Lolla? Holla!

     If I were to ask any of you what is going on in Chicago this weekend, I might get answers ranging from the Chicago French Film Festival, to a Chicago Sky game, even to the Bears Family Fest.  But let's be honest.  The big deal here is Lollapalooza.  Now I won't be doing my big analysis piece on it till later on in the weekend, but stay tuned all throughout the weekend for flash updates, minor posts, tweets, and Facebook updates related to what's going on, as well as some fun Lolla facts. No matter what platform, all Lolla-related posts of mine will be put under #chicago365, so they shouldn't be that hard to find.  With that, see you in a few days, and happy festing!

The Byrne Memorial Pt. 2

     As I mentioned last month, there has been a push as of late to honor Former Mayor Jane Byrne by renaming one of the myriad tourist attractions in the city in her honor.  Well, coming down the pipeline fresh today, the City Council has made its decision.  By a unanimous vote, Mayor Jane M. Byrne will be honored through the renaming of the park outside of the old Water Tower.  This represents the culmination of a long process that ultimately wound up honoring the first(and so far only) female mayor of Chicago.  Additionally, Chicago is also the largest city in the United States to have ever had a female mayor as of 2014.  Now Byrne's legacy is preserved for both posterity and countless future generations of Chicagoans.

A Taste of The Caribbean

     Independence Day weekend in Chicago was a busy one.  In addition to all of the stuff I've previously mentioned, there was another cultural celebration going on.  This one went down in Union Park in the West Loop neighborhood.  All sorts of people showed up, all in an effort to celebrate the heritage of the Afro-Caribbean peoples.  And celebrate they did.  With a multitude of booths, food, reggae music, and good vibes going around, this was the place to be.  One of the headlining music acts was Calypso Rose, an acclaimed calypsonian.

     For those who don't know, Calypso music is a type of music that originated in Trinidad in the 17th Century.  Based in part on the traditions of African culture and their penchant for passing things down via word of mouth from one generation to the next, Calypso was used as a form of communication.  This especially came into play amongst African slaves in the New World who were forbidden from speaking to each other.  The slaves would then use calypso to both mock their masters and pass along messages.

     In addition to honoring a time-tested form of music, the fest also featured numerous vendors and booths selling jewelry, food, and t-shirts.  Going strong for over 20 years, the festival made yet another strong showing in 2014, with much more to come in the years ahead.

Trivia Tuesday: Arsenio's Origins

     Okay folks, we have the next thrilling installment of trivia.  But first, the answer to the last question.  The mayor who incited legions of beer-loving Germans to riot in the 19th Century was Levi Boone.  You can read more about the decree and the fracas that ensued here. And now, on to this week's question:

 

What is the name of the Jazz Singer who discovered Arsenio Hall in 1978?

 

     Make sure to put your thinking caps on, and come back next week for the answer as well as more trivia.

A Big Race for a B1G Conference

     15,000 people(including this writer) crammed into start corrals yesterday on the Museum Campus at 6:45 in the morning.  We weren't crazy(well, that's up for debate), we were there to run.  And run we did.  The Big Ten Network has been sponsoring a race in Chicago at the end of July for the past 3 years to promote itself, the conference, and the upcoming season. At the beginning of the race, Ohio State standout Archie Griffin made some introductory remarks, and after a singing of the national anthem, the race was underway.  Almost immediately, Abraham Chelanga(of Kenya, what a shock) ran away(no pun intended) with the race.  By the time the race turned north for the last 3 miles, it had turned into a race for second place.  Surprisingly, that race was quite tight, and remained that way all the way up to the final tenth of a mile, when Matthew Blume bested Daniel Glaz at the finish line by a mere 10 seconds.  Upon finishing, they(as well as all of us) received this medal:

     After the exhilarating finish, the affair opened up into the BTN Fan Fest, where both racers and Big Ten Fans could mill about and see what the Fest had to offer.  There was a combine area where people could try their hand at making a field goal kick.  There was a 40 yard dash set-up, as well as a youth football toss.  But the fest had more than just athletic pursuits to offer.  Those who wished to do so could partake in a corn hole tournament, as well as visiting booths representing all 14 Big Ten schools.  But then, we have the food.  Now the tradition of offering post-race beer to runners has been growing steadily(I've gotten a cold one after 4 of the past 5 races I've run), but not every race also gives out sausage.  The Big 10k does.  And good sausage at that.  Other than that, there were a few different exhibitor tables there, and a main stage providing entertainment throughout the fan fest.  At 11 AM, the fest wrapped up, and the BTN Big 10k was officially over for 2014.  Much like the L.A.T.E. Ride, it was an enjoyable event that I will certainly be doing again next year.

Cold Brews and Green Gardens

     This past weekend, Lincoln Park got a chance to show off its green thumb when the Sheffield Garden Walk made its 46th annual appearance.  But this year, things went a little bit differently.  Most notably, one could survey the neighborhood's prettiest gardens while also downing a cold one.  This year, the 3rd annual Chicago Craft Beer Festival was rolled into the Garden Walk, providing a refreshing subtext to the proceedings.  And refreshing they were.  And crowded too.  Many multitudes of people paid to tour more than 60 different gardens, as well as looking through rowhouses, Victorian architecture, and old churches. The crowds proved to be so large that one attendee stated that "Saying it was mobbed is an understatement. The crowds were so thick walking down Sheffield through the festival was difficult."

     But it wasn't all large crushes of people and gardens, it was also some good music as well.  Over the 2 days of the festival, they had such acts as Workout Music, Trippin Billies, The Samples, Wedding Banned, as well as many more groups.  If people tired of drinking the beer, listening to the music, or enjoying the gardens, there was yet another option available to them, as the Chicago Food Swap happened on Sunday as well.  All told, it was a busy weekend up in Lincoln Park, and just one more building block in Chicago's Summer of 2014.

Trivia Thursday: You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Drink

     Okay folks, I know we're a bit late, but here is this week's installment of trivia.  First off, the answer to last week's question.  Which article did I make a Pirates of the Caribbean reference in?  Why my piece on the Eastland disaster, of course.  I posted the link to the video that shows them capsizing their ship to illustrate how the Eastland foundered in the middle of the Chicago River.  And the title?  Well that scene is titled "Up is Down", hence the title for the post. 

And now, onto this week's question:  What was the name of the mayor who incited a mob of angry Germans to riot over Beer in the 19th Century?

     Come back next week for the answer, as well as the next question.