THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – Chicagoans Welcome In August!
It’s hard to believe that this weekend is August already. And it’s even harder to believe that our summer continues to be spent sheltering in place and obeying social distancing guidelines. However, Chicagoans won’t be denied a fun summer as we welcome in August!
As you know, the city has canceled all permitted special events, including Lollapalooza. But this year’s Lollapalooza music festival will be commemorated with a free, four-night (July 30-August 2) broadcast dubbed Lolla2020. The broadcast will air exclusively live on YouTube beginning at 5 p.m. each night. This virtual event will include performances from around the city and beyond with epic archival sets from Chicago and the festival’s six international editions, never-before-seen footage from the 1990s, and much more. Official Lolla merchandise is available for purchase as well. New this year, nominate yourself to become the first-ever Mayor of Lolla! Prizes include a brand-new Toyota Corolla Apex, 4-Day Platinum Tickets to Lolla 2021, flights plus hotel during the fest, and more!!
Stan’s Donuts is going virtual as well with its Stan’s Donut Virtual Race. This year’s virtual run will consist of a kids’ dash, 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon option. Stan’s will ship (or you can pick-up) your shirt, medal, donut certificate, and any other goodies right to you. Then you run (or walk) the distance you selected at any time during the month of August and at any location you choose. However, it is highly recommended that you finish at a Stan’s Donuts location for your tasty free donut! So, grab your donut-lovin’ friends and register today. You don’t want to miss out on your free Stan’s donut!!
Who doesn’t like penguins, right? Well, it’s time to meet them virtually at the Shedd Aquarium’s Virtual Penguin Encounter. You will meet a penguin up close and discover what makes these birds so amazing during your 45-minute experience. This encounter will take place on Zoom so you can enjoy the experience right from your own home. Plus, all questions can be asked live through the chat function and responded to by the program host. So, who will you meet – waddling Wellington, rockhopper pair Edward and Annie, or Izzy and Darwin the Magellanic penguins?
Chicago’s Scots invite everyone to their 34th annual, first-ever, virtual Scottish Festival & Highland Games this Saturday (2 p.m.-6 p.m.). This is a free, family-friendly event featuring a variety of demonstrations and performances, including shortbread baking with award-winning Chef Gary Maclean, Scottish heavy athletics, the Highland dancers, and bagpiping and more for everyone to enjoy! Plus, participants are encouraged to visit the event’s Virtual Marketplace for a selection of exclusive virtual experiences to purchase all in support of the Chicago Scots mission!!
Need to just kick-back and unwind? Check out these online concerts (youtube.com/Chicago DCASE) featuring Millennium Park at Home: Blues Music this Saturday and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday performers are Melody Angel and John Primer. Sunday performers are Ivy Ford and Toronzo Cannon. Enjoy your blues music evening!!
Lastly, this weekend’s Chi-Together: Drive-in Movies & Music will feature Dream Girls (Saturday) and Kung Fu Panda (Sunday) at Soldier Field (1410 S. Museum Campus Dr.) in the South Loop. Enjoy drive-in movies plus live music in a socially distant event. Each ticket includes a 90-minute music showcase by a locally featured musician or DJ, followed by the movie on 3 jumbo screens for up to 6 people, and includes a free bucket of popcorn!
Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago
