Brushwood Family Fest celebrates nature, creative expression

All ages are invited to Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods for its Family Fest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17.

Explore family-friendly activities, preview the featured photography exhibition by Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier titled "Evolve," and enjoy local food and fun.

"Our work is all about the healing power of nature and creative expression, and building community with others. This year's family festival provides a perfect way for us to invite the larger community to explore and create with us, and experience a fun and healing day of activities at Brushwood Center," said Dani Abboud, Brushwood Center's director of Community Programs and Partnerships.

This is Brushwood Center's first family festival since 2019. The program is a collaboration with community partners from across Lake County.

Highlights of this year's festival include:

• "¡Festeje!" Outdoor Performance by Black Moon Trio: Curated specifically for Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods' 2022 Family Fest and Hispanic Heritage Month, Black Moon Trio performs a program celebrating the art and culture of Mexico, Central America and South America. "¡Festeje!" features the music of Latin composers and includes the world premiere of "Barroqueada" by three-time Grammy-nominated composer Miguel del Aguila.

The program, which is presented in both Spanish and English, includes a re-imagining of Baroque musical forms, music inspired by prominent 20th-century visual artists, with Latin flavor and the lively rhythms of traditional Latin song and dance.

• Discounted Art and Craft Supplies: During the Family Fest, attendees will have the once-a-year opportunity to shop and explore everything in the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange. The sale will include fabric and sewing notions; different kinds of paint, brushes and canvases; colored pencils, pads and drawing supplies; jewelry making supplies; thousands of rubber stamps; scrapbooking supplies; kids craft supplies; art books; clay; yarn; tiles; and more.

Nearly everything in BASE is always "pay what you want" and free to teachers and organizations.

• Little Free Library Ribbon Cutting: Brushwood Center and Vernon Area Public Library are proud to announce the return of the Little Free Library, which is being reinstalled in its new location outside the southeast corner of Brushwood Center. The new LFL will be unveiled at the festival.

• Family-Friendly Crafts: The Vernon Area Library will host an interactive booth featuring crafts from three Latin American countries. In addition to their participation in this event, Vernon Area Library is hosting a series of programs for families throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.

• Multicultural Cuisine: The robust menu ideas reflect a sampling of authentic and fusion world cuisine from American to Asian, from Southern BBQ to Mexican to Indian and beyond. Bellaru's worldly chefs make food from scratch to order with the finest ingredients, and specialize in combining multiple authentic and fusion ethnic cuisines to create a harmonious meal.

This Family Fest is a part of Brushwood Center's 39th Annual Smith Nature Symposium Series: Inspiring Change. This year, the symposium lifts up the voices of youth, artists and scientists who are challenging the status quo and pushing for change where it matters most.

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is at 21850 Riverwoods Road, Riverwoods.

Visit www.brushwoodcenter.org for the most up-to-date schedule and listing of activities as partners are confirmed.