Elgin library to display Sept. 11 art

Still catching your breath from Labor Day weekend? Well, you have some time until Saturday, a day in which Elgin will be solemn, stylish and celebratory all at once.

The day will begin at 9 a.m. with a ceremony at Walton Island, just south of the Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., in memorial to Sept. 11, 2001.

At 10 a.m., George Kokines, a renowned abstract artist and Chicago native who was at the World Trade Center when the planes hit, will unveil a three-part commemorative work at in the library rotunda that will be on display for just a month.

"I've been working on the piece for years," he said. "It's been through a lot a transition, a lot of changes. It's commemorative. It's not an autopsy. This is a form of closure in a way."

Kokines, who operates out of a studio in Rogers Park, used cement, steel, paint and wood to make the pieces, the largest of which is 16 feet by 8 feet.

• The Gifford Park Association will hold its 29th annual Historic Housewalk during the day, featuring seven homes in the Wing Park area, which is south of Wing Park from Vincent Street west to North Worth Street.

Bill Briska, an Elgin resident who serves on a committee that organizes the walk, said the event usually draws about 2,000 people to the area, many of them from out of town. Briska said the homes feature a variety of styles used from 1910 until World War II and many have expansive backyards.

"(The housewalk) has never really gone into this neighborhood," he said. "It's a great neighborhood. It's one of the best neighborhoods in Elgin. It's one of the Chicago area's best kept secrets."

Advance tickets for the walk are $15 but $20 on the day of the event. Tickets are $15 for those 65 and older or kids younger than 12. For details, call (847) 695-4022 or visit gifford-park-assoc.org.

• Budget woes forced the city to call off its signature festival, FoxFireFest, for this year. But the city responded and organized "Elgin's Largest Block Party," which will be held from 1 to 10 p.m. at Festival Park, 132 S. Grove Ave.

Some activities include a bags tournament, music, food and games. Admission is free. For details, call (847) 931-6129 or visit cityofelgin.org.