Chicago, IL

In Chicago and its suburbs, just like most cities, they are plenty of opportunities for you to do some good this holiday season. Even if you don’t have a lot of extra cash to donate to worthy causes, there are other things that you can do to help out. Here is a short list of ideas, although it is no way comprehensive.

1) Make a bell ringer smile: The Salvation Army bell-ringers, who collect money throughout the city, are hard to miss. Downtown they are in front of every major department store and other key places. In the neighborhoods, you can find them outside of your local grocery store. Those people work hard, often standing out in the cold for hours waiting for donations. Recently outside Macy’s, I saw a bell-ringer singing carols. I hope she has as much enthusiasm a few weeks from now. So, when you pass one by, drop whatever change you have in your pocket. Better yet, do what my sister and I did one year: take that jar or bowl of change you have accumulating at home and dump the whole thing in the Salvation Army bin. You’ll feel great and so will the bell-ringer.

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The Chicago Cubs playoff series is not the only internationally prominent sporting event taking place in Chicago this weekend. On Sunday, 45,000 runners will take part in the 30th Anniversary running of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

If you want to watch the marathon in person, be prepared to be surrounded by about a million other Chicagoans vying for a good vantage point. The Chicago Marathon website has a spectator guide, which can you give you an idea of good places to view the runners, as well as other helpful information.

As you can see from the map above (click on it for the larger size in pdf), the 26.2 miles running extravaganza covers a lot of landmarks throughout the city and goes through a number of different neighborhoods. The runners will travel north to Wrigley Field, home of the National League Central Champion Chicago Cubs, and as far south as U.S. Cellular Field where the White Sox play. The course also goes through Lakeview, where there are expected to be men in drag handing out water and Gatorade. The course also runs through the Pilsen and Bronzetown neighborhoods. In Chinatown, runners will be treated to a special show, featuring a dragon!

Do you know someone running in the event? You can sign-up to receive text messages letting you know their progress along the race course.

If you want to listen to the coverage of the marathon on the radio, it will be carried lived on 620AM, The Score. The marathon will also be shown on television locally on CBS2, from 7:30a.m.-11:00p.m. CBS2 will also air a highlight show Sunday night at 10:30 p.m.

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If you are a runner and would like to see the sights of Chicago, you may want to consider signing up for City Running Tours. Whether you are a Chicago resident or a tourist, you can benefit from participating in one of the company’s tours.

City Running Tours has an assortment of routes available, at different distances, including Wrigleyville, the Lakefront, and the Great Chicago Fire. In addition to the running workout, your tour guide will give your interesting information about the area that you are running through.

The pace is determined by the customer, so if you are a slower runner, don’t worry about being left behind. Your guide will provide water for the run and you are permitted to stop along the way to take photos or catch a breather if necessary.

City Running Tours are also available in Washington, DC, New York City, and San Diego. For more information or to make reservations online, visit City Running Tours.

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The city of Chicago has announced that The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, will be this fall’s selection in the One Book, One Chicago program (“OBOC”). The program attempts to encourage reading in Chicago by having everyone read the same book and attend panels, discussions, and other events pertaining to the book.

The Crucible, which was performed as a play for decades and then made into a movie by the same name in the 1990s, is about the Salem witch hunt and witchcraft trials in the 1600s.

In honor of the book,’s selection, the Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble will be performing the play from September 13-Novemeber 11th.

This season’s OBOC will also featuring screening of the film, in addition to the lectures, discussions, and panels. As usual there are also special discussions for teenagers. The programs are available throughout the city at various library branches and other locations, so there should be an event near you.

For more information on the program, including speakers and book discussions, check out this official library pamphlet about the program. (PDF)

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This weekend will mark the 18th annual African Festival of Arts in Chicago. The event will celebrate the art and culture of Africa. It features three performance stages, including a hip-hop stage and a world music stage. Performers include MC Lyte, Naughty By Nature, and James Cotton.

In addition to music, the African Festival of the Arts will feature cultural programs including fine arts, fashion, a kids pavilion, and food sellers. There will also be a drum village featuring talented percussionists.

The event will take place in Washington Park at 51st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue on Friday August 31-Monday September 3rd from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

For more information, including how to purchase tickets, visit the African Festival of the Arts website.

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Celebrate Greek heritage and culture this weekend at the Taste of Greece. The event will take place in the heart of Greektown, on Halsted Street, from Monroe to Van Buren.

A celebration of Greek heritage includes food from area restaurants, live music on two stages (5 p.m.), beer and wine, belly dancing, games and more. The Hellas Dance Troupe and the Orpheus Dancing Group perform nightly beginning at 7 p.m.

The event runs from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

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In what has become a tradition that marks back-to-school time in Chicago, this Saturday, August 11, 2007, will be the 78th annual Bud Billiken Parade. The parade is the largest African-American parade in the country, named after Bud Billiken, the mythical protector of children.

In addition to typical parade participants, such as marching bands, drill teams, and floats, the event also features the Bud Billiken King and Queen.

In its 78 years of existence, the parade has hosted many celebrities, including:

Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Duke Ellington, Oprah Winfrey, Hop-Along Cassidy, Lena Horne, Spike Lee, L.L. Cool J, Bozo the Clown, Jack Brickhouse, Frank Thomas, Michael Jordan and President Harry S. Truman

This year’s parade will step-off at 10:00 a.m. at 39th Street and Martin Luther King Drive and head south to Washington Park. If you cannot make the festivities, the parade will be aired locally on both ABC and WGN, and will be shown nationwide on WGN.

For more information on the parade and its history, visit the official Bud Billiken Parade Site.

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This Friday and Saturday, Halsted Street will be host to the annual Northalsted Market Days. The event purports to be the “largest two-day street fair in the Midwest.”

From the Market Days officials:

The event spans six city blocks, has 17 entrance gates and features three music stages with more than 40 musical acts performing. Many of these artists will be top-name, national headliners, giving Market Days a reputation for some of the best live music in Chicago.

Market Days is also famous for its vast array of unique food, and arts and crafts vendors. Vendors from across the country apply for the privilege of showing and selling their unique wares to this huge, upscale crowd. On average, Northalsted Market Days® features 400 food, arts and crafts vendors.

Details:
Date: August 11th and 12th
Time: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Location: N. Halsted street, between Belmont and Addison in Chicago

For the full schedule, including all of the musical events check out think link.

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WGN is hosting a back to school event this Friday, August 3rd from 6:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. The event will take place at WGN-TV Studios, 2501 W. Bradley Place in Chicago. It is a free fair and will be covered on the WGN Morning News, so you and your children have a chance to get on television.

There is a long list of a events and specials guests for the fair, too many to list here. Here is a small sampling of what you can expect to see:

Free back to school physical exams and immunizations

Free vision screenings

A performance by the Jesse White Tumblers

An interactive Harry Potter area

A WWE lounge

For the entire list of scheduled events visit the WGN website.

A woman was grabbed in Lincoln Park last night at 3:15 a.m. The woman screamed and was able to get away. The police are unsure if this incident is related to two previous sexual assaults that took place in nearby Lakeview.

Here are the details of the two previous incidents:

On Sunday, a woman in her mid-20s was sexually assaulted and struck in the head around 4:30 a.m. as she tried to return to her apartment building in the 3700 block of North Lakewood.

That attack followed the attempted sexual assault of another woman July 23 in the 500 block of West Briar Place. That victim, also in her mid-20s, was headed home when a man threw her to the ground around 2 a.m

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This weekend, the southside Chicago neighborhood of Bridgeport will host the Southside Arts and Musical Festival. The event will run Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm at 35th & Halsted. It will benefit the Valentine Boys and Girls Club.

The organizers of the event, describe it this way:

The Southside Arts and Music Festival is a true celebration of Chicago. The event offers the best of everything that Chicagoan’s love: a wide selection of food offered by some of the south side’s oldest and most popular restaurants, a lineup of the very best of Chicago’s local classic rock and blues bands culminating in national musical headliners each night, and a wide selection of merchandise offered by upscale arts and crafts vendors and local area businesses.

There is quite a wide variety of performers including Motown-inspired Hitsville U.S.A, funk band Lubriphonic, the Jesse White Tumblers, and voodoo blues performer Lonnie Brooks. For a complete list of performers, including their performance day and time, visit the official site here.

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If you are looking for something fun to do this Friday that will also help a good cause, consider attending The annual “Caring for Kids Day” at Alcocks sports bar in Chicago. They label the event “one huge gigantic street fest” and it will benefit LaRabida Children’s Hospital. As these photos from last year show, last year’s event included live music and a dunk tank!

Here are the details:
Friday July 20th
10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
411 S. Wells
312-922-1778
Event will take place outside the back door the bar.

This weekend is the Old St. Pat’s annual block party, which is described as the “world’s largest block party.” The event will take place Friday and Saturday as a fundraiser for Old St. Pat’s church, Chicago’s oldest public building.

Here is what the organizers have to say about the goal of this year’s event:

The Block Party proceeds support the on-going campus expansion. The campus expansion will ensure that the important outreach missions we share such as the Education Center, the Outreach Group, CARA Job Placement and Mentoring Program, Career Transitions Center of Chicago and Global Alliance for Africa will be able to call Old St. Pat’s home for decades to come.

In addition to great food and drink, there are several musical performances during the two day event. Here is the line-up:

Friday, July 20
WXRT Main Stage

* Michael McDermott (5:15–6:30)
* Back Door Slam (7:00–8:00)
* Rusted Root (8:30–10:30)

South Stage

* Weber Band (5:30–9:45)

Bud Light Beer Garden

* DJ music from Fig Media

Saturday, July 21
WXRT Main Stage

* Catchpenny (5:30–7:00)
* Jon McLaughlin (7:30–8:30)
* Big Head Todd and the Monsters (9:00–10:30)

South Stage

* Heligoats (5:30–6:30)
* Hello Dave (7:00–10:00)

Bud Light Beer Garden

* DJ music from Fig Media

The gates to the event are located at Madison and Des Plaines and open at 5:00 pm. both days. The event will run until approximately 10:30 p.m. each night. Cost is $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at the official website here.

This year’s Chicago Marathon, which will take place on Sunday October 7th, will mark the 30th anniversary of the event. For spectators, 83 days away probably sounds a bit early to be talking about an event. For those participating, like myself, it seems pretty close. So, to help my fellow runners, I want to share this video that I found on the Chicago Marathon website.

It was taken from a car who drove the entire length of the course prior to the start of last year’s event. It really gives you a great look at everything you will be passing throughout the 26.2 mile event and gives you a good representation of just how low you will be running. Although the video is of last year’s course, the course does not change all that much from year to year, so it should be pretty close. The 2007 official course map is not yet available. To check out this great video, click here.

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In the mood for some Greek food this weekend? You should check out the “Taste of Greece on La Salle Street,” Friday June 22-Sunday June 24. Th event, part of the 2nd Annual Greek Festival of the Annunciation at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral runs from 4 p.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon-11 p.m. on Sunday.

According to this website, the Taste of Greece will feature traditional Greek food, beer, wine, ouzo, soft drinks, Greek pastries, a Greek souvenir shop, a tour of the cathedral, Greek dancing, and live Greek music provided by The Linardakis Band. The church will also be hosting a raffle with cash prizes.

The event address is: 1017 N. La Salle St. For more information, or to buy raffle tickets prior to the event, call the church at: 312-664-5485.

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