Art lovers will flock to the Chicago Tribune Magnificent Mile Art Festival this weekend. Rated one of the top 100 art festivals in the country by Sunshine Art Magazine, the quality here is impeccable. You can find anything from a $20 vase to a $25,000 sculpture! The show goes from Friday through Sunday in the Pioneer Court next to the Tribune Tower and includes sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, paintings, and pottery from over 200 award-winning professional artists from all over the country. The Festival also features live music performances daily, including jazz musician Chris Sidwell and steel drummer Doug Walker.

About 10,000 people will be bicycling late Saturday night into Sunday morning for McDonald’s L.A.T.E. Ride (Long After Twilight Ends), hosted by and benefitting Friends of the Parks. They’ll be riding through 25 miles of Chicago’s lakefront and neighborhoods, including Greektown, Lincoln Park, River North, West Loop, and more. Pre-registrants can enjoy rest stops along the way, providing water, fruit, and high-energy snacks. There is also a post-ride breakfast back at Buckingham Fountain. Anyone have a pair of training wheels I can borrow? (*blush*)

Finally, this Sunday is the 28th Annual Chinatown Summer Fair. This celebration attracts tens of thousands of people every year, featuring entertainment and crafts from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Philippine cultures. The colorful Lion Dance procession at 1:00 p.m. is a beautiful variance from the usual neighborhood parade. Visit Chinatown’s many restaurants, street vendors, and unique gift shops. There will even be cutest-dog and cutest-baby contests… just don’t confuse the two. Hee.

Photo credit: Robin Wong (c/o Wikipedia), jaymce

World’s Largest Pajama Party (free!): 1300 S Linn White Dr; 312-540-2000
July 13: 6:00 p.m.
Street parking difficult, pay lot available
Public trans: Bus # 12, 146
http://vspink.com/

Magnificent Mile Art Festival (free!): 435 N Michigan Ave; 954-472-3755
July 13-14: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
July 15: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pay lot; no parking on Michigan Ave
Public trans: Bus # 2, 3, X4, 10, 26, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151, 157 or Red Line train (Grand)

L.A.T.E. Ride ($35-$40): 500 S Lake Shore Dr; 773-918-7433
July 14: 11:00 p.m. Pre-ride festivities begin
July 15: 1:30 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. L.A.T.E. ride
Street parking, pay lot
Public trans: Bus # 1, 3, 4, X4, 6, 7, 14, 26, X28, 126, 127, 147
http://www.lateride.org/

Chinatown Summer Fair (free!): 2200 S Wentworth Ave; 312-225-6198
July 15: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Street parking available
Public trans: Bus # 18, 21, 24, 29, 62 or Red Line train (Cermak-Chinatown)
http://www.chicagochinatown.com/

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

On October 8, 1871, a small fire started at what is now 558 W De Koven St (near Canal and Roosevelt, just off I-90/94). The traditional tale tells of a cow kicking over a lantern at the O’Leary barn, but the reporter who originally wrote the story later admitted that he made it up. There are many theories on how it started, but no matter what the origin, the Great Chicago Fire caused incredible damage to the city. After almost two days of burning, the fire destroyed more than 2,000 acres of the city, eliminated over 15,000 buildings, and left nearly a third of the city’s population homeless.

Rebuilding began immediately, and a number of buildings were re-established, looking much like the ones burnt down but with better, stronger structures, of course. However, many designers took advantage of the city’s blank slate and took architecture in a new direction. Chicago soon became the frontrunner of architectural progress on a global scale.

Many of Chicago’s buildings are amazing to observe and explore, whether they were built in response to the Great Fire or in the years following. One example is the Tribune Tower, home of the Tribune Company and the Chicago Tribune newspaper. WGN Radio (720 AM) also broadcasts from the ground level of the building.

In 1922, to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Chicago Tribune organized an international contest for “the most beautiful and eye-catching building in the world,” offering $50,000 to the winner. Of the 250-plus entries, the winners were Raymond Hood (who would later build New York’s Rockefeller Center) and John Howell with a controversial Gothic design, inspired by the Button Tower of the cathedral at Rouen, France. Many critics argued that it went against the modern design trends of the time.

The Tribune Tower was completed in 1925, has 34 stories, and reaches a height of 462 feet (141 meters). With its decorative buttresses at the top, this structure is a remarkable sight, especially in the evening when the tower is lit.

The Tower also incorporates over 100 rocks and bricks from historically important sites directly into its exterior walls. The stones are all labeled (Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid, Berlin Wall, World Trade Center, and many more) and visible from the street level.

Photo credit: Wikipedia, rcktmanil (c/o Flickr)

Tribune Tower: 435 N Michigan Ave; 312-222-3994
Mon – Fri: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pay lot; no parking on Michigan Ave
Public trans: Bus # 2, 3, X4, 10, 26, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151, 157 or Red Line train (Grand)
http://tinyurl.com/2n7t7e

Post from: The Chicago Traveler