Saturday and Sunday, August 6 - 7
Dawes Park (Sheridan Road at Church Street)
More than 100 artists from across the country will show off their creativity during the 33rd annual Lakeshore Arts Festival. The festival is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day in Evanston's Dawes Park, and a free shuttle bus will be running from the Northwestern University Parking garage, just three short blocks north of the festival. The festival showcases live jazz and classical music, a silent art auction, and the popular Family Activity Area, including the Children's Craft Tent and ongoing family entertainment. Hands-on demonstrations in painting, ceramics, and sculpture are presented each day at the Artist Demonstration Tent. The festival also hosts a dozen restaurateurs serving a variety of culinary delights. For more information, click here or call 847-448-8058.
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www.visitchicagonorthshore.com
After researching the needs of its partners, meeting planners, event coordinators, group tour operators and leisure travelers, the CNSCVB is proud to launch its new website. The CNSCVB's website features a variety of user-friendly options including interactive sections dedicated to meeting planners and tour group operators, an events calendar searchable by date, interest or location, maps of the region and our communities that are both viewable and downloadable, and the ability to book a hotel room from almost every page on the website. Visitors can also order our publications online and sign up for our e-newsletter.
"We are very excited about the launch of our new website," says Gina Speckman, CNSCVB's executive director. "A great deal of research went into the building of the site to make it as easy to navigate as possible. We are confident that business and leisure travelers, as well as event and meeting planners will appreciate the new utilities our site offers," she says. "We encourage our partners to visit our website and check it out for themselves."
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"Endangered Plants of Japan"
Opening Friday, August 19
More than 70 original botanical illustrations of rare and endangered plants by outstanding Japanese artists will be on display in the Gallery of the Garden from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (August 19 through October 2). This traveling exhibition, organized by the Japanese Association of Botanical Illustrators, will be hosted in the United States, for the very first time, by the National Arboretum and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Also, come to the Garden for early morning strolls, special weekly events, Chicago’s best sunsets, twilight tram rides and the nightly Grand Illumination of Evening Island. Admission to the exhibit and Garden is free. Parking is $12. For more information, visit www.chicagobotanic.org or call 847-835-5440.
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Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 26-28
Henry Crown Sports Pavilion - Northwestern University
An annual favorite, the 21st American Crafts Exposition, a juried exposition and sale, which was recently ranked as the #1 quality Indoor Craft Show in the Country by the National Association of Independent Artists, comes to Evanston. Featuring the works of over 150 juried craftspeople, the Expo showcases one-of-a-kind baskets, ceramics, furniture, glass, jewelry, mixed media paintings, sculptures and wood crafts. Tickets for adults are $12 (3-day pass purchased in advance prior to August 24) and $15 (3-day pass purchased at the door). Children 10 and under are $5 (no strollers please). All proceeds from the Exposition benefit Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. For more information, visit www.americancraftexpo.org or call 847-570-5096.
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Saturday, August 20 - Sunday, August 28
Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston
Light Opera Works, now in its twenty-fifth year of presenting the finest operettas and musical comedies in the Chicagoland area, is pleased to announce their production of Franz Lehár's masterpiece, "The Merry Widow". Take the opportunity to see first-class musical theatre on the North Shore. In a new translation by Chicagoans Gregg Opelka and Jack Helbig, this show is one of the most romantic of all operettas and was originally performed in 1905. Directed and choreographed by Artistic Director Rudy Hogenmiller, "The Merry Widow" stars Lyric Opera of Chicago soprano Stacey Tappan in the title role. This lively, Viennese operetta is a "must-see" and is the story of Hanna, the wealthy widow who must marry within her small country or watch her homeland face financial ruin. To purchase tickets, visit www.lightoperaworks.com or call 847-869-6300.
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Northwestern Wildcats versus Ohio University
Saturday, September 3, 11:00am kickoff
Ryan Field, Evanston
All CNSCVB partners are invited to attend Northwestern Football's North Shore Community Day on Saturday, September 3 when the Wildcats open their football season against Ohio University. The 'Cats were 5-1 at home last season, including three thrilling overtime victories, so you won't want to miss a second of this season's action! CNSCVB partners and members of their families can purchase tickets for only $15 each. If you have children in the 8th grade or under, you can save even more money! With each adult ticket purchased at regular price ($20), two children will be admitted FREE! All tickets must be bought in advance.
Be sure to arrive early and stop by Wildcat Alley, which will be open at 9:00 a.m. This free pre-game tailgate area will feature music, games, face painting, food, entertainment and more! To purchase tickets call 847-491-CATS. For more information, visit www.nusports.com.
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Sunday August 14 - Monday, August 15
Avi Hoffman's award-winning "Too Jewish A Mensch and His Musical" makes its Chicago-area premiere at The North Shore Center for Performing Arts. Hoffman's musical celebration of Jewish culture and identity has played off-Broadway, in Los Angeles, as a part of a national tour and has even been featured as a PBS special. "Too Jewish?" has also received critical acclaim throughout the country, hailed by the New York Times as "hilarious… warm and winning." This extraordinary and poignant performance takes Jews and non-Jews alike on a journey of self-discovery and cultural awareness through music and comedy. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.northshorecenter.org or call 847-673-6300.
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Sundays: August 28, September 25 and October 23
Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park announces a new series of guided tours that are free and open to the public. Trained volunteer docents will lead informal and informative walking tours throughout the park. Adults and families will learn about the park's 70+ large-scale, contemporary sculptures, the creative entities and forces behind the works, and the history and genesis of the Sculpture Park. Tours begin promptly at 1:00 pm, last an hour in length and begin along various points of the path. For more information, visit www.sculpturepark.org or call 847-679-4265.
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Chicago hospitality leaders have announced that 2004 was a record-breaking year for the city's visitor industry, with an unprecedented number of travelers coming to the Chicagoland area. According to figures released by the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, a record 31.9 million travelers visited Chicago in 2004, allowing the city to assume its position as the #1 U.S. destination for business travel. Early indicators suggest that 2005 will be an equally or more productive year for the industry, which is not only great news for Chicago, but for the North Shore as well.
"We've found that many people traveling to Chicago are taking time to explore the entire region, including Chicago's North Shore," says Gina Speckman, CNSCVB executive director. "Our cultural attractions, restaurants, shopping and entertainment make Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette and Northbrook exciting visitor destinations," she says. "The North Shore benefits from Chicago's tremendous appeal, so these record-breaking numbers are equally important to us!"
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Janet's Place Bed and Breakfast, Evanston
Thursday, August 18, 8:00-9:30am
Please save the date and join fellow CNSCVB partners for this month's networking event scheduled for Thursday morning, August 18 at Janet's Place Bed and Breakfast (935 Judson Avenue in Evanston). The breakfast event, which runs from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m., is a wonderful way for partners to meet one another, share ideas and learn more about the visitor-boosting efforts of Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau. The networking event is open to all CNSCVB partners and there is no charge to attend, but you must RSVP to Jennifer Williams (CNSCVB Sales Manager) at 847-763-0011 x 22 or e-mail her at jwilliams@cnscvb.com. We look forward to seeing you!
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The following businesses have recently joined Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau as Preferred Partners. Please help us build a bigger and stronger Bureau by letting us know of any businesses or industry contacts that you believe would benefit from becoming one of our Preferred Partners. Please contact Jennifer Williams, CNSCVB Sales Manager at jwilliams@cnscvb.com or call 847-763-0011 x 22 with any questions.
The CNSCVB gratefully acknowledges the following new Preferred Partners and thanks them for their support.
Carmel Music
701 Main St.
Evanston, IL 60202
847-864-5969
Contact: Jan Schunk
Catered By Design
9204 Waukegan Road
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847-965-4094
Contact: Sam Gray
Intelligent Lighting Creations
3714 W. Touhy Ave.
Skokie, IL 60076
847-982-2070
Contact: Bob Moisan
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