CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS – Oak Park, Portage Park, Lincoln Park, Loop, Old Town

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OAK PARK

If you wind up ending your work week feeling like a zombie then slog your way out to the Culver’s at 6943 W. Roosevelt Rd. to join the 7th Annual Zombie Walk & Pub Crawl tomorrow, Friday 10/28. The organized event kicks off from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. with zombie make-up if you don’t wear your own. Then $25 wristbands can be purchased at the crawl’s 1st stop, Commodore Barry American Legion Post (6919 W. Roosevelt Rd.), which grant you drink specials and complementary brain-free (I assume) food at the conclusion of the crawl which officially ends by 11:00 p.m. Of course neighborhood bars will remain open until their usual closing times of around 2:00 a.m. so you can continue your creepy fun if you so choose.

PORTAGE PARK

Spook-tacular events abound especially at The Chicago Ballet Center. Costumes are highly encouraged but not necessary for your little ones to enjoy dancing, Halloween games and light refreshments on Sunday 10/30 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave.

LINCOLN PARK

With its own SpookTacular celebration on Sunday, Clark Street Lincoln Park is inviting one and all for an afternoon of Trick-or-Treating at participating businesses along Clark St. from Diversey to Armitage and on the south side of Diversey from Orchard to Lakeview during the hours of 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Follow the link above so you won’t miss the Costume Contest’s Judging Times for your specific age-range or group. You’ll need to arrive 15 minutes prior to judging times from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at 2558 N. Clark so don’t be late. And the winners for the Scarecrows on Parade contest will be announced from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Be sure to place your vote for the best scarecrow display created by the local business owner of your choice that have been spooking up the area since October 8th.

LOOP

New sections of the Chicago Riverwalk, the $98.66 million recreation park, have been opened to the public as of this week. Water Plaza features interactive decorative fountains between LaSalle and Wells St.; The Jetty located between Wells and Franklin Streets offers fishing piers and educational sites to learn more about the underwater “fish hotel” and the Chicago River itself; and the Riverbank walk is open between Lake and Franklin/Orleans. Construction continues so that the 1.3-mile pedestrian walkway will be accessible to Wacker Dr. and Lake St.

OLD TOWN

There’s a new exhibit at the Chicago History Museum called Making Mainbocher: The First American Couturier which is running from 10/22/16 to 8/20/17, and you may be surprised at how recognizable these iconic fashions are. Mainbocher is a fashion label that was founded in 1929 by Main Rousseau Bocher and some of his most famous work include the uniforms for the World War II Navy WAVES and the Girl Scouts of America. Educated in Paris with a prolific career in New York, Bocher was born and raised in Chicago and was the first American to be regarded as a success in the couture fashion industry. His work was most popular during the 1930s – 1940s and he was selected to design the wedding dress for the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, in 1937. Check out the exhibit for some classy Halloween costume inspiration.

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO