ChiIL Out With ChiIL Mama at Do Division This Fri-Sun

We'll have our own tent in the Family Fun Fest all weekend, with ChiIL Mama's Rock Tots Photo Spot/Dress Up Area, so swing by and say hey.    ChiIL Mama and 11 year old, Du-Jay, will be there in person.

FAMILY FUN FEST

DO DIVISION FAMILY FUN FEST 2012-Saturday and Sunday June 2-3 2012

“The Shedd Aquarium comes to Division Street”, along with old favorites such as face painting, and rocking kids' music.

Do Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale, a neighborhood festival that attracted over 60,000 people in 2011, has partnered with Friends of Pritzker School and LaSalle II PTO to create Do Division Family Fun Fest. Do Division Family Fun Fest, Saturday June 2nd noon-6pm, and Sunday June 3rd noon-5pm, has quickly become one of the premier family-friendly festivals in the city. Just off the main drag of Division Street, where the main festival is being held, there will be activities for the kids including ChiIL Mama's Rock Tots Photo Spot/ Dress Up Area, drumming, pony rides and hallmark vendors like Psychobaby, who will be transforming kids’ hair into punk hairdo’s.

This year, we will continue to occupy a two-block stretch of Hoyne Avenue, from Division Street and the fest north to Potomac. New this year is our sponsor the Shedd Aquarium, who will bring several of their popular games such as the Penguin Plunge and the Polar Playzone as well as an opportunity to see some of their animals up close and personal throughout the weekend. We are also excited to have the Great Lakes Initiative, an organization that is focused on conservation and education about our most precious water source. We will continue with Fun Facts about the Great Lakes and a quiz that promises to be an adventure in the neighborhood.

We're bringing back many of the popular activities including The Easel Art Studio Craft Tent, punk rock hair styling by Psycho Baby, face painting, the Children's Learning Place Toddler Zone, a bounce house, dunk tank and pony rides. And you can win prizes from Building Blocks' famous Carnival Wheel.

 
Here are ChiIL Mama's kid friendly recommendations at the main stage!   See the full schedule below.
 
Main Family Fun Fest Stage Schedule


Saturday, June 2nd:

12:00-12:20 Shakespeare All-Stars

12:30-1:00 ARCC

1:15-1:55 Mary Macaroni

2:00-2:20 Gingarte Capoeira

2:30-3:00 Sunny Side Up

3:10-3:40 Istvan & His Imaginary Band--(Highly recommended kindie rockers.   Check em out.)

3:50-4:10 Trinity irish dancers--(These talented kids are excellent.   Highly recommended.)

4:25-5:05 Sarah Parker

5:10-5:30 Mad Science or Changs Martial Arts Demo

5:35-6:00 Gracie Lou


Sunday, June 3rd:

12:00-12:30 Kids Science Lab

12:45-1:20 Fiddle Billies

1:30-1:50 My Gym

2:00-2:40 Rock’ s Cool Pritzker student band

3:00-3:40 Awkward Cousins

3:50-4:20 Changs Martial Arts Demo

4:20-5:10 Mary Macaroni

 
Proceeds from Do Division Family Fun Fest go to Friends of Pritzker School and LaSalle II PTO, two public elementary schools in Wicker Park.
 
LaSalle II Magnet School, a world language academy opened in 2008/2009 and serves PreK through grade 7. Expanding to grade 8 next year. Funds raised to support after-school programs, classrooms, and numerous enrichment programs for our children. Located at 1148 N. Honore Street at Division Street. An exciting Chicago public school alternative for the East Village and Wicker Park communities. Visit www.lasalle2pto.com/.
 
A.N. Pritzker School, A.N. Pritzker School is a Fine and Performing Arts Magnet school with a Regional Gifted Center that serves PreK through grade 8. Located at 2009 W. Schiller Street. A creative, stimulating public school serving Wicker Park and East Ukrainian Village. Visit www.friendsofpritzker.org.

 

Take your punk kin, banger babies, & lil folk to hear some of your fav bands for the big kids (AKA:  grownups).   Check out the 2012 Line Up!
*ChiIL Live Show's particular favorites & must sees are in red

Damen Stage:
Programmed by Empty Bottle Presents
& Hosted by Comedian Peter O'Connell

Friday, June 1st
Black Belles 8:30 pm
BBU 7:15 pm
Moon Furies 6:00 pm
Hosted by Peter O'Connell [Wham City Comedy] 4:45 PM

Saturday, June 2nd
Peanut Butter Wolf 8:30 pm
Besnard Lakes 7:00 pm
Craig Finn 5:30 pm
Mannequin Men 4:00 pm
Peter O'Connell 3:50 / intro
In Tall Buildings 2:30 pm
Chris Connelly 1:00 pm

Sunday, June 3rd
The Antlers 8:30 pm
Pinebender 7:00 pm
Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons 5:30 pm
Teengirl Fantasy 4:00 pm
People's Temple 2:30 pm
Eiren Caffall 1:00 pm

Leavitt Stage:
Programmed by Subterranean and House Call Entertainment

Friday, June 1st
JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound @ 8:30 pm (just back from rockin' Summer Camp Music Festival)

Todd Hembrook & The Hemispheres @ 7:15 pm

The O’My’s @ 6:15 pm (check out our past photo filled coverage of the O'My's sold out show at Reggie's right here)

Saturday, June 2nd
Le Butcherettes @ 9:00 pm
O’ Death @ 7:45 pm
White Mystery @ 6:45 pm
Brown Bird @ 5:45 pm
The Blind Staggers @ 4:45 pm
Magic Milk @ 3:45 pm

Sunday, June 3rd
Murder By Death @ 8:00 pm
The Soft Pack @ 6:45 pm
Gypsyblood @ 6:00 pm
Mutts @ 5:00 pm (highly recommended!!)
Young Jesus @ 4:00 pm

Happy Official First Day of Fall and Play Locally...Weekend Events Round Up Including Hideout Block Party, Jane's Addiction, Broadway in Chicago, Collaboraction and More...

It's happened again.   The Autumnal Equinox is here!    The light and dark side are equally balanced today, with 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light.   Summer's flown by all too fast.   The kids picked up two bright red leaves from the ground yesterday and officially declared, "Fall's here."


As much as we live for summer, we're welcoming the cooler temps, riot of color, ongoing great music and theatre, and bountiful harvest at local farmer's markets!    So enjoy the changing seasons, break out your cozy fleece, and check in with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.    Chi-Town is nowhere near ready to hibernate and we've got a zillion great events, shows, and fun ideas for your weekend ahead.  

Our top picks are Hideout Block Party (all ages-kids welcome)

and Jane's Addiction at Metro (18+)!    

The Jane's shows sold out in minutes, but we'll be there covering Hideout Saturday and Jane's Addiction Sunday.   We also have a feature on Perry Farrell coming soon.    He's reinvented himself yet again and is laying down some sweet new music, with a new CD set for release October 18th.    We'll be exploring his house music experiments with his wife and collaborator, under the PerryEtty title.    And we'll have a photo filled feature of Perry with his 2 young sons, at Kidzapalooza with Sagezilla and Du-Jay.

ChiIL Mama's shots of Shams Band LIVE at Do Division

There are an unbelievable number of great Saturday night shows to chose from.    Shams Band are playing Martyrs (21+).   Check out ChiIL Mama's live show video of Shams Band covering Maggie's Farm at Whistler. http://www.chiilmama.com/2011/03/video-shams-band-live-at-whistler.html

Sat, Sep 24 - 9pm - $10

Head for the Hills

The Shams

Barehand Jug Band

Pinto and The Bean have a CD release house party with free food-beer-giveaways (21+).

ChiIL Mama's also sponsoring two all ages shows for the littles this weekend--Poochamungas FREE at Building Blocks Toy Stores 15th Anniversary Party and Dreamtree Shakers at Beat Kitchen.    We'll be posting new live show footage from both bands that ChiIL Mama shot at Beat Kitchen and Schubas.    Come on out and get your own free ChiIL Mama button--hot off the Busy Beaver presses!


On the theatre front, we'll be reviewing great adult shows at Collaboraction and Broadway in Chicago.   Be A Good Little Widow (free pizza tonight and money back guarantee, this weekend only) & Love, Loss and What I Wore. (an amusing and moving girls' night out or date night).


In kids'/family theatre news, Li'l Buds has a Fall Family Funraiser goin' on.

This Saturday, September 24th 10am - 3pm!  

Join Li'l Buds for family fun at their annual fall event!  There will be acting games, a scavenger hunt, face painting, dancing, food and did we mention FUN!!!

$15 adults, $10 children

Help Li'l Buds grow!   They do amazing work encouraging creativity, teaching, and mentoring Chicago school kids, so show 'em some love. Here's a message from the troupe:

Greetings! We have the opportunity to receive a grant from the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust.  This year, the Trust has set up the Sun Shine Project for the greater Chicago community to Shine A Light on worthy charities and select organizations and projects that deserve a grant. Please act now by voting for our project!  Click on the link below, sign up/login for the project (wait for an email confirmation to set up a password) and then search for Li'l Buds Theatre (we are in the Arts and Culture Section, or you can just enter our name in the search box) and vote by clicking on the 'thumbs up" sign!  You can also leave testimonials of support in the comments box - and please do as they consider the comments when awarding the grant! VOTING ENDS OCTOBER 9th! With input from the community, the Trust will fund $500,000 in grants toward non-profit projects that benefit youth in the Chicago region - and we could be one of them! CLICK THIS LINK TO VOTE

So take a deep breath of fall's earthy scent........enjoy the balance, and get out and play!