Live Music and Entertainment Scene - April 14-17

Come get a taste of all the great nightlife and live entertainment in store for you this weekend in downtown Elgin:

La Puesta Del Sol/The Eclipse Room
165 E. Highland Avenue
847.468.1416
It's finally here!

On Saturday, April 16, La Puesta celebrates the Grand Opening of The Eclipse Room, an intimate room for the best live entertainment in downtown Elgin. Legendary caribbean rock band Mr. Myers will be on hand to kick things off in style! $15 advanced tickets, $20 at the door. Call (847) 468-1416 to reserve your tickets NOW!

Villa Verone
13 Douglas Avenue
847.742.0263
http://www.villaverone.net/

This Thursday, April 14 is Elgin Person of the Week time again! This week your celebrity bartender is James Myers! The EPOW fun starts at 6PM. Also crooner Jeorge Holmes returns to VV on Sunday, April 17 at 5PM. Come hear all your classic faves by Sinatra, Elvis, Pavarotti and more! Reservations are highly recommended! And be sure to check out VV's new weekly specials: Mondays - free dessert with purchase of 2 entrees; Tuesdays - $20 bottle of house wine with purchase of 2 entrees; Wednesdays - get your 2nd glass of house wine for only a PENNY with any entree purchase.

Elgin Public House
219 E. Chicago Street
847.468.8810
http://www.elginpublichouse.com/

Sample beers from Around the World, including Traquair, Red Stripe, and Monty Python, at EPH's Free Beer Tasting on Friday, April 15 from 7-9PM. On Saturday, April 16 come for the Tequila and Little Bites food pairing and stay for the rockin' musical stylings of Storm Crow at 9PM. Don't forget Half-Price Burger Night on Monday evenings and Trivia Night every Wednesday at 7PM.

Martini Room
161 E. Chicago Street
847.741.0349
http://www.martiniroomelgin.com/

Let's face it, nobody enjoys paying taxes. To help you get through this most dreadful of days, Martini Room is offering their own special tax break: 20% off drinks on Thursday, April 14. For the calorie conscious, be sure to check out Martini Room's new SKINNY DRINKS, made with their own, sugar-free simple syrup, freshly made sweet and sour, and muddled with fresh fruits and herbs.

Red Bar Winery and Bistro
74 S. Grove Avenue
847.695.1659
http://www.redbarwinery.com/

On Thursday, April 14 beginning at 9PM enjoy Red Bar's Thursday Night Salsa with all the hottest salsa music and dancing to set your night on fire. Fridays are now Plush Fridays at Red Bar with the best Hip-Hop, House, R&B and Reggae plus ladies get in free before 11PM.

Douglas Street Sports Pub
231 Douglas Avenue
847.695.5659
http://www.douglasstreetsportsbar.com/

Enjoy blazing hot Blackhawks & Bulls playoff action with DSSP and 35 cent wings during all playoff games. Don't forget Karaoke Wednesdays, U-Call It Thursdays and Fantastic Fridays including DSSP's signature Friday Fish Fry starting at 4PM every Friday for only $8.

Gasthaus
15 N. Grove Avenue
847.695.8828

Come party like a rockstar this Thursday, April 14 as DJ Seth K is mixing all your favorite Old School, Dance and Top 40 every Thirsty Thursday featuring great food and drink specials.

Elgin OPERA
Kimball Street Theatre Rider Center at Elgin Academy
350 Park Street
847.695.5014
http://www.elginopera.org/

The Final Round of Elgin OPERA's 5th Annual Vocal Competition will be held on Sunday, April 17 at 1:30PM. The competition attracted singers from the Fox Valley area, the Chicagoland area and across the midwest. This event is open to the public. Entrance fee at the door is $10.

Fourth of July Parade Applications Now Available

The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) of Elgin is now accepting applications for the City of Elgin’s 2011 Fourth of July Parade - Presented by Sherman Health, which steps off at 9am at the corner of Slade and Douglas Avenues on Monday, July 4.

Parade and sponsor pplications are now available through the DNA’s website at www.DowntownElgin.com or at the DNA Office at 2 Douglas Avenue in Elgin. Completed participant and/or sponsor applications along with any applicable fees must be submitted to the DNA by 5pm on Friday, May 27 to secure a spot in this year's parade.

Every year the DNA and the City of Elgin try to make the parade more entertaining and visually appealing, so if you plan to participate, please make every effort to submit a high quality entry! The parade entry fee is $100 for businesses and political groups. There is no fee for not-for-profit organizations.

The theme of this year’s Fourth of July Parade is "Toys on Parade". Groups, organizations and businesses are encouraged to participate by decorating floats or parade vehicles in the finest toy-themed regalia or dressing up in toy-inspired costumes.

In addition to the regular parade float judging, which includes a first, second and third place prize in the Open, Business and Childrens categories, a special "Eco-Elgin Award" will be given to the float that best tells the story of a "Green" Elgin - utilizing eco-friendly materials and processes for their parade entry.

This year's Fourth of July Parade will also include a "People's Choice" award, voted on by the general public for the entire week following the parade, for the parade unit that best exemplifies the "Toys on Parade" theme. Photos of every parade unit and the online voting form will be available on the DNA's website at www.downtownelgin.com beginning July 6 and "People's Choice" award voting concludes Monday, July 11.

To select our 2011 Parade Grand Marshal, this year we are inviting local students, classrooms and schools to nominate a deserving teacher as our 2011 Parade Grand Marshal. Nomination forms will be sent to all public and private Elgin schools and will also be available on the DNA website beginning Wednesday, April 20. The parade committee will choose three candidates from all of the nominations to serve as Grand Marshals.

Groups, organizations or businesses can also help to present the parade for our community while gaining valuable promotion and premiere exposure by becoming a parade sponsor. Sponsors are included on all marketing and promotions prior to the parade and given special recognition on parade day, depending on their level of investment. Parade sponsors may also be parade participants, and must complete both the parade application and the sponsor commitment form - available now at the DNA's website. Sponsorship is available at levels of $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or more. Contact Jason Pawlowski, DNA Promotions Coordinator, at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail jpawlowski@elginil.org for more information.

Over 16,000 spectators annually attend this summertime tradition. Last year's parade featured over 110 units, 25 floats, 150 different parade vehicles, 2,600 participants and took over 50 volunteers to coordinate. As such the Parade Committee is also seeking additional volunteers to work this year’s parade. The time commitment is approximately 6am to 12pm, depending on what duty you are assigned. Volunteers are treated to a free breakfast at orientation before the parade and each receives a free parade t-shirt. Please contact Suzan Shipyor at the DNA Office at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail downtownelgin@gmail.com to learn more about parade volunteer opportunities.