Chris Isaak to perform free concert at new mall's grand opening
Platinum record artist Chris Isaak is set to highlight the grand opening celebration at The Arboretum of South Barrington later this month.
The free concert takes place at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 on the plaza stage at the new 600,000 square-foot outdoor shopping center near routes 59 and 72.
Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Parking is available at the nearby Sears Centre Arena, with continuous shuttle service from 3 to 10 p.m., according to concert organizers.
In Isaak's career, he's released nine albums, 12 hit singles, been nominated for two Grammy awards, acted in several motion pictures and starred in his own critically acclaimed TV series. Some of Isaak's hit singles include Wicked Games and Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing.
The concert is part of a weekend of grand opening activities. Children's activities, strolling entertainment, exhibitions and a fireworks display are part of the event running from Sept. 26-28, said Michael Jaffe, principal of Northbrook-based The Jaffe Companies, owner and developer of the $200 million project. He expects that about $1 million will be devoted to the grand opening events.
"We want to properly introduce the project as one of the most important new retail developments in the Chicago area in terms of scale, retail offerings and ambience," Jaffe said.
Many of the stores will participate in the grand opening, including L.L. Bean, the Maine-based outdoor gear and apparel store that is opening its first Midwest store here; Pinstripes Bocce, Bowling & Bistro and Anna Shea Chocolates & Lounge.
The latest retailers to sign leases at the center include Nozumi Sushi, a new urban-contemporary Japanese restaurant and sushi bar and high-end eyeglass Glam Optique. They're set to open in September as well.
Art in the air: Oakbrook Center is preparing for its 46th annual Invitational Fine Art Exhibition next weekend.
It takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 31.
Photography, watercolors, pastels, acrylics, oil, sculpture and mixed media are part of outdoor gallery. Last year's show attracted more than 145,000 visitors. Admission is free.
Up north: Just in time for back to school shopping, the North Face opened at the Prime Outlets Pleasant Prairie, just north of the Illinois border in Wisconsin.
The brand has become one of the hottest out there for students of all ages. The outdoor product company specializes in outerwear, fleece, footwear and equipment.
Shoppers can expect to find reduced prices at the store. For example, a Summit women's jacket, one of the most expensive lines, sells for $220 compared to the $300 regular price.
A Puma store also recently opened at the outdoor mall.
New boutique: New York designer Betsey Johnson opened a new boutique at Northbrook Court.
The shop, features signature dresses, accessories, handbags, footwear, belts, watches, sunglasses, jewelry, perfume, swimwear and lingerie.
The shop features its signature pink walls, black and white checkerboard floor and shiny metal fixtures.
A look back: Woodfield Shopping Center launched a cool Web site allowing teens to see what they might have looked like when their parents were in school, while catching up on current back-to-school fashions. The Web site, www.YearbookYourself.com, allows visitors to upload their photos and morph their faces onto yearbook photos spanning five decades. Simultaneously, they can learn about the fashion styles and trends of the eras and which stores, found at Woodfield, carry hot back-to-school looks.
The fun site features "homeroom" pages that allow visitors to save their favorite yearbook photo to a page and invite friends to post their photos as well. They can also save, print, e-mail or post their yearbook photo creation to a Web page or social network site.
For runners: Road Runner Sports recently opened in Naperville.
The new 7,200-square foot store is the first of its kind to open in Illinois and the 22nd nationwide.
The shop is in the Springbrook Prairie Pavilion, a new shopping center designed with bike paths and landscaped sidewalks leading to the DuPage County Forest Preserve.
Road Runner Sports recently unleashed Shoe Dog, a state-of-the-art running analysis center in all stores. The five-step system allows experts to retrieve an assortment of shoes that fit with the customer's needs.
Also coming to the shopping center include Whole Foods, Loehmann's, Cost Plus, Nordstrom Rack and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Kim Mikus covers retail and small business. She welcomes comments at kmikus@dailyherald.com.