FREE Pumpkin Painting, Mask Making & Treats Sunday 10/28 at Matty K's in Lincoln Square, Chicago We adore big city living. Raising kids in the heart of Chicago gives us so many great cultural and multicultural opportunities. However, sometimes families in the burbs or small towns just see the crime, grime, and cold impersonality of sharing a home town with millions of people. That's just not always the case. Chicago is a giant city of neighborhoods, family friendly fun, and good old fashioned family businesses. Buh bye summer time. Hello fall! Where grill sales meet free pumpkin painting...Matty K's. Here at ChiIL Mama we're all about buying locally whenever possible, keeping our neighborhoods thriving, and supporting family run enterprises and entrepreneurs. One of our favorites is Matty K's Hardware. They're theatre peeps with an adorable toddler daughter and a welcoming store. They run rockin' free arts events for kids and cool workshops like home brewing for the big kids (AKA: adults). They always put out a snack spread. Salty sweet....salty sweet...and a BIG urn of coffee. My new BFFs. Matty K's is stocked on green living goodies, unique gifts, hardware and gardening staples, seasonal items, and Soda Stream supplies. They're knowledgable and helpful. If you're anywhere near Lincoln Square, check em out! Follow them on Facebook here for updates on what's up.
I've heard of separated twins doing the same stuff....but my kids--two years apart and sitting back to back, started their pumpkin painting in exactly the same unconventional way!! Neither of them saw the other and they were both totally surprised.
ChiIL Mama highly recommends this family run hardware store, for awesome kids activities, great deals, and more. Check out their grand opening festivities today and tomorrow 4/28 & 29. Full details available here.
The
Old Town School of Folk Music will provide live music on site, Saturday
2 - 6 p.m. Additional organizations, including Lillstreet Art Center,
will provide entertainment and activities throughout the weekend as
well.
Play locally... ChiIL Mama had a chance to check out Matty K's on March 11th, when they offered a free, colorful, pot painting and seed planting workshop for kids. We'll have a big, photo filled recap this weekend. Come by this Saturday and Sunday and discover Matty K's yourself. Highly recommended!
MATTY K’S HARDWARE CELEBRATES OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING WEEKEND IN CHICAGO’S LINCOLN SQUARE APRIL 28 – 29, 2012 Matty K’s Welcomes Shoppers of All Ages with Early Bird Sales, Kids Activities, Music, Free Food and Refreshments and the Opening of the Summer Garden Market
Matty K’s Hardware is thrilled to celebrate their official Grand Opening weekend with activities for all ages April 28 – 29, 2012, beginning at 8 a.m. both days.
The store’s garden market will also open at 8 a.m. on April 28, just in time for spring planting! Matty K’s Hardware, located at 4874 N. Lincoln Ave, is Lincoln Square’s new neighborhood hardware store that features personalized project-planning services for home, business and theatrical projects. The store began operating in November 2011, and the Grand Opening weekend will feature two days of sales and festivities.
Early Bird Sales will be held both Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., with free treats and coffee, provided by Café Selmarie, on hand for shoppers. The grills will be fired up at 11 a.m. each day, with meat provided by Gene’s Sausage Shop, to provide shoppers with free lunch (while supplies last). The entire family will be able to enjoy cotton candy, popcorn, face painting, games and more while they check out all that Matty K’s has to offer, including a brand new outdoor garden market.
Matty K’s was founded by lifelong Chicago resident Matt Kollar, who has a decade of experience working as a scenic carpenter and technical director in Chicago and opened Left Wing Scenic in 2003 to provide technical and design services to theaters throughout the city. He quickly found that he would have to travel from store to store, or search online for certain products that were not available in Chicago. To remedy this, Kollar began laying the foundation for Matty K’s Hardware more than two years ago to provide Chicago’s theater community with a one-stop shop for all of their needs, as well as apply his expertise to both theatrical and home projects.
A family-owned and operated business, Matty K’s is dedicated to serving all members of the Chicago community. Monthly workshops are offered to all ages free of charge with seasonal projects including making a chalkboard wall calendar, bike tuning, seed planting and more. A dedicated kids’ area in the store makes it easy for parents to shop or spend time working with experts in the design center, who are available to help with home projects, painting and more.
“We have been working for more than two years to bring this store to the community and we are thrilled to be in business in Lincoln Square,” says Matt Kollar. “Matty K’s is dedicated to a high level of customer service and personal attention from employees who are experts in their areas. We also wanted to serve theater designers with a one- stop shop that carries all of the specialty items that weren’t necessarily available in Chicago before.”
As part of its community focus, Matty K’s also offers a loyalty program. Customers can choose from charitable organizations enrolled in the program and a percentage of their purchases will go to the organization as reward points. The organization can then redeem these rewards toward their purchases at Matty K’s. Organizations wishing to participate in the loyalty program can get more information by calling 773-654-1347.
A Rogers Park native and graduate of Loyola University, Matt Kollar is the founder of Left Wing Scenic and Matty K’s Hardware. He has a decade of experience as a scenic carpenter and technical director and has worked with several local theaters, including Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chopin, Remy Bumppo and The House Theatre of Chicago.
Kollar runs Matty K’s with his wife and business manager, Laura Kollar. The pair met at Loyola University’s Theater Department and have been married six years. A costume designer since 2003, Laura has worked with Theater Wit, Pegasus Players, Lookingglass Theatre Co., Chicago Shakespeare, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University and she is an Artistic Ensemble Member with Adventure Stage Chicago. Matt and Laura have a 14-month-old daughter, Darlene, who is the real boss of Matty K's. ChiIL Mama spoke with the couple about setting up an interview and hope to have that up soon as part of our ongoing exploration in How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create. Click the link to check out our Pinterest Board with all the interviews.
About Matty K’s Hardware Matty K’s is designed for a wide range of patrons, from those with no experience, to your average DIY-ers, to expert carpenters. The store carries a complete array of seasonal items, paint, lawn and garden supplies and tools. There are also two full aisles dedicated to materials for theatrical scenic and lighting designers, including Jaxsan foam coat, specialty rigging supplies, powder coated black aircraft cable, cheeseboroughs, specialty tapes and more. For more information call 773-654-1347. Matty K’s Hardware is located at 4874 N. Lincoln Ave. (at Ainslie) in Chicago and is open 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday – Sunday.
