Ray Bradbury's 20th Annual Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival will be held in Bowen Park in Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, June 01st from 11am to 6pm.
Ray Bradbury's 20th Annual Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival will be held in Bowen Park in Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, June 01st from 11am to 6pm.
Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival is a free all-ages event that is an enjoyable day of arts, crafts, and music for the entire family.
The festival will be held on Saturday, June 01st from 11am to 6pm at Bowen Park in Waukegan and is presented by the Waukegan Park District Cultural Arts Division with sponsorship support by Vista Health System, Mark Harms-Edward Jones Financial Advisor, the Waukegan Arts Council, Acceptance Insurance, and the Waukegan Historical Society.
The festival's theme is "20 Years Celebrating Ray Bradbury!"
Waukegan's favorite son, Ray Bradbury, who passed away on June 05, 2012, was all about the arts and in tribute and in celebration, Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival in Waukegan's Bowen Park features multiple outdoor and indoor staging areas of music and the arts.
Food and refreshments will be available throughout the day at the festival for a fee.
Plus, for the first time, adults this year will be able to experience wine and craft beer at Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival.
Over 30 artists and crafters will be displaying their art, conducting demonstrations, as well as selling their art. Plus, there will be an all-ages community art project for all festival attendees to participate in as well as a special children's art project at the festival. There will also be artists and artisans showcasing their talents and providing information about the artistic processes they use.
Music-wise, the festival will feature a variety of music at different music-stages throughout the day, headlined by Trouble Ahead at the festival's Outdoor Pavilion Stage at 4:15pm until 6:00pm. Plus, The Waukegan Symphony Orchestra will kick off the Festival performing in the Circle Drive from 11:00am until 12:00pm and the Waukegan Concert Chorus will perform at the Outdoor Gazebo Stage from 2:00pm until 2:30pm. Additionally, the festival will hold its annual community drum circle, this year featuring Helen Bond and her drumming troupe at the Outdoor Gazebo Stage from 12:00pm until 1:00pm. For festival attendees seeking to escape to the indoors for music, "Jazzman" Jeff Justman will be hosting and performing at a fun-filled 1969 Woodstock-like 50th Anniversary Party in the Indoor Schornick Theatre along with a variety of acoustic performers from 11:00am until 4:30pm.
The Waukegan History Museum located at the south entrance to Bowen Park will feature exciting free historical exhibits for festival attendees to visit and enjoy from 1:00-4:00pm.
The following are scheduled events at Ray Bradbury's 20th Annual Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival.
Artist's Lane /11am to 6pm
o Over 30 artists/crafters.
o Displaying their art and/or conducting demonstrations, instructions, and selling art.
Young Artist's Lane /11am to 6pm (sponsored by Mark Harms-Edward Jones Financial Advisor)
o Local high school and college art students.
o Displaying and selling their art.
Community Art Project "Decorate the Benny Center - Wall Tiles" /11am-6pm (sponsored by Mark Harms-Edward Jones Financial Advisor)
o The theme of this year's Community Art Project for festival attendees to participate in creating is "Decorate the Benny Center-Wall Tiles".
Children's Art Project "Rock Art" /11am-6pm (sponsored by Mark Harms-Edward Jones Financial Advisor)
o Festival attendees will help decorate rocks some of which will be used in the "Park Rock! Scavenger Hunt" program throughout the month of July.
Artist and Artisan Demonstration Tent /11am-6pm
Artists and artisans showcase their talents and provide information about their artistic processes.
o Artisan(s) will be demonstrating their crafts (wire sculpture, spinning, weaving, and pottery).
Outdoor Pavilion Music Stage/12pm to 6pm: (MC'd by Scott Grant. Sponsored by Vista Health Systems)
11:00am - 12:00pm: Waukegan Symphony Orchestra
12pm-1pm: Green Noise
1:15-2:30pm Crooked Moon
2:45-4pm Chris Sipos Band
4:15-6pm Trouble Ahead
Indoor Schornick Theatre/11am to 4:30pm (MC'd by "Jazzman" Jeff Justman. Sponsored by the Waukegan Historical Society)
Experience a fun-filled 1969 Woodstock-like 50th Anniversary Party!
11:00am-11:20am: Anne Malecki (singer-songwriter)
11:25am-11:45am: Bill Tong (acoustic music)
11:50am-12:10pm: Raphael Torrez (Latin music)
12:15pm-12:35pm: Sophie with Mark Dennison (acoustic music)
12:40pm-1:00pm: Nancy Grobarek (acoustic music)
1:05pm-1:25pm: "Jazzman" Jeff Justman (Beatle Jazz, 60s music, and originals
1:30pm-1:50pm: Carl, the Singing Train Conductor (singer-songwriter)
1:55pm-2:15pm: Anne Malecki (singer-songwriter)
2:20pm-2:40pm: Bill Tong (acoustic music)
2:45pm-3:05pm: Raphael Torrez (Latin music)
3:10pm-3:30pm: Nancy Grobarek (acoustic music)
3:35pm-3:55pm Carl, the Singing Train Conductor (singer-songwriter)
4:00pm-4:20pm: "Jazzman" Jeff Justman (Beatle jazz, 60s music, and originals)
The Gazebo Variety Stage/11am to 4:00pm (Sponsored by the Waukegan Arts Council)
12:00pm-1pm - Community Drum Circle featuring Helen Bond and her performing troupe. Participants may bring their own drum, percussion, and rhythm instruments or instruments will be furnished (only a limited number of drum, percussion, and rhythm instruments at the festival will be available.)
1:15pm-2pm - Tai Chi Chuan Demonstrations
2:00pm-2:30pm - Waukegan Concert Chorus
2:30pm -3pm - Waukegan Band Saxophone Quartet
3:00-3:30pm - Waukegan High School Presents-Ray Bradbury's "The Whole Town's Sleeping"
3:45pm-4:30pm - ALATS Dance
4:30pm - Cooke School Mariachi
Waukegan History Museum/1pm to 4pm (Free and open to the public)
The Waukegan History Museum will present the following historical exhibits while the festival is occurring.
Current Temporary Exhibits:
• Waukegan's Top 50 History Events
A special exhibit titled Ray Bradbury: Live Forever! will be shown throughout the festival from 11am-6pm. The exhibit looks at the influences that Waukegan had on a young Ray Bradbury. Ray Bradbury's critically acclaimed book, "Dandelion Wine", written in the 50s remains a best seller literary masterpiece with images of the magic found in the ravines of Green Town (Waukegan). Waukegan was Ray Bradbury's hometown when he was growing up. During his life, the festival always was proud to have Ray as its Honorary Chairman and is committed to carrying on the festival tradition in his memory for many years to come… so Ray Bradbury's legacy will "LIVE FOREVER" in Waukegan!
Waukegan and neighboring community residents are encouraged to attend the Waukegan Park District's 20th Annual Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival at Waukegan's beautiful Bowen Park (on Sheridan Road just north of Greenwood) on June 01st from 11:00am until 6:00pm. The festival is held adjacent to the Waukegan Park District's Jack Benny Center for the Arts, the Jane Addams Center, Lilac Cottage, and the Morrison Picnic Pavilion. Bowen Park features an award-winning playground to enjoy, a fun-filled Skate Park, and hiking trails. Indoor facilities will be available in the event of severe inclement weather. Free parking is available at Waukegan's Bowen Park at the festival site.
For additional information about Ray Bradbury's 20th Annual Dandelion Wine Festival Arts & Music Festival visit: www.waukeganparks.org, www.jackbennycenter.org, or call the Waukegan Park District at 847-360-4740.