Annual Americana Jubilee returns to Elgin July 4
On Tuesday, July 4, Side Street Studio Arts, in conjunction with Blue Box Café, Elgin Fringe Festival and Kirkpatrick, Jones, and Herzog Insurance Agency, will host the fourth annual Americana Jubilee.
The event will begin after the City of Elgin's Fourth of July Parade from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Elgin at the arts gallery, 15 Ziegler Court, and Kirkpatrick, Jones, and Herzog Insurance Agency, 19 S. Spring St.
The event will feature live music, a bake sale, pie-eating contests, bake-off competition, games and art projects for kids, live music, entertainment, and more.
It is free and open to the public, with suggested donation tickets for the dunk tank and pie tasting.
"The Fourth of July kicks off with a bang with the City of Elgin 4th of July Parade," said Side Street Studio Arts director Amanda Harris, "We want to keep folks celebrating in downtown Elgin by providing family-friendly activities and entertainment. Watch the parade, then, come to us for fun and games and dessert."
The call for pie bakers is still open. Bakers must submit their pie for the competition by midnight Monday, July 3. There is a $10 submission fee to participate. Two pies must be brought: one for the public to try, and one for the judges. Pies will be judged on five categories, with 10 points possible in each: crust, filing, presentation, overall flavor, and audience favorite, with a total of 50 points possible.
Two prize packages will be given: one for the audience favorite, and one for the judges' choice.
To submit a pie, check out the submission form at www.sidestreetstudioarts.org or call Amanda Harris at (847) 429-2276.
Pies will be judged by Jubilee attendees as well as a panel of judges made up of Elgin Fringe Festival favorite Actor/Storyteller David Boyle, Elgin City Councilman Corey Dixon, Elgin resident Rich Jacobs, and Elgin-based artist Jacob Lucas.
The dunk tank, sponsored by the Elgin Fringe Festival, is giving attendees the chance to dunk a punk, with Elgin residents Adrian Medriano, Julian Medriano, Chris Palm, and journalist Janelle Walker in the tank.
The Elgin Fringe Festival is still looking for folks who would like to go under. Individuals can volunteer or be nominated by emailing sidestreetstudioarts@gmail.com.
The schedule for the Americana Jubilee includes:
• Free activities for kids, hamburgers and hot dogs from Blue Box Café, homemadecChurros in the gallery from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
• Elgin Fringe Festival Dunk Tank from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Tintype photos by Doug Hanson from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Roving performances from That Juggling Guy, Brad French, and more from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Live music from Dirty Water from 11:15 a.m. to noon
The pie tasting will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with pie judging at noon and the pie-eating contest at 12:30 p.m.
The Bake-Off winners will be announced at 1:30 p.m.
Side Street Studio Arts was founded in 2013 by Tanner Melvin and Erin Rehberg as an outlet for the artists of Elgin. Currently under the direction of Harris, Roberto Martinez, Melvin, and Rehberg, its mission is to provide an accessible space, run by artists, encouraging all aspects of the artistic process from creation to curation. For more information, visit www.SideStreetStudioArts.org, call (847) 429-2276 or email SideStreetStudioArts@gmail.com.
The gallery will feature a visual art exhibition entitled "UNIDXS," featuring work by Angelina Diana, Jazmin Dua, Martinez E-B, Angelica Frausto, Sarita Garcia, Alissa Desiree Godina, Frances Hernandez, Roberto Martinez, Ignacio Martinez, Luis Mejico, Joseph J. Mora, Janett Pulido, and Melina Scotte. The exhibition will be on display from Friday, June 30 through Sunday, July 30. It is free and open to the public, with an opening reception to be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 30.