Monday
QUINCEANERA
Here come the party dresses! The coming-of-age celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday gets a big-time boost during Navy Pier’s summer parties, naturally held on the 15th of July and August. While local bands perform, celebrants pose for a professional group photo shoot (they’ll get a link to download free digital copies). Bonus: Girls also get a ticket for a complimentary ride on Centennial Wheel. 6-7:45 p.m. at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. Free, but advance registration required. https://tinyurl.com/y3ct3g8z
MOVIES IN THE PARK
Big screen + blanket on the grass + evening breeze = simple summer perfection. The Chicago Park District’s Movies in the Parks program chugs along, offering free family fare throughout the summer. Recent films can be found all over the schedule, but why not try an older film the kids haven’t seen? For example: “Singing in the Rain” has plenty of song-and-dance pizazz, with Gene Kelly at his peak in 1952 (catch it Monday at Osterman Beach, better known as Hollywood Beach); “Space Jam,” the 1996 Michael Jordan-Looney Tunes basketball-in-space romp, screens Thursday at Bartelme Park. Meanwhile, Northwestern’s Norris University Center hosts an outdoor screening in Evanston of 2004’s “Shrek 2”, complete with free servings of green lemonade. https://tinyurl.com/yb5qss5c
Tuesday
‘CATS’
There’s barely a shred of plot in this song-and-dance spectacle, which has become the avatar of shine-over-substance ’80s pop culture. But the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical still has plenty of fans, which explains why Broadway in Chicago brings the tour here for three weeks. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and run through Aug. 4 at Nederlander Theatre (formerly the Oriental), 24 W. Randolph St. Ticket prices start at $26.50. https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/cats-2019/
Wednesday
SUPER STOLIE GARDEN CONCERTS
A longtime fixture of the Chicago kindie scene, Super Stolie turns out two big concerts this week, both of them with a bilingual hook. Check out her tunes on her site, then catch her when she performs on two consecutive family nights at the Chicago area’s big gardens: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe (free admission; $20-$25 parking); and 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle ($5 admission after 4:30 p.m.; free parking).
Thursday
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT POP-UP DESIGN STUDIO
Insert a little STEM into your summer with free Wright-inspired creative challenges. If you have kids anywhere from kindergarten age to fifth graders, these drop-in days are open to you. The weekly two-hour workshops run 10 a.m. till noon through Aug. 9: Thursdays at Robie House, 5757 S. Woodlawn Ave.; Fridays at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park. Free. https://flwright.org/programs/popupstudio
‘THE ADVENTURES OF PETER RABBIT’
Millennium Park is already packed with great things to do, but the agenda gets even fuller as the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) kicks off its summer theater celebration. First up is Emerald City Theatre’s adaptation of classic Beatrix Potter stories about Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck. Catch it twice Thursday or Friday morning (at 9:30 or 11:15 a.m.) or Saturday at 10 a.m. at various Millennium Park locations. Free. https://tinyurl.com/y6bwwvoh
‘SOX VS. CUBS’
Gail Borden Public Library makes a habit of offering great family-friendly exhibits that don’t require a trip to a museum. In “The Sox vs. Cubs: The Chicago Civil Wars,” visitors explore the crosstown rivalry via team artifacts, baseball cards, a trivia challenge and even a photo-op with a giant bat. To further entice families, you can meet Southpaw, the White Sox mascot, at 3 p.m. Thursday. At Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Free. https://tinyurl.com/y2kylvka
SUMMER NATURE FEST
Lincoln Park’s Nature Museum throws a big outdoor party, and everyone’s invited. Enjoy summer-fest standards like games and live music, then plug into nature-based activities: Go on a prairie scavenger hunt; try fishing off the pier; learn more about birds and plants from representatives of partner organizations, including Indiana Dunes National Park. 4-8 p.m. in and around Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive. Suggested donation $5 per person or $10 per family. http://www.summernaturefest.com/
Friday
APOLLO 11 CELEBRATION: MOON BASH
Fifty years ago on Saturday, humankind achieved an out-of-this-world milestone when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon (while astronaut Michael Collins orbited above, ensuring they could all return to Earth). The Adler celebrates this amazing golden anniversary with two days of programming, including family-friendly games, art activities, puppet shows and space-themed Exploration Stations. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. $19, $8 for kids 3-11. (Some special events, such as a talk with Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell on Saturday, require an additional ticket.) https://tinyurl.com/y2rvyyut
BENFEST
This popular street fest in the city’s North Center neighborhood take its name from its host, St. Benedict Parish. In addition to the regular fun — including a kids zone that includes inflatables, a double water slide, an obstacle course and more — the fest features live music Saturday from a variety of local School of Rock bands. The fun begins at 4 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The main entrance is at 2215 W. Irving Park Road. $5 admission, free for kids 5 and under; $20 for kids activity wristbands. http://benfest.com/
’20/20′
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble unveils a world premiere: “20/20,” devised and performed by the fresh-faced company. Developed during a series of workshops with artists and activists, the show bridges generations by recounting two tumultuous decades of LGBT history. See it at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through July 28 at Hoover-Leppen Theatre inside the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. $20 or pay-what-you-can. https://tinyurl.com/y3jt6uv3
Saturday
DISCOVER MAYSLAKE
The 87-acre Mayslake Peabody estate hosts an open-house event full to the brim with indoor and outdoor events. Kids are practically guaranteed to find something cool to do: Learn the basics of archery or fishing; go kayaking; attend live music or theater performances; take guided nature hikes and more. 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook. Free. https://tinyurl.com/y4e5aafv
‘WHERE’S WALDO’ PARTY
Andersonville’s annual “Where’s Waldo?” scavenger hunt culminates Saturday afternoon with a party at the neighborhood’s signature bookstore. Prior to the party, families can visit local shops — including Toys Etc., AlleyCat Comics, Candyality, Defloured gluten-free bakery, George’s Ice Cream and First Slice Pie Company — to get a stamp for their Waldo passport. With 10 stamps, a child can enter the raffle at the party, which also includes games and snacks. 3 p.m. at Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark St. Free. https://tinyurl.com/y544gjre
Sunday
TELLIN’ TALES THEATRE: ‘ADAPTABILITY’
Part of the Chicago Public Library’s programming for Disability Awareness Month, this Tellin’ Tales Theatre show features young people sharing their stories. Geared for kids and adults alike, “Adaptability” is a serious-yet-humorous look at ways to navigate the world with a disability, whether physical or emotional. At 2 p.m. at Sulzer Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave. Free. https://tinyurl.com/y2myvero
MUSIC OF PHISH FOR KIDS
Parents, aunts and uncles get to introduce a new generation to their favorite ’90s jam band when the Rock and Roll Playhouse brings its Phish covers to Pilsen. Families with kids 9 and younger can groove to the beats and clever wordplay of “Twist,” “Down With Disease,” “Heavy Things” and more. Doors open at 11 a.m., concert at 11:30 at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. $15. https://tinyurl.com/yyvxrkoz
Web Behrens is a freelancer.
![Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-l-Illinois-marijuana_175925141.jpg?w=546 "Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]")
