A couple of weekends ago, two different art festivals were happening in the Old Town neighborhood(oh, what the Yippies would think of that!). First up, the Old Town Art Fair was celebrating its 65th year. As with years past, just about 250 nationally acclaimed and recognized artists were out peddling their wares. Along with many of the old crowd, there were also roughly 100 newcomers to the fest who were putting their own mark on things. The Fair is actually one of the top three juried art festivals in the entire country. In addition to all the acclaimed competition, the Fair also boasts a garden walk, a food court, and a live music stage.
Meanwhile, 225 juried artworks were encamped on Wells between North and Division as part of the 40th Wells Street Art Festival. This one featured, in addition to all of the art, several different restaurants were represented, including Bistro Margot, Fireplace Inn, and Adobo Grill. In addition, there were also several musical acts, with the Trippin' Billies and American English headlining the musical performances. Needless to say, this fest's attendance skewed somewhat younger than the other one.
Unifying it all, St. Michael's Church was in the middle of everything hosting a BYOB food truck party featuring delicacies from Gino's Steaks, Pierogi Wagon, and Chicago Cupcake, to name a few. Additionally, bands such as Beatnik Ramble, Vanilla Extract, and many others were playing at the BYOB party as well. All told, the two Festivals were a success, contributing just a bit of culture to the city's weekend calendar.
No comments:
Post a Comment