FREE DAYS
Free admission is available at the:
Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., every Wednesday after 4 p.m.
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th Pl., every Wednesday.
Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., every Wednesday.
Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., Tuesday evenings through June 25.
YOUTH OF THE YEAR
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago held its annual Youth of the Year Gala, and one of the finalists was local McCartin Boys and Girls Club’s Kanoa Lee-Kline, who delivered a speech in the final part of the competition and took home $6,000 in scholarships.
STORY TIME
The Canaryville Library, 642 W. 43rd St., hosts story time for youngsters age five and younger and their caregivers on Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Call (312) 747-0644.
FREE LEGAL ADVICE
The Chicago Bar Association will have its Call A Lawyer program, making attorneys available to take calls from the public, on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. Call (312) 554-2001.
TEEN OPPORTUNITIES
The Chicago Park District will host a Teen Opportunity job and parks programs fair on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. For information, visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/teen-opportunity-fairs.
CHIARTS BENEFIT
ChiArts Foundation, on Thursday, May 2, will host its annual spring benefit Kerfuffle! at Morgan Manufacturing, 401 N. Morgan St., to support the music, theatre, dance, creative writing, and visual arts conservatories at the Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts). There will be live performances, poetry stations, and visual art showcasing how ChiArts is changing the Chicago arts community and beyond. Civic leaders Carol Prins and John Hart will be honored for their support and contributions to ChiArts and many of Chicago’s cultural institutions. For event details, visit https://chiartsfoundation.org/kerfuffle.
CHICAGO OPERA THEATRE NEWS
Chicago Opera Theatre will present the opera The Weight of Light at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave., on Saturday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55. Log on to chicagooperatheater.org.
CONCERT AT CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY There will be a concert at Church of the Holy Family, 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd., by Chris Jarrett called Tales of Our Times, Sunday, April 21, at 7 p.m. Jarrett comes from a family of musicians born in Pennsylvania. Residing in Germany, he has toured Europe, North Africa, Australia and the Far East with his piano compositions and improvisations, with organ music as well as in various ensembles. Tickets are $35, or for handicapped, $25 at the door. Reserve under ‘concerts/tickets’ @ www.chrisjarrett.de. Free parking available in lot west of church. For more information call (847) 636-0153.
ENROLLMENT UP
City Colleges of Chicago enrollment is up 9.2% from spring 2023 to spring 2024, exceeding the Illinois community college average of 5.1% according to a report released by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). Enrollment at Malcolm X College on the Near West Side is up 8%.
CBCAC NEWS
Chinatown has been named by the State of Illinois as a State-Designated Cultural District. The Chinatown State-Designated Cultural District is south of 17th street, north of 31st street, and between Wallace and Clark Streets. This means Chinatown will be eligible for additional State resources as led by Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) to direct funding and programs for preservation of local businesses, anti-displacement of residents, affordable housing, expanded economic opportunities, and transportation improvements. For more information, log on to https://cbcacchicago.org/.
The CBCAC will hold its Celebrating the Collective Power of Chinese Americans dinner Thursday, June 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at New Furama Chinatown restaurant. To register, go to cbcacchicago.org/2024celebrate.
JAZZ CONTINUUM
The Columbia College Chicago Dance Center at 1306 S. Michigan Ave. on Thursday and Friday, April 11 and 12, will present dance works by student choreographers. Shows run from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are free but must be reserved at http://tinyurl.com/StudentChoreographers. The Chicago Artist Spotlight Festival runs the Fridays and Saturdays of April 19 and 20 and 26 and 27, featuring four Chicago artists. Ayako Kato’s Ethos IV: Degrowth/Cycle/Rebirth will be Friday, April 19, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m., both beginning in Grant Park. Works by J’Sun Howard, Erin Kilmurray Kara Brody, and SJ Swilley will be Friday and Saturday April 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 for a festival pass, $30 for a single ticket, and free to Columbia College students. Obtain tickets at http://tinyurl.com/ArtistSpotlightFestival.
ARTS CLASSES
Donovan Park, 3620 S. Lituanica Ave., hosts arts classes for both youngsters and adults. Call (312) 747-6111.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Encompassing Center provides services including counseling, psychiatric and substance abuse services, anger management, and parent coaching. Call (773) 638-5703 or (312) 723-8679 or log on to encompassingcenter.org. The center is located at 3019 W. Harrison St.
FREE NURSE VISITS
Family Connects Chicago provides a free in-home nurse visit to mothers who deliver their babies at Mount Sinai Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, St. Anthony Hospital, or the University of Chicago Hospital. Log on to www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/onechifam/home/family-wellness/family-connects.html.
DOZIN’ WITH THE DINOS
Field Museum will offer Dozin’ with the Dinos on Friday, April 19, when families and groups with kids ages 6 to 12 can spend the night at the museum. Participants will stay up late with museum scientists and enjoy activities such as dissecting owl pellets and learning the steps of Egyptian mummification. Then, they will enjoy visiting exhibitions, including the Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet. The Field Museum is at 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Call (312) 922-9410.
NEW PASTOR
First Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1124 S. Ashland Ave., has installed a new pastor, the Rev. Anne Ritke McCall. She is the church’s 15th pastor in its 170-year history, and its first female pastor. McCall also is a graduate of Rush Medical College. For more information, log on to https://firstimmanuelchicago.org/.
LANGUAGE ACCESS
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is now offering over 130 languages on the office’s website to help ensure that Illinoisans whose primary language is not English can access critical information and resources in their preferred language. The service is powered by Google Translate. See https://www.ilsos.gov/.
GLESSNER HOUSE NEWS
Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Ave., offers docent-led 75-minute tours on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 1 and 2:30 p.m. Tours are $20 for adults and $17 for seniors and students. For more information, visit glessnerhouse.org.
GREEKTOWN EVENTS
The Greek Heritage Parade and the Agora Market in Greektown are scheduled for Sunday, April 7. The market will run from noon to 6 p.m. at the corner of Van Buren and Halsted Streets. The parade will run from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Halsted Street from Randolph to Van Buren Streets. For more information log on to www.enosisgroup.org.
ART TOURS
The Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S. Morgan St., offers third Friday tours at 6:30 p.m. This month’s tour will be Friday, Feb. 16. Log on to www.heritageasianart.org.
LAKEFRONT LOOP 5K
The Lakefront Loop 5K will be Sunday, May 5. Presented by Navy Pier’s Associate Board to support the pier’s cultural programming, the Lakefront Loop 5K is the only 5K contained entirely on Navy Pier. Log on to navypier.org for more information.
BARRETT OF M.A.D.D. HONORED
The National Endowment for the Arts has named Bril Barrett, a co-founder of M.A.D.D. Rhythms, a dance school at 4701 S. King Dr., as an NEA National Heritage Fellow. Barrett will receive a $25,000 award from the NEA and be honored in Washington, DC.
CAREER FAIR
Malcolm X College will hold a Citywide Career Fair on Thursday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school’s gymnasium. The school is at 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. Call (312) 850-7000 for more information.
MCKINLEY LIBRARY NEWS
The McKinley Park Branch Library, 1915 W. 35th St., will host Little Learners Story time for children up to age five Fridays through April 26 from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.; Reading Buddies for beginning readers and their caregivers on Saturday, April 6, from 2 to 2:45 p.m.; Spy Academy for ages six and up Wednesdays through April 17 from 4 to 5 p.m.; Family Crafts for ages three and up on Tuesday, April 23, from 4 to 4:45 p.m.; and the Parent Book Club on Sunday, April 28, from 3 to 4 p.m. Visit chicagpubliclibrary.org to register.
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
The Newberry Consort invites audiences to go back in time to 16th century Italy to experience the music and art of the Italian Renaissance in Il Furioso! Music Influenced by the Art and Life of Jacopo Tintoretto, taking place Friday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. at Ganz Hall, Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave., and Saturday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Hyde Park Union Church, 5600 S. Woodlawn Ave.
Tickets range from $25 to $65, and are $10 for students with a valid student ID. To purchase tickets please visit www.newberryconsort.org.
OUR LADY OF THE HOLY FAMILY NEWS
Our Lady of the Holy Family, 1334 W. Flournoy St., holds Sunday Masses at 9 a.m. in English and 11:30 a.m. in Spanish as well as a Saturday evening Anticipatory Mass at 5 p.m. in English.
Mass is held at 6 p.m. in the church on Mondays followed by the Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m. and Confessions. Tuesday through Thursday Masses are at 8 a.m. in the chapel at 1335 W. Harrison St. On Friday, Mass is held in the church at 6 p.m., followed by Adoration and Confessions.
OLHF offers a Friday Food Pantry for area residents facing food shortages. Contact the parish office or just come to the pantry, located behind the church at 1334 W. Flournoy St., from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Episodes of The Chosen,a television show about the life of Jesus, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. in the rectory on the Wednesdays of April 10, and 17.
Call (312) 243-7400, email [email protected], or log on to www.olhfchi.org.
SWIFT-MORRIS MANSION ENDANGERED
Preservation Chicago has named its seven most endangered buildings for 2024. Among them is one local structure: the Swift-Morris mansion at 4500 S. Michigan Ave.
DEARBORN PARK MEETING
Fourth Ward Alderman Lamont J. Robinson will hold a Dearborn Park community meeting on Tuesday, April 30, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to discuss the future of the park. The meeting will be held at Grace Place Church, 637 S. Dearborn St. For more information, email [email protected].
RUNWAY 606
Runway 606 is a new partnership between Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The program offers opportunities in pathways leading to in-demand well-paying careers, potentially shortening the journey from high school to a STEM master’s degree by two years beginning with a pathway to cybersecurity degrees and certifications. For more information, call (773) 771-1064.
SAINT IGNATIUS NEWS
The chess program at Saint Ignatius College Prep achieved conference champion status for the seventh year in a row, and were Illinois High School Association sectional champions as well. The team’s record this year was 20-2. The school is at 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd. Log on to www.ignatius.org.
PAGLEES ART EXHIBIT
The South Asia Institute, 1925 S. Michigan Ave., is hosting an art exhibition of the work of the Paglees, a feminist collective of artists of South Asian origin, in The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness through Saturday, April 27. For information, log on to www.saichicago.org or call (312) 929-3911.
REVITALIZE
The South Loop/Greater Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce will host its Revitalize gala and honor Alderwoman Nicole T. Lee on Thursday, April 18, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St., featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $100 presale and $125 at the door. Log on to www.southloopchamberofcommerce.com/register.
FUNDING FOR UNION STATION
The Federal government has appropriated $40 million towards modernizing Union Station at 225 S. Canal St.. The funding was obtained by Congressman Mike Quigley (D-5th) as part of Amtrak’s Fiscal Year 2024 annual appropriations requests and was included in the FY24 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill. The funding will go towards design, acquisition, and construction activities to improve the concourse and related infrastructure. Concourse and mezzanine renovation will improve safety and accessibility, expand access, and increase capacity.
HOUSING COUNSELING
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Housing Counseling has awarded $391,035 to Housing Action Illinois to fund training and education for current and prospective HUD-certified housing counselors.
WCA NEWS
The West Central Association has added several new board members: Tim Le of W.E. O’Neil, William Marovitz of Carnaval, Brady Mayer of First Eagle, and Manus Mehandru of mHub, The WCA also will hold a community cleanup on Madison Row Saturday, April 13, from 9 to 11 a.m. Its gala is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7. For more information log on to www.wcachicago.org.
PEOPLE
Christian Mitchell, former 26th District State Representative, was appointed to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority by Governor JB Pritzker.
Send news of events held “around the neighborhood” by the 15th of the month before the month they are to occur to William S. Bike, Around the Neighborhood, Gazette Chicago, 1335 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607-3318, fax (312) 243-4270, or email [email protected].
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Local schools, churches, and institutions are welcome and encouraged to send information to Gazette Chicago for inclusion in the Around the Neighborhood section free of charge. News of upcoming events; student, faculty, staff, and parishioner accomplishments; and photos of events that have occurred are welcome. Please send information to [email protected] in the month preceding the event—for example, news promoting May events should be sent to Gazette Chicago in April. The next deadline is Wednesday, April 17, for the May 3 issue.