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If you’re looking for a different kind of a festival this coming weekend think about Turtle’s 1st Annual Street Festival as an alternative to The Peace Fest, The Taste of Randolph Street or the Wrigleyville Block Party.
Here is some info on Turtle’s 1st Annual Street Festival:
WHEN: Saturday June 18th
WHAT: Come stop by for a drink or something off the grill.
Bag tournament @ 3:00 with cash prizes. Sign up is earlier that day. Teams will be picked right before the tournament.
Live music @ 5:00. Pig and lamb roast, too.
WHERE: In the Bridgeport neighborhood
Can’t beat a great day outside in the summertime!!!!!!! This is a fun event for people of all ages!
Here is a review of the Do-Divison Fest by our contributing writer Taina Collazo:
Chi-city is heating up just in time for some of the city’s favorite fests. This weekend was all abuzz with bands, booze, and BBQ, as seen at the annual Do-Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale.
With the summer sun making its re-appearance on Chicago’s sidewalks, this summer’s fashion trends, for better or for worse, found their way into the warm spotlight. I, however, wasn’t looking for the latest looks adorned on my fellow city dwellers. Nope…my eyes were looking for fresh fashion inspirations in the vendors’ booths. I am happy to report that I was very pleased with what I found.
There were the usual suspects present – jewelry vendors, city services like car sharing and apartments searches, restaurants and food vendors, amongst others. What caught my eye, however, were the cause-based vendors. The reminder that we are all connected within our community and beyond our borders was a welcomed thought as I enjoyed my beverage of choice and listened to the featured bands spread out over a couple stages.
Featured Vendors:
i2we – This Chicago based company has one goal: To give “legally immigrated women in the Chicagoland area an employment opportunity that utilizes her sewing and crafting skills.” Items featured in this tent consisted of hand-sewn bags, backpacks, and clutch-like bags. They were all unique designs and all supporting some of Chicagoland’s newest residences. You can find their goods and support fellow Chicagoans by visiting their showroom featured on Etsy at www.i2we.etsy.com.
Alidade – A “made in Chicago” company that tailors their designs to the practical, fashion forward, eco-conscious woman. Alidade’s simple designs make their clothes easy to dress up or dress down allowing for versatility from day to night without the need for an outfit change. Alidade takes it one step further with their re-purposed designs. Textile scraps work their way back to the showrooms’ mannequins and into closets all over the city. See some of their designs at www.alidadeapparel.com.
Malia Designs – This organization brings their goods from borders far beyond Lakeshore Drive to the windy city in efforts to support women in developing countries along with supporting non-profit organizations, both locally and abroad. Featured in the tent were some unique accessories. The change purses, clutches, and wallets particularly caught my eye and drew me in. If you are looking for something unique to accent your fashion life, Malia Design may have something that meets your inner fashionista’s desires while supporting women working to provide for their families and their futures. An extra feature to Malia Designs’ cause is its support of eradicating human trafficking and providing aid to this heinous crime’s victims. See the company’s goods and learn more about Malia Designs at www.maliadesigns.com.
Do Division Fest definitely did deliver. I hope to see more local businesses present at other fests around the city this summer telling their unique stories and giving Chicagoans the opportunity to impact lives within our great city and beyond. Be sure to check out the above businesses’ websites for more information and updates.
Chicago is a world famous city for a variety of things. People from all over the world know about Chicago. In Europe, people always associate Chicago with Michael Jordan and Al Capone, at least in countries I’ve lived in. Yes, I understand it is very predictable and superficial to be associated to a sports icon and gangster of all gangsters but such are the facts. Sure here in the States we are known as the “Windy City” and a town with a great skyline and even better food, but across the world people don’t know about these things. Jordan, Capone and now Obama are the first things that people associate with our city and quite frankly there could be worse things to be associated with.
In summertime there is no better city to live in than Chicago and there aren’t many people that would argue against that statement. There are so many different activities to choose from, whether on Lake Michigan or in many of our trendy neighborhoods, there is always something to do.
In wintertime, however, the options become somewhat limited. Chicago winters are so cold that even the biggest of outdoor enthusiasts sometimes want to curl up on a couch and avoid the awful temperatures. Those who do dare to get outside and look for things to do usually end up going to shows and performances, both of which there are many in our wonderful city.
Museums are another great way to spend a day inside and get ones self educated on a variety of different things. While all the museums charge a fee to their fantastic exhibits, almost all of them have specific days when they offer free entrance. These free days are available throughout the year and every single museum has them at one point or another.
Here at Chicago.com we have compiled a list of 8 major ones and the days when these free days are featured. In today’s economy people are looking for deals constantly and Free Days at variety of Chicago museums has been a fan favorite for a number of years, especially among students throughout the city and the suburbs.
Adler Planetarium:
The museum has not yet announced when it will have its free days for 2011 but they have said on the site that it will be updated soon. Click here for the updated info.
The Art Institute of Chicago:
From January 3rd through February 4th, the museum is offering free admission, every weekday, all day long (late evenings included).
For more info please click here.
Brookfield Zoo:
Tuesdays and Thursdays are currently FREE days for zoo general admission. While admission is free on these days, normal internal attraction fees still apply for different attractions. Those who arrive after 4:00 p.m. on Free Days, regular admission rates still apply for Holiday Magic exhibit.
For more information please visit the Brookfield Zoo website.
Chicago Children’s Museum:
Free Thursday evenings 5-8 p.m.
First Sunday of every month is free admission for ages 15 and under.
Chicago History Museum:
The Museum is free on Mondays.
The Field Museum:
The Field Museum is offering 52 days a year when basic admission is free. The Field Museum offers Target Free Second Mondays, where Target’s sponsorship is making it possible for The Field Museum to offer free basic admission on the second Monday of each month.
2011 Target Free Second Monday dates are:
January 10th
February 14th
March 14th
Target Free Second Monday hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Other regularly scheduled free basic admission days at least in wintertime are:
January: 3rd, 11th, 13th, 18th, 19th, 24th, 26th, 31st,
February: 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 9th, 15th, 17th,
April: 11th
Museum of Science and Industry:
General admission is free on the following dates at MSI but it does not include admission into any of the MSI’s specific exhibits:
January: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 31st
February: 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 22nd
Shedd Aquarium:
During Community Discount Days, admission to the aquarium’s original galleries is free. This includes the Waters of the World, Amazon Rising, and the Caribbean Reef. Packages including Wild Reef, Polar Play Zone and Abbott Oceanarium are available at a discounted rate. Shedd’s 52 discount days a year take advantage of civic and school holidays to make family visits more convenient.
Upcoming Monday and Tuesday Community Discount Days in 2011 are:
January: 10th, 11th, 24th, 25th, 31st
February: 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 28th
With all this information at hand the time is now to go out and visit one of our great museums.
Find yourself moving to Chicago in coming months? If you are then you might be wondering what your options are or even how to go about starting the moving process altogether.
We are going to discuss exactly what needs to be done in order to have you move successfully as well as several options to help you store your excess furniture and other things that you may not want to take with you to your new home. I know from experience.
Change of Address
The first thing that needs to be done when moving is to make sure you go to the postal service and have a change of address form filled out. This lets the postal service know that you are no longer going to be at your previous address and should any mail come that is addressed to where you used to live the postal service will automatically send it to your new home.
Hire a Mover
After you place a change of address form, you may want to consider either hiring a mover to make your transition easier or renting a box truck from a moving company and having you and some family members or friends pack up everything yourself. Should you decide to go with a professional mover make sure you check out the company and ensure that they are reputable and insured so that should they damage something in the move that their insurance will cover it. If moving yourself make sure you use the proper lifting equipment so that you do not hurt yourself when moving heavy furniture.
Search for a Storage Unit
Now what happens if the place you are moving to is smaller than where you came from? Where do you store your excess stuff? Luckily in Chicago and the Illinois area in general there are lots of self-storage facilities around that make keeping all your things in one place very simple. Basically you pay monthly for a space where you then transfer your belongings to. Normally there is either a lock or a keypad so that your belongings are secure and some places even offer climate controlled rooms so that you don’t have to worry about humidity or weather affecting your possessions.
The Bottom Line
With the right moving equipment and some extra storage space your move should go smoothly. We hope that this guide has made your move a little easier and that you have a safe and comfortable experience. Best of luck!