LAKEVIEW — A Japanese flower walk, pop-up jazz concerts and a “Harry Potter”-themed celebration are coming to Lakeview this summer as part of a community events grant program.
The Community Events and Placemaking Program, funded by Lakeview Special Service Area 27, will provide $40,000 in assistance and support for creative events in West Lakeview.
The program is hosted by the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce, which recently announced its 2021 grant recipients.
“These recipients will support the mission of SSA 27 by creating special events, public programs and place-making activities that will enhance our community for years to come,” said Carisa Marconet, Director of Chamber Events and Marketing. of Commerce of Lakeview Roscoe Village.
Events selected for grants include:
Sonic Walkabout: A guided audio walking tour featuring six to 10 West Lakeview cultural or historical sites paired with newly composed music by each site. The tour is organized by Access Contemporary Music and will be released in June.
Ikebana walk: Businesses along Southport Avenue will celebrate Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, with 17 displays of flowers in their storefronts. This event, organized by the Japanese Cultural Center, will take place on June 12 and 13.
Turning the Pop-up Book Sale page: Turning the Page, a nonprofit group that brings educational resources to elementary schools in North Lawndale, will host a pop-up used book market on June 19, July 18, August 14 and September 12.
CircEsteem around Chicago: The youth circus CircEsteem will present three 45-minute shows throughout the summer featuring young people aged 10 to 19 from its programming. Each show will be followed by a 30-minute workshop allowing children to try out circus techniques themselves. The shows will take place on June 25, July 16 and August 14.
Summer Dog Days: Hosted by A Dog’s Best Friend, Dog Days of Summer will be a pet-focused, family-friendly dog play party with small wading pools, ball pits and an inflatable bounce house. The event will feature a dog trainer teaching two mini-classes, a dog photo booth, “paint your pet” art classes and host Miss Foozie.
Southport Paint: Twenty-five local artists will design sets along Southport Avenue while competing for the “People’s Choice” award. Neighbors can wander around Southport to observe the process and purchase the paintings at the end of the event. Organized by Spectra Fine Art, the event will take place on August 21 along Southport between Byron and Roscoe.
A very Harry celebration: This “Harry Potter” weekend will include a shopping scavenger hunt along the Southport Corridor, as well as a pop-up shop and photo booth at the Lakeview Low-Line. This event is organized by Covenant Youth Collision and will be held August 28-29.
Chicago Family Bike Festival: This community bike event will feature various activities for kids, such as a bike safety lesson, bike decorating, music and more. Organized by Chicago Family Biking, the date has not yet been announced.
Jazz concert pop-up series (The Step Sessions): Organized by jazz guitarist Lee Rothenberg, professional musician and resident of Roscoe Village, this series will include five pop-up jazz concerts between June and October. Rothenberg and his jazz friends will perform from his front porch to the neighbors of his building.
PlayMakers Lab Digital Short Film Festival: This mini outdoor film festival will feature 90 minutes of digital short film adaptations of stories written by Chicago public school students. The festival is organized by Playmakers Laboratory and will take place in September.
Endless summer: This pop-up day camp will feature activities, games, crafts, entertainment and other camp-like festivities. This will take place at the end of September or the beginning of October to take advantage of the last weeks of good summer weather.
More information about grant recipients can be found on the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber website.
Jake Wittich is a Report for America corps member covering Lakeview, Lincoln Park and LGBTQ communities across the city for Block Club Chicago.
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