Arts & Culture

Kegs for Kids: Drink Craft Beer to Help Kids Read Good

The annual Kegs for Kids benefit for Edgewater's Helen C. Pierce Elementary is coming up on Saturday. The craft beer tasting festival has grown out of its previous location at Metropolis Coffee, and this year's event will be at Loyola University's Mundelein Auditorium. Read the whole post on Chicagoist here>>

Posted on October 04, 2011

“My Worst Day Ever” - a local resident shares her 9/11 experience

By Elissa Jones

Fastening my seatbelt, I settled back into the airplane seat. I was looking forward to takeoff, so that I could then go to sleep. The previous night, my mind had continually raced through a series of agitated, aimless thoughts, and I had gotten to O'hare on - shall we say - "autopilot.” Sure, I'm still a little scared of flying, even while finding it exciting. 'Intellectually, I know it's safer than driving. We just hear more about plane crashes than car accidents,' I reassured myself. I looked out the window. It was a sunny morning. Too bad I wouldn't see much of it.
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Posted on September 11, 2011

Help Family Matters’ Teen Girls get $9000 Grant

Family Matters' Teen Girls Programs have the opportunity to be awarded a $9000 grant from the Women’s Sports Foundation. There are four organizations competing for this grant and the one that gets the most votes wins! Please vote for our video! The grant would be used to support the girls in our community in establishing an active and healthy lifestyle through our teen-led FEEL Fit Initiative. Please vote daily and encourage everyone you know to do the same – via email, Facebook, Twitter or any other methods you utilize to communicate with family and friends. Voting ends at 11:59 EST, Wednesday, August 31, 2011.
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Posted on August 26, 2011

Chicago’s First Casino Possibly in the Cards

By Susanna Pak Almaz Yigizaw expanded her Edgewater restaurant Ethiopian Diamond to a Rogers Park location two years ago, in the middle of a still-struggling economy. “I just focus on food and service, and people are coming,” she said. “A restaurant is a restaurant, then the purpose is serving food and drink – that’s what I’ll stick to.”
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Posted on August 24, 2011

Sip savvy: value wines at recession prices

By Mara Grbenick - The recession has drained demand for wine and other luxuries, but one Rogers Park wine shop is sustaining its business by sourcing quality wines at value prices for its customers. Taste Food and Wine opened in 2008 and has maintained its business during the economic downturn by pricing quality wines affordably. This is what most customers want. During a recent visit to the store, most of the clients were casual wine drinkers who often spend less than $15 to $20 per bottle.
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Posted on August 23, 2011

808’s Youth Empowerment thru Dance to Perform on Thursday, Aug 25th

By Dominique Johns, for rogerspark.com Three highly skilled dancers, all young Rogers Park residents in their early 20s, a youth leader, and a theatrical and talented young lady joined forces this summer, out of a mutual concern over gullable at risk youth in the North of Howard community of Rogers Park. Only five short weeks ago we created 808's: Youth Empowerment through Dance. Our vision: to create a refuge for the youth that helps empower, motivate, inspire, and build hope; to help young teens be more in control of their own minds.
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Posted on August 23, 2011

The End of an Era North of Howard

North Howard Neighbors Association: In the fall of 1987, Sister Cecilia Fandel of the Servants of Mary Order (founded in 1233 in Florence, Italy) arrived at the Howard Area Community Center to begin her service to the residents of the North of Howard community. It would be the beginning of a 24 year commitment that officially ended with her retirement at the end of June 2011. Over the years, Sister Cecilia has been a dedicated 'community activist' providing leadership, direction and spiritual guidance to thousands of residents. Our neighborhood would be a far different place were it not for her work and commitment over the years.
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Posted on July 28, 2011

Chez Violette offers a taste of Haiti

By Megan Millard for rogerspark.com Violetta Adrien always had a passion for cooking, and Chez Violette, a restaurant located at 2311 West Howard Street specializing in Haitian food that she owns with her husband, Samson is simply a dream come true. But the story behind this couple and their restaurant extends further back than its opening date, December 3, 2010. Violetta’s love for cooking came at an early age in her native country of Haiti, where it is traditional for the oldest girl to cook for her family. “When people eat and compliment her food, she likes it,” Samson said.
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Posted on July 21, 2011

Rogers Park Resident Named Artistic Director of Chicago Dramatists

CHICAGO- Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., is proud to announce that Meghan Beals McCarthy has been hired as the theatre’s new Associate Artistic Director. A director, dramaturg, arts administrator, and Associate Artist with Chicago Dramatists for several years, McCarthy was chosen after a nationwide search of over 80 applicants for the position. She will assume her position August 15.
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Posted on July 18, 2011

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Mayne Stage - Win Free Tickets!

Wednesday, July 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $27 general admission $55 reserved Since their arrival on the music scene in 1993, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has been known for irresistible live shows. Their aggressive, musically perceptive approach has established them as the singular standout among the numerous bands that launched the 90s swing revival. The seven-man group forged a massively successful fusion of classic American sounds from jazz, swing, Dixieland and big-band music, building their own songbook of original dance tunes, and, sixteen years later, BBVD is a veteran force that to this day adds new fans by the roomful every time they play. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was featured in the Jon Favreau 90’s movie hit Swingers. The Mayne Stage floor will be cleared and available for dancing at this performance! Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with code word “voodoo” for chance to win a pair of tickets to the show!

Posted on July 13, 2011

Rogers Park harvests plan for open land that could become urban farm

Densely and diversely populated, could Rogers Park on the city’s North Side soon be the site of an urban farm? It’s an idea getting a serious push, and deservedly so. Capital to build on vacant lots is hard to come by, so why not use the land to grow produce and teach agricultural and business skills? Rogers Park could get a farm at 7501 N. Ashland, a two-acre site that 20 years ago was the home of Lerner Newspapers. Royal Bank of Canada is foreclosing on the land. The city invited developer proposals for the property a few years ago, but nobody responded. Get the entire Sun-Times article here>>

Posted on July 07, 2011

Check out Mary’s Bao’s and Neil Lifton’s latest Video

Posted on June 29, 2011

Hands of the Artists

Not being an artist myself, I decided to occupy some of my time this past weekend taking digital shots of the hands of some of the fine artists who painted at this summer's "18th Annual Artist of the Wall Festival" at Loyola Park (Farwell and the Lake) during the weekend of June 18-19, 2011. See also, the list of winners and walk by and check out the work.
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Posted on June 22, 2011

“Theater with an Accent” Reading: Three Plays @ Mess Hall

In the second reading series by Theatre with Accent we are presenting three Short Plays by Mohsen Azimi, Hattie He and Ezzat Goushegir. Director: Azar Kazemi Actors: Bridget Schreiber, Adam Brown
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Posted on June 22, 2011

Pratt Pier Times Three

Regular photo contributor Mark Mullis has photographed and put together a triptych that didn't fit our normal photo format. I think it still worth seeing, so check it out below.
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Posted on June 20, 2011

2011 Artist of the Wall Festival

"We are pleased to announce the theme for our 18th Annual Artists of the Wall Festival. May the "Wall of Dreams" be all you wish for! Our 18th annual Father's Day Weekend event will occur over the weekend of June 18th and 19th. Applications for space reservations may be downloaded at this site, rogerspark.com, or picked up at the Loyola Park Fieldhouse, 1230 W. Greenleaf."
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Posted on June 14, 2011

Concert in the Park - Tonight

Concert in the Park! June 10, 2011 6:30-10PM Touhy Park, 7348 N. Paulina, Chicago IL 60626 773-262-6737 Featuring: The White Saddle Band,
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Posted on June 08, 2011

DIVIDE AND DONATE SPRING SALE - SUNDAY, JUNE 5

It's not too late to contribute to the success of this sale! Donations accepted until June 3 -- Location: 1434 W. Greenleaf Pots and tags available for you to prepare your donations. As you walk your garden this Spring and plan out the season, before throwing that invasive fern into the compost pile, pop it in a pot and donate it for the RPGG's Spring Sale, "Divide and Donate." So come out of the shed, you trowel digging garden enthusiasts and help the RPGG's plant sale with your extra plants! The garden you may be helping with your fern donation could be the parkway across the street from you! Plant donations will be accepted through June 3 at 1434 W. Greenleaf. Pots will be available at same location if needed. All plants can be left by the west side of the garage. When donating plants, please leave a description of the plant (name, color, whether it's a shade or sun plant, etc.) and your name. You can also email the information to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)or respond through the RPGG web site.

Posted on June 01, 2011

Glenwood Sunday Market - This Weekend!

The last Winter Market of the season gave us a taste of what is to come this summer! Freshly picked asparagus from Hardin Family Farms in Michigan, watercress from Oriana's Orchard, eggs from the best fed chickens in Illinois from Midnight Sun (Nick says he is going to start feeding the chickens flax seed), and amazing mushrooms from River Valley. And that is just a sampling of what was available. For vegatable gardeners, there were beautiful starter heirloom tomato and herb plants, fertile compost and more. And let's not forget about the TREATs from Katherine Anne Confections and amazing baked goods from Bennisons Bakery among others.
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Posted on May 31, 2011

The Ruckus Theater’s 15 Minutes - Opens June 3rd

In the world of 15 Minutes, you are who you friend. In a city built of glass and steel, cables and cameras, five people are about to meet a very strange man with some very strange ideas. There are rules, and there are risks, and there is something not quite right about this World’s Fair—but you've got a golden ticket, and that could change the world. at The Side Project Theatre 1439 W Jarvis / Chicago, IL 60626 June 3 - 26, 2011 at 7:30pm Click here for tickets and info>>