East 63rd Street

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Free museums- June 2011

I know the Summer is coming and there's only 24 hours in a day BUT here's something else to do! I know you have out of town guests coming at some point. Take them to soak up some of the culture our city has to offer. 

The Adler Planetarium– June 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The Art Institute of Chicago-  June 1 & 8, all day (FREE admission every first and second Wednesday monthly from June 1- Dec 31)

Charnley-Persky House Museum- Free noon tours on June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29

Chicago Children's Museum- Every Thursday, 5 – 8 pm in June and First Sunday of each month for children 15 & under – (June 5)

Chicago History Museum- June 6, 13, 20 & 27

Clarke House Museum– CHICAGO’S OLDEST HOUSE – June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29

Dusable Museum of African American Art– June 5, 12, 19 & 26

Field Museum-June 7, 13

Glessner House Museum– June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29

Loyola University Museum of Art- June 7, 14, 21, & 28

Museum of Contemporary Art- June 7, 14, 21, & 28

Museum of Science and Industry June 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

Museum of Surgical Science- Tuesdays in June

The National Museum of Mexican Art- Free Tuesdays to Sundays

Notebaert Nature Museum June 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30

Shedd Aquarium- June 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

Swedish American Museum– June 14
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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Free museum entry all summer for Military personnel

First launched in the summer of 2010, Blue Star Museums once again are offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011, through Labor Day, September 5, 2011. The Blue Star Museums initiative is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 1,000 museums across America.   Six hundred museums signed up for the kickoff in late May, and throughout the summer, more than 400 more museums – from fine art museums to science centers – have joined the effort, providing greater access to America’s cultural heritage for the 1.4 million active duty members of the military and their families.   

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL
Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago, IL 
Children’s Discovery Museum, Normal, IL
Clarke House Museum, Chicago, IL DuPage 
Children’s Museum, Naperville, IL
The DuSable Museum of African American History
First Division Museum at Cantigny, Wheaton, IL
Gilman Historical Society, Gilman , IL
Glessner House Museum, Chicago, IL
Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL 
Iroquois County Historical Society, Watseka, IL
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago, IL 
Joliet Area Historical Museum, Joliet, IL
Lake County Discovery Museum, Wauconda, IL 
Livingston County War Museum/Dal Estes Education Center, Pontiac , IL
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, Elmhurst, IL
Loyola University Museum of Art, Chicago, IL
McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
McHenry County Historical Society, Union, IL
McLean County Museum of History Bloomington, IL
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian Evanston, IL
The Morton Arboretum Lisle, IL
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Chicago, IL
Naper Settlement Naperville, IL 
National Veterans Art Museum Chicago, IL
Orpheum Children’s Science Museum Champaign, IL 
Robert R. McCormick Museum Wheaton, IL
Rockford Art Museum Rockford, IL 
The Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures Aurora, IL
Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicag
Sycamore History Museum Sycamore, IL
Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University 
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens Rockford , IL
Veterans Memorial Hall, Rockford, IL
Village of Bartlett Museums, Bartlett, IL
West Chicago City Museum, West Chicago, IL 
Wheels O’ Time Museum, Dunlap, IL
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