Waukegan's fine arts fest celebrates Ray Bradbury
The 16th Annual Ray Bradbury Dandelion Wine Fine Arts Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at Bowen Park in Waukegan.
The Ray Bradbury Dandelion Wine Fine Arts Festival is a day of fine arts, crafts, and music for the entire family. The grass-roots festival is presented by the Waukegan Park District Cultural Arts Division, with sponsorship support by Family Video, Marcos Pizza, Dockside Dogs, Waukegan Main Street, Chiro One Wellness, the Waukegan Historical Society, Cunningham Insurance Agency and Harry Came.
The festival's theme is "Celebrating Ray Bradbury!"
Ray Bradbury was all about the arts, and in tribute and in celebration the Ray Bradbury Dandelion Wine Fine Arts Festival in Waukegan's Bowen Park celebrates the arts through demonstrations and displays, musicians, storytellers, dancers, poets, theater, and readings about Ray Bradbury and from his book "Dandelion Wine."
Throughout the day there will be a special all-ages Community Art Project that will celebrate Ray Bradbury's artistic creativity. All festival attendees are welcome to participate in the art project. Art projects for children will be found at the Children's Art Tent. Children will be able to decorate a futuristic skyline of Green Town (the pseudonym for Waukegan in Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine") and create something they can take home.
The late Ray Bradbury is one of Waukegan's favorite sons and his critically acclaimed "Dandelion Wine," written in the 1950s, remains a best selling literary masterpiece that provides an image-filled glimpse of the magic found in the ravines of Green Town/Waukegan. Waukegan was Bradbury's hometown when he was growing up.
In addition to being the 16th annual festival, this is the third year of the festival after the passing of Ray Bradbury on June 5, 2012. The festival was always proud to have Ray as its Honorary Chairman and is committed to carrying on the tradition in his memory for many years to come. Special reminders about the festival being inspired by Ray Bradbury will be regularly announced throughout the day.
Admission to the festival is free. Food and refreshments will be available throughout the day at for a fee. Indoor facilities will be available in the event of inclement weather.
The Waukegan History Museum, located at the south entrance to Bowen Park, will feature free historical exhibits for festival attendees to visit and enjoy from 1-4 p.m.
The festival's outdoor Pavilion Music Stage will feature a variety of musical bands and performers throughout the day headlined at 2:30 p.m. by Almost Joe.
At 3 p.m. there will be a community Drum Circle presented by Helen Bond's drumming troupe at the festival's outdoor Children's Stage for attendees to actively participate. Participants may bring their own drum, percussion and rhythm instruments, or instruments will be furnished while supplies last. The Children's Stage will also feature a variety of musical performances and activities throughout the day.
The indoor Schornick Theatre Stage within the Jack Benny Center for the Arts building in Bowen Park will feature a variety of acoustic music performers, headlined by "Jazzman" Jeff's Lake County Acoustic Music Jam at 2 p.m., where any festival attendee is welcome to bring their acoustic guitar, five string banjo, fiddle, harmonica, acoustic bass and/or voice to help create a spontaneous folk/folk-country/folk-rock music jam on the Schornick Theatre's Stage.
Before the jam, at 1:30 p.m., "Jazzman" Jeff will perform Beatles Jazz, '60s music and originals.
Due to its popularity at last year's festival, there will again be an outdoor Bradbury Theatre Stage at the Bowen Park Gazebo that will be hosted by Anthony Fiorelli and feature ongoing theatrical, improv, storytelling, and poetry performances, with rotating acts every 20-25 minutes throughout the day.
There will also be an Artist and Artisan Demonstration Tent with fine artists and artisans showcasing their talents and providing information about the artistic processes they use.
Waukegan's Bowen Park is on Sheridan Road, just north of Greenwood. Free parking is available. For information, visit www.waukeganparks.org or www.jackbennycenter.org, or call the Waukegan Park District at (847) 360-4740.
16th Annual Ray Bradbury Dandelion Wine Fine Arts Festival
The 16th Annual Ray Bradbury Dandelion Wine Fine Arts Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at Bowen Park in Waukegan. The following events are scheduled:
<b>Artist Lane:</b>From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Over 30 artists/crafters displaying their fine art and/or conducting demonstrations, instructions, and selling art.
• A Community Arts Project that festival attendees can participate in to celebrate Ray Bradbury!
• Artist and Artisan Demonstration Tent, with demonstrations of spinning, weaving, and pottery.
<b>Outdoor Pavilion Music Stage</b>• 10 a.m.: ALATS Dance Group
• 10:45 a.m.: Rockin' Aces (blues)
• 11:45 a.m.: Roaming Bear
• 12:30 p.m.: Jackie Carlson
• 12:45 p.m.: Sipos & Young
• 2:30 p.m.: Almost Joe (rock, jazz, blues with a Latin percussion groove)
<b>Indoor Schornick Theatre</b>• 10 a.m.: Stage One Performs Zero Hour Radio (live radio show)
• 10:30 a.m.: Anne Malecki and Friends (acoustic guitar/singer-songwriter)
• 11 a.m.: Sophie (new acoustic music)
• 11:30 a.m.: Terry Breen (original piano compositions)
• Noon: Dale Szymkowski (acoustic guitar/singer-musician)
• 12:30 p.m.: Bill Tong (folk music/multi-instrumentalist)
• 1 p.m.: Dobie G (acoustic guitar/singer-songwriter)
• 1:30 p.m.: "Jazzman" Jeff Justman (Beatle Jazz, 60s music, and originals)
• 2-3 p.m.: "Jazzman" Jeff's Lake County Acoustic Music Jam.
<b>Bradbury Theatre Stage at the Bowen Park Gazebo: </b>Ongoing theatrical, improv, storytelling, and poetry performances hosted by Not Boyfriends improv team, rotating acts every 20-25 minutes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including:
• Not Boyfriends "90-Second Novels: Ray Bradbury Edition"
• Waukegan Trivia with prizes
• Stage One
• Original short plays from the Acts To Follow Theatre Company Vault
• Improv-a-ganza with local artists
• Acts To Follow presents: "30 Minute Theatre," an original short play created and performed in 30 minutes
<b>Outdoor Children's Stage</b>• 10 a.m. to noon: to be determined
• Noon: Jack Benny Center for the Arts Dance Students
• 12:30 p.m.: Jon the Juggler
• 1:15 p.m.: Magic Show
• 2 p.m.: Academia Cultural Xilotl
• 3-4 p.m.: Drum Circle presented by Helen Bond's drumming troupe. All festival attendees may participate; rhythm instruments will be provided or bring your own.
<b>Waukegan History Museum: </b>The museum will present the following historical exhibits from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free.
• Civil War Exhibit
• Lincoln Assassination Exhibit
<b>Jack Benny Center for the Arts</b>• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A special exhibit titled "Ray Bradbury: Live Forever!" will look at the influences that Waukegan had on a young Ray Bradbury.