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

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! 

MORE INFO!

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&

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!

• Shop for organic veggies at the Green City Market, and enjoy a free chef demo by Jeffrey Hedin of Leopold at 10:30am.
• Not free, but fun: Head to Taste of Randolph Street this weekend to sample food from some of Chicago’s top restaurants. For a video preview, click here. For suggestions of other things to do in the area, to round out your day, click here.
• Not free, but fun: Get ready for the Fourth of July with a Red, White and Blue cocktail class at Chen’s, 6:30-8pm. $20 (includes a $20 gift certificate to the restaurant).

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!

• Explore popular neighborhoods and special local interests on a customizedChicago Greeter tour (offered daily), or on an on-the-spot Instagreeter tour.
• Instagreeter tours being offered this Saturday: The Loop, Millennium Park, Old Town, and Hyde Park. Click here for more info.
• Gaze at the world’s largest Tiffany stained-glass dome on a FREE tour of the Chicago Cultural Center, 1:15pm.

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:

• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago presents the Inside / Out Choreographic Workshop, a rare glimpse at the choreographic talents of dancers within the company. Here’s show information, and a list of five things to do in Little Italy and the West Loop on your way to the show.
• The Dance Improvisation Fest, co-presented by Links Hall and The Dance Center of Columbia College, runs from today through June 19, $10-20.
• See Steve Martin, Martin Short, Seth Meyers and others during The TWIX® Presents: TBS Just for Laughs Festival, June 14-19. Check out our related post, “7 Places to Have a Good Laugh in Chicago: Affordable Neighborhood Comedy Venues” for festival information, and great ideas about where to see comedy any time of year.
• The Chicago Symphony Center presents 6 days of concerts inspired by different US cities, from the brass band traditions of New Orleans, to the road songs of Route 66,  June 10-12 & June 16-18, $25-70.
• OPENING: The Museum of Contemporary Art presents rarely seen work by Joseph Cornell, June 18 – October 16.

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