Music, dancing, educational exhibits part of Monarch Festival
The third annual Lake County Monarch Festival, a free family event dedicated to raising awareness in the community about nature, art and culture, is set for Sunday, Sept. 9.
The event, which runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at Clayton and County streets in downtown Waukegan, will feature music, dancing, educational exhibits, family crafts and cooking demonstrations.
Live performances onstage include Rosa’s Cantina, the Rhythm Academy dancers, Zumba, Aztec cultural dancing, and poetry.
This year’s theme, “Back to Basics, Back to the Future for a Better Tomorrow,” focuses on issues such as recycling, using natural products for cleaning, and cooking with locally grown produce.
Booths will highlight the fall migration of the Monarch butterfly from Illinois to Michoacan, Mexico, and teach children how the ecosystem is vital to the survival of the Monarch.
The migration remains a mystery to the world but represents the importance of maintaining culture and returning to your roots. Each booth will be taught by a group of students from Waukegan Unit District 60.
The festival will also feature educational information and activities from sponsors, including the Lake County Forest Preserve District, YWCA, Father Gary Graf Center, Friends of Ryerson Woods, Prairie Crossing Learning Farm, the Conservation Leadership Corps, the Cool Summer Learning Experience, the Botanic Gardens, and the Waukegan Park District.
In addition, a learning kitchen run by the University of Illinois Extension and 4-H will teach children how to cook with fruits and vegetables. The Medical Coach bus by Roslyn Franklin University will offer free medical screenings and athletic physicals for the upcoming school year and Puro Futbol will run a soccer activity with prizes for children.
With plenty of free crafts at the festival, families will be entertained building their own recycled art project; creating aprons with cloth, paint and fruit as a reminder to eat healthy; illustrating with sidewalk chalk; and participating in games and other fun activities.
The Waukegan Township Art Bus will be parked on-site to develop children’s creativity, and there will be raffles for prizes such as family vacation packages.
For details about the festival, the performers or exhibitors, call Carmen Patlan, community engagement and outreach manager at the Waukegan Public Library, at (847) 623-2041, ext. 262.