Fiesta Salsa and Parade Cancelled

 

Fiesta Salsa and the Hispanic Heritage Parade have been cancelled. See www.cityofelgin.org for more information. Organizers and trying to find an indoor venue for the main act to perform tonight. Check this blog for updates.

BoriquaFest 2008

The music

The booths

The colors

The roasted pork

The drinks

Courier News article - Elgin fest celebrates all things Puerto Rican and photos

"Elginpalooza" aka FoxFireFest

 

Mayor Ed Schock and council members Figueroa, Kaptain, Powers and Steffen opened up FoxFireFest and introduced the Elgin Symphony Orchestra (ESO). Maestro Hanson adapted to the urban environment of Festival Park by selecting western themed music and adding a harmonica which blended perfectly with the occasional whisles and rumbling of the nearby trains. The performance included the theme from the TV show The Wild Wild West and the William Tell Overture. I was heading back to my seat during the overture and had the urge to gallop, but resisted. 

Spotted in the crowd was former ESO Executive Director, Michael Pastreich and new U46 Superintendent, Dr. Jose Torres. OK, I'll stop now, I don't want to scoop Betty Brown.

It was a beautiful evening to share with friends and create a Ravina feel. Next year, candelabras. With 12 food vendors plus beer, wine and Mojitos a good time was had by all. Those arriving early were entertained by the talented performers of Elgin OPERA.

This photo can't do the post concert fireworks justice, but gives you the sense of how up close and personal they were. Head over to the Lovin Elgin blog for video and more commentary.

It's not too late to enjoy it yourself. Saturday features Starship and Blues Traveler with more fireworks and Sister Hazel will perform on Sunday. There is much more, just click here for the details FoxFireFest. Don't forget FoxFireFest is FREE!

FoxFireFest - August 1 - 3, 2008

Watch the video here!

FoxFireFest, as the name implies, is an event focused around the glow of fire on the water, including a mystical night-time fire and light show on the river, accompanied by unique theatre, art, dance and musical performers.
August 1 - 3, 2008
FREE - More info here>
Friday 5 pm to 10 pm
Saturday 12 pm to 11 pm
Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm

Festival Park
136 South Grove Ave
Downtown Elgin

Free parking
or ride your bike and use the free bike corral.  

Entertainment
Friday
6:00 pm Elgin O.P.E.R.A.
7:30 pm Elgin Symphony Orchestra (ESO)
9:30 pm Fireworks

Saturday
12 - 4 pm Childrens Activities
4 - 8 pm Teen Activities
6:00 pm Starship
8:00 pm Blues Traveler
10:30 pm Fireworks

Sunday
12 - 4 pm Childrens Activities
3:30 pm Elevation
5:30 pm Sister Hazel

AAUW Art Showcase
Saturday 12 - 6 pm
Sunday 12 - 5 pm

Elgin Cycling Classic
Sunday, 8 am - 5 pm in the Lords Park neighborhood

Food Vendors
Chinese Wok, (840 Summit Street, Elgin) -Combo Fried Rice, Egg Roll, Beef Teriyaki and Crab Rangoon
Dairy Queen, (1022 S. McLean Blvd, Elgin) - Blizzards, Ice Cream Bars, Lemon Chill Cups, Chocolate Bananas
Maui Wowi, (2310 Fairfax Rd., Elgin)- Fresh Fruit Smoothies, Hawaiian Coffee Smoothie
Jethro's, (9911 N. Clark, Richmond, IL)- Funnel Cakes, Curly Chips w/Cheese, Deep Fried Oreos & Twinkies
White Cottage Pizza, (220 S. Randall Rd., Elgin, IL)- Sausage Pizza, Cheese Pizza, Bread Sticks w/ Garlic Cheese
Casa Lara (previously Jalapeno's), ( 7 Clock Tower Plaza, Elgin)- Tacos, Quesadillas, Flautas
JJ's Chicken & Fish, (79 Clock Tower Plaza, Elgin)-Chicken Wings, Ribs, Pulled Pork Sandwich
Gasthaus Zur Linde, (15 N Grove, Elgin)- Bratwurst, Thuringer, Corn on the Cob
Big Sammy's Hot Dogs, ( 2490 Bushwood Drive, Elgin)- Hot Dogs, Bag of Chips
Elgin Public House (219 E. Chicago St., Elgin)- Hamburger/Cheesburger, Veggie Burger, Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Lucky's Bar and Grill, (335 N. McLean Blvd., S. Elgin)-Nachos Grande, Italian Beef Sandwich, Italian Sausage Sandwich
Victors Grill, (6235 N. Keystone, Chicago) -Shish-k-bob, Gyros, Polish Sausage
Sloppy Joe's, (210 Penny Ave, Unit D, Dundee, IL)- Sloppy Joe's, Chocolate Chip Cookies
JC's Barbecue, (116 Penny Ave., East Dundee, IL) - BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich, ½ Smoked BBQ Chicken, Pupusas

FoxFireFest incorporates the best elements of the previous Fine Arts Fest, but has expanded to showcase the wide variety of cultural amenities and performing arts groups centered in the Elgin area, with two stages offering non-stop entertainment. The food and beverage area will also feature an eclectic mix for all ages, including a beer garden.

Fox River Festival of Balloons

Here is a video and article from the Courier News.
It was a great evening at Festival Park benefiting the Community Crisis Center. The families and kids enjoyed the train, fountain, fire truck and balloons. I sat back and enjoyed the food, beer, steel drum band, hot air balloons and conversations with friends. We arrived too late to see the bed races and the other entertainment. Article from the Daily Herald.

Amazin' Race 2008

The first Elgin Amazin' Race was a huge success. 19 teams and 100 people scrambled through downtown Elgin solving clues and performing feats of strength and knowledge. Five teams were turned away on Friday because of the 19 team limit. Sign up early next year.
The teams gather at the Elgin Public House waiting for their first clue.
We ran into Armand Young on our way to Festival Park. He has been walking for more than a year. He started the journey he calls, Bamboo the Walk, in Santa Monica, California, and plans to plant the bamboo shoot he carries with him at the former site of the World Trade Center in New York City. Click here for the Courier News article or here for the Life in Elgin post.
Here is the Kickstands Team fresh and ready to compete while waiting for the 1 pm start at Festival Park. Our first challenge was a water balloon toss where you had to successfully toss 10 balloons with a maximum of 30 tries. We were 10 for 10.
After a couple of other stops we found ourselves at The Centre and another challenge, the four-person ski run. This is teamwork.
The next challenge was at the Fountain Square condos. It was a welcome break to stay in air conditioned comfort while solving a Spiderman puzzle.
A couple more stops and we found ourselves at Al's Cafe. Dave volunteered to take one for the team and take the brain freeze challenge.

We finished around 4 pm and headed back to the Public House for dinner and refreshments. I was exhausted but had a great time, I think we traveled about 10 miles.

Link to photos from the Courier.
Article from the Courier News.
Article from the Daily Herald.

Calling All Artists

Artspace
Mark your calendar for July 24 at 7 p.m.
A public meeting with Artspace is scheduled in the Heritage Ballroom at the The Centre with details and updates on the progress of the project. More information on the Artspace project is available here and at www.artspaceusa.org.

Art Showcase 2008
A juried fine art & fine craft show, sponsored by the Elgin Area Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in conjunction with FoxFireFest on August 2nd and 3rd in Festival Park.

An entry form and show details are available at www.aauwartshow.com

Alley of Art
The Elgin Cultural Arts Commission seeks artists to participate in the Alley of Art. The show is part of Walkabout: Theatre On Your Feet – a theatre walking tour throughout downtown Elgin.

Alley of Art will run on Saturday August 16, 23 and 30 from 1 to 4 at Du Page Court in downtown Elgin.

There will be a People’s Choice Award featuring a cash prize for Best in Show. All artworks are open for consideration. Please email a link to online portfolio or provide low resolution jpeg photos by July 1. They can be sent to elginarts@gmail.com.

For more information contact Sean Hargadon at 847-363-3573 or elginarts@gmail.com.

Downtown Elgin in Detail

New satellite images of downtown Elgin are available from Google. Festival Park in great detail and other recent improvements. Explore and share your finds in comments.

Trains and Butterflies

Appearing soon at Festival Park. This is the train that will take children for rides around the park. The photo was taken at the Elgin Public Works Open House on Saturday, May 17th. A ride will cost $1 although it might be free during some special events.

The trackless Wattman Mini Express Train is 3 feet wide by 33 feet long. The train holds up to 24 passengers.


The kids are right in the middle of the action as Mayor Schock sets the butterflies free into their new paradise at the corner of Ann and Douglas. The new butterfly garden is the result of the collaboration between the City of Elgin and the NorthEast Neighborhood Association (NENA).

Some links
The Butterfly WebSite
Children's Butterfly Site
Butterfly - Wikipedia

Did Spidey Web Festival Park?

Did Spidey visit Elgin after the Spiderman 3 premier and web Festival Park?
No, it's just a new play structure. You'll have to wait until the park opens to try it out. The ribbon cutting is on Monday, May 28th at 1:30 pm. The park is located at the corner of Grove and Prairie in downtown Elgin, IL



A view of the entrance from the riverwalk showing the fountain in the foreground.

The festival part of Festival Park with the River Park Place townhomes to the left and the Grand Victoria Casino to the right.

Festival Park Phase II Presentation to Council

The plans for Festival Park Phase II will be presented to the City Council on Wednesday, October 26th at the 6 p.m. Committee of Whole meeting. The council meets in the council chambers on the second floor of city hall, 150 Dexter Ct. Elgin, IL.

Read the article in today's Daily Herald.