Morton Arboretum celebrates Passport Europe Festival
A little bit of Europe is alive and living in the Morton Arboretum.
The Lisle outdoor museum, home to trees indigenous to the European continent, will celebrate that connection with a two-day festival steeped in European cultures Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21 and 22.
At the Passport Europe Festival, visitors will learn about the arboretum's collections while enjoying music, food and entertainment with a European edge.
The Irish game of hurling will be explored, and the Chicago Cossacks will perform Russian and Ukrainian dances.
New this year will be performances by Finger on the Trigger, an Irish folk group, and the Swedish American Children's Choir, said Jenelle Hardtke, arboretum special events manager.
Returning favorites include German oompah band Jimmy's Bavarians, Spanish flamenco music from guitar ensemble Guitarra Azul, the McNulty Irish Dancers and the Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers, she said.
There also will be dance styles from Germany, Poland, Norway, Hungary and Greece, along with Italian music performances, storytelling, Salt Creek Ballet performances and a selfie station hosted by the Alliance Francaise DuPage.
Vendors offering European cuisine will be located throughout the festival grounds. Living statues, painted and costumed to reflect ethnic traditions, will be available for photo opportunities.
And, of course, visitors will be invited to view the arboretum's resident tree collections from around the world.
"One of the collections we're most proud of is our European collection," Hardtke said. "There are 25 species of white oak in Europe. The message we try to get out is oaks are critical to our ecosystem. We study the ways they reproduce and how we can protect oak forests."
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Sixth annual Passport Europe Festival
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21-22
Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle
Admission: Free with arboretum admission; $15 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children ages 2 to 17
Info: mortonarb.org and (630) 968-0074