COMMUNITY NEWS - Dean's Team

Summer in the city remains vibrant with music, art and community events that inform and entertain the whole family!

Ruido Fest is one of the only large-scale events in the city that champions the diverse sounds of Latin American pop, electro and rock, En Español. Headlining acts include Argentine ska band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Mexican ska act Panteón Rococó and Mexico City alt-rockers Café Tacuba. Other highlights of the lineup include Venezuelan funk outfit Los Amigos Invisibles, Mexican indie rockers Little Jesus and Chicago’s very own singer-songwriter Kaina. Ruido Fest takes place in Union Park, Three-day passes available, August 20-22 in Union Park 1501 W Randolph St. Any questions? Send an email to info@ruidofest.com.

Paint Southport is a unique event, harkening back to artists lining the streets to paint as they did 100 years ago in Paris. The one-day plein air conpetition, features Chicago-area artists drawing and painting the summer scenery along Southport Avenue. You can see paintings come to life before your eyes, while enjoying the businesses and restaurants on Southport! Painting will start at 1 pm on Southport between Byron and Roscoe. At 4 pm, artists will put down their brushes, frame their work, and bring it to the parking lot at 5/3 Bank at Addison and Southport, to be judged for four awards: Best of Show; Second Place; Honorable Mention; and a ‘People’s Choice’ award, voted on by event visitors. The judge will review the work both during its creation and in final form. Finished paintings on display at the end of the event’s may be sold directly to the public by the artists.

Get exclusive access and information about your favorite animals at Lincoln Park Zoo on Saturday, August 21, from 9–11 am, while you Breakfast with the Animals. Curator of Mammals Mike Murray will be your guide to learn about the social dynamics and behaviors of the African Painted Dog while dining on vegetarian-friendly pancakes with chocolate/hazelnut Nutella, fruit, coffee, juices, and more at Bird’s Eye Bar & Grill, a stone’s throw from the zoo’s African Painted Dog habitat. Tickets are $50 per person and include a complimentary sample of Nutella® hazelnut spread and recipes to try at home.

Look, up in the sky…It’s a bird? No, it’s a plane! And they’re diving, flying upside down, sideways and coming right at you (or, so it seems!) In 2021, a new and reimagined free air show takes the place of the Chicago Air and Water Show. This year, the City of Chicago presents a spectacular show courtesy of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The show features special solo demonstrations by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels along the lakefront on August 21 & 22 from 12–1pm. You can also see the Blue Angels practice on Thursday, August 20, from 10am–2pm. The City of Chicago recommends that for the best viewing, gather between Oak Street and Fullerton Avenue along Chicago’s spectacular lakefront!

The Grant Park Music Festival at Millennium Park ends its 2021 season this weekend with tributes to Handel and Mozart, with a nod to pre-eminent woman composer Gabriela Lena Frank. On Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, from 6:30-8 pm, conductor Carlos Kalmar leads this free, soaring musical celebration at Jay Pritzker Pavilion. The concert opens with “Andean Elegy” by Gabriela Lena Frank, followed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with violinist Vadim Gluzman, and George Frideric Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum with the Grant Park Chorus. David Govertsen bass-baritone, is featured.

Alison Moran and Dean’s Team Chicago