Cantigny to celebrate 60 years with special day
Cantigny Park and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation will celebrate their 60th anniversary by giving the community a free day of special activities in the park.
Performances, events and other activities will fill Thursday, July 30, at the park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Parking and activities are free. Entertainment will include three outdoor concerts, capped off by the Chicago Sinfonietta at 7:30 p.m.
"This is our birthday party with the community," said David Hiller, McCormick Foundation president and chief executive officer. "Cantigny was Robert R. McCormick's gift to all of us, so it's appropriate that we celebrate our 60-year milestone together and welcome everybody to the park for a fun and memorable day."
Col. McCormick, the former editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, lived on the 500-acre Cantigny estate from 1919 until his passing in 1955. July 30, his birthday, is commemorated annually as McCormick Day at the park, but this year promises to be the best celebration ever.
Anniversary events begin at 10 a.m. and will span all areas of the park, including the gardens, McCormick mansion and First Division Museum. Themed activities will reflect McCormick's farm life at Cantigny, his journalism career and his leadership in the U.S. Army's First Division.
A detailed agenda for July 30 at Cantigny Park is posted online at cantigny.org. Family-friendly activities and attractions include:
• Miss Jamie and the Farmhands in concert at 2 p.m. on the allée;
• Barefoot Hawaiian in concert at 5:30 p.m. on the allée;
• Vintage games and crafts;
• Splash artillery game;
• Robert and Amy McCormick living history performances;
• Remote control plane demo and paper airplane making/contest;
• Guided history and garden tours;
• McCormick Museum open house;
• First Division Museum behind the scenes;
• Birthday cake cutting; and
• Vintage "base ball" exhibition.
The movie "A League of Their Own," parts of which were filmed at Cantigny, will play continuously in the Visitors Center theater. Also in the Visitors Center, guests can make memories at the 60th anniversary photo booth and enjoy a special photo exhibit featuring Cantigny through the years.
At 5 p.m., a brief wreath-laying ceremony will take place at McCormick's gravesite, conducted by Cantigny Post 556, American Legion. The post has been active at Cantigny since 1928.
The day's grand finale features Maestro Mei-Ann Chen and the innovative Chicago Sinfonietta at 7:30 p.m. Music performed in front of the First Division Museum will include "Saibei Dance," "Carmen Fantasy" and "Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4," along with some surprises tailored to the festive occasion. In addition, two young musicians from Naperville, Rebecca Moy and Jack McCammon, will be featured soloists.
Cantigny is open every day this summer from 7 a.m. to dusk. See a complete schedule of concerts, workshops and special events at cantigny.org.
If you go
What: Cantigny Park's 60th anniversary celebration
When: Starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 30
Where: Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton
Cost: Free
Info: cantigny.org