CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS – Ravenswood, Lincoln Park, Portage Park, Loop, Naperville

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Photo Credits: Pavel L Photo and Video / Shutterstock.com

RAVENSWOOD

Come out for happy hour and an evening of shopping during tonight’s Summer Edition of Damen at Night. Participating businesses such as Orange Beautiful (4658 N. Damen Ave.) and Bang Bang Pie Shop (4947 N. Damen Ave.) and many more are staying open a little later than usual. Take the CTA Brown Line to the Damen Stop and check out the entertainment and discounts this lovely strip of businesses along Damen Ave. between Eastwood Ave. and Argyle St. have in store from 5:00pm – 9:00pm tonight, Thursday 8/11.

LINCOLN PARK

Locally produced works of musical theatre are being showcased this month in the third Chicago Music Theatre Festival. Fourteen new shows and a workshop for musicals in progress will be running 4 times each from 8/9 to 8/28 at Victory Garden Biograph Theater (2433 North Lincoln Ave.). The Festival is the brainchild of Underscore Theatre Company that is a collaboration of writers, actors, musicians and producers that was founded in 2011 to produce and premiere the talents of Chicago musical theatre creators. This year’s lineup presents an eclectic array of subject matters that are explored creatively through song, dance, drama and comedy. Follow the link above for show summaries and to purchase tickets.

PORTAGE PARK

Front Porch Concerts brings local musicians to various Chicago neighborhoods to the literal front porches of houses where audience members can gather, listen to live music and enjoy a sense of community. These concerts provide exposure for local musicians and allows audiences to explore local musicians and neighborhoods at the same time. This Sunday, 8/14, 3316 N. Kirkpatrick Ave. will host Hey! Rabbit and Marshall Lewis from 5:00p.m. to 7:00p.m. Free beer from Revolution Brewing will be available while supplies last.

LOOP

Update from last week’s Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby, the 11th annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois that pits adopted rubber ducks against each other on a no-holds-barred race down the Chicago River. Last Thursday, 8/4, at 1:00p.m. 57,147 rubber ducks were dumped by a truck off the Columbus Dr. bridge into the Chicago River towards the finish line at Wrigley Building. The 5 winners have been named and they won from Grand Prize to 5th Prize: a new Chevy Malibu; a three-night Cancun trip; the Chicago Family Pack including admission to Shedd Aquarium, a Chicago Wolves hockey match, and gift cards to various Chicago stores; a $929 gift card to use at the Rosemont Fashion Outlets; and tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in September. At $5 per ducky entry, donations, and proceeds from the family festival area, the event raised $400,000 in 2015. So far this year’s Ducky Derby has generated $330,000 for Special Olympics Illinois with more matching gifts and donations yet to be processed.

NAPERVILLE

When it comes to ranking in 2016 Cities with the Best Public Schools in America, 2nd place is not the least bit shabby. Niche.com, Inc, the company formerly known as College Prowler, has been collecting the opinions of millions of students, parents, and professionals to rank and review schools, colleges, cities and neighborhoods since 2002. According to Patch.com, the ranking is based on state test scores, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality and reviews from students and parents. The graduation rate of Naperville students is 93.8% which is 10 percentage points higher than the national average of 82.2%. Way to go, Naperville!

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO