annie

Starting Memorial Day weekend, 17 bands representing a wide variety of musical genres will entertain guests on Sunday afternoons and on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day at Cantigny Park.

In addition, four Saturday shows especially for kids (also free) are scheduled.

Sunday and children’s concerts feature lawn seating and are complimentary with paid parking ($5 per car). Performances take place at the Cantigny bandshell near the park’s front entrance or, if noted, in front of the First Division Museum:

· R Gang (R&B)
Sunday, May 26, 3 pm

· Steve Cooper Orchestra (Big Band)
Monday, May 28, 3 pm

· Woody James and The Millington Two (Johnny Cash Tribute)
Sunday, June 2, 3 pm

· The Jay Witcher Orchestra (Swing)
Sunday, June 9, 3 pm

· The Special Consensus (Bluegrass)
Sunday, June 23, 3 pm

· The Neverly Brothers (50’s & 60’s music)
Sunday, June 30, 3 pm

· U.S. Navy Band Great Lakes (Wind Ensemble)
Wednesday, July 4, 3 pm – at the First Division Museum
Free parking on Independence Day!

· Denny Diamond (Neil Diamond Tribute)
Sunday, July 7, 3 pm

· Heartache Tonight (Eagles Tribute)
Sunday, July 14, 3 pm

· New Odyssey
Sunday, July 21, 3 pm

· The Wave Runners (Beach Party)
Sunday, July 28, 3 pm

· Toronzo Cannon with BMR4 (Chicago Blues)
Sunday, August 4, 3 pm

· Big Guitars from Memphis (Country)
Sunday, August 11, 3 pm

· Three Men in Kilts (Irish)
Sunday, August 18, 3 pm

· Banjo Buddies Dixieland Band (Dixie)
Sunday, August 25, 3 pm

· Five Guys Named Moe (Classic Rock)
Sunday, September 1, 3 pm

· The Chicago Outskirts (Jazz)
Monday, September 2, 3 pm

Free concerts especially for kids, each at 2 pm:

· Istvan and His Imaginary Band
Saturday, June 22

· The Boogers
Saturday, June 29

· ScribbleMonster
Saturday, July 13

· Little Miss Ann Band
Saturday, July 27

For all concerts, guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or chairs. Picnics are welcome, and Le Jardin and Bertie’s Café (in the Visitors Center) are available for pre-concert meals and snacks.

Cantigny Park is open every day throughout the summer from 7 am to dusk. Parking fees are $5 per vehicle (or $2 after 5 pm). Annual memberships starting at $50 include unlimited free parking.

Donley’s Wild West Town, the charming Old West theme park in Union, Illinois, is now open for the 2013 summer season. A family-owned business, Larry Donley, his wife, Helene, and their sons, Mike and Randy, started Donley’s Wild West Town in 1974 because of their passion for antiques. As their collections grew, they built the Wild West Town, Old West Saloon and Steakhouse, and Village Hall Banquets as additional attractions in McHenry County. Today, Donley’s welcomes families to explore a variety of rides and shows, including three daily Wild West shows, a vintage carousel from 1951, panning for gold, Runaway Mine Cars roller coaster, pony rides, a petting zoo, and the C.P. Huntington Train. It also features cowboy roping lessons, a slingshot and archery range, a pop gun shooting gallery, kid-powered handcars, venture canoeing, the Kids Korral playground and the Streets of Yesteryear Display.

The Old West Saloon and Steakhouse provides a family-friendly environment filled with delicious “App-Ti-Yi-Yippy-Yay-Zers!” including Prairie Fire Chicken Wings, Rattlesnake Bites, and a Crock O’Chili, a variety of sandwiches and burgers, “Fallin’ Off the Bone” BBQ Ribs, Filet Mignon and the Cowboy Rib Eye. The “Li’l Cowpokes Menu” includes kid-friendly favorites like Wagon Wheel Pizza, Miner’s Gold Mac ‘N Cheese, Grizzly Gulch Grilled Cheese, and the Get Along Little Doggie hot dog. The Old West Saloon and Steakhouse also offers a Fryday Fish Fry Dinner special on Fridays, Slow Roasted Prime Rib on Saturdays and Oven Roasted Chicken on Sundays. Donley’s also has a private dining room perfect for birthdays, showers, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners, meetings, and luncheons, which seats up to 70 people.

Donley’s Wild West Town is located in McHenry County at the intersection of Route 20 & S. Union Road, 3 miles south of the Village of Union at 8512 S. Union Rd. The park is daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 18 through August 23 (except May 20) and on Saturdays and Sundays from August 24 through October 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information call 815.923.9000 or go to www.wildwesttown.com.

Donley’s Wild West Town
8512 S Union Rd
Union, IL 60180
(815) 923-9000

Isn’t it great that you can go to a Farmers Market or French Market practically any day of the week to get fresh food?! Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to see the breakdown by day. All of the following markets have been added to the calendar, so if you wake up and want to find one, you can also check out the Kidlist Calendar. Not only is it wonderful to support local farmers, your kids can enjoy some entertainment, good food and treats! I love this time of year.

Brookfield Farmers Market
Brookfield Village Hall
8820 Brookfield Ave.
Saturdays, 8am – 1pm
June 1 – October 26, 2013

Burr Ridge Market on the Green
Burr Ridge Village Center
701 Village Center Drive
Thursdays, 10am – 2pm
June 13 – September 26, 2013

Downtown Downers Grove Market
Main Street Train Station
South Parking Lot off Burlington Ave.
5001 Main Street
Saturdays, 7am – 12:30
May 11 – October 19, 2013

Elmhurst Farmers Market
Municipal Lot, 1 block south of York street on Vallette
Wednesdays, 7am – 1pm
June 5 – October 30, 2013

Glen Ellyn Farmer’s Market
Main Street Parking Lot
North of Roosevelt Rd between Duane St. and Hillside Avenue
Fridays, 8am – 1pm
May 24 – October 25, 2013

Hinsdale Farmers Market
Burlington Park
30 East Chicago Ave
Mondays, 7am – 1pm
June 3 – October 14, 2013

La Grange Farmers Market
parking lot just south of Village Hall in the downtown area
53 S La Grange Rd
Thursdays, 7am – 1pm
May 9 – October 24, 2013

Lisle French Market
Commuter Lot just West of the Village Hall
925 Burlington Avenue
Saturdays, 8am – 1pm
May 4 – October 26, 2013

Naperville Farmer’s Market
Fifth Avenue Station Parking Lot
200 E 5th Avenue
Saturdays, 7am – noon
June 1 – October 26, 2013

Oak Park Farmers’ Market
460 Lake St, one block west of Ridgeland Avenue
Saturdays, 7am – 1pm
May 18 – October 26, 2013

Riverside Farmers’ Market
27 Riverside Road
Wednesdays, 2:30pm – 7pm
June 5 – October 2, 2013

Villa Park French Market
Park Boulevard and Ardmore Avenue
Sundays, 8am – 1pm
May 5 – October 27, 2013

Western Springs French Market
In front of the Water Tower
914 Hillgrove Avenue
Thursdays, 2-7pm
May 2 – October 31, 2013

Westmont Fresh Marketplace
On West Burlington Avenue from Cass to Lincoln
Thursdays, 4-8pm
June 6 – August 29, 2013

Wheaton French Market
Main Street and Liberty Drive in downtown Wheaton
Saturdays, 8am – 2pm
April 20 – November 9, 2013

Green City Market in Chicago
South end of Lincoln Park between Clark and Stockton Drive
approximately 1790 N. Clark
Wednesdays & Saturdays, 7am – 1pm
May 4 – October 26, 2013

Breakdown by Day:

Sunday

Villa Park French Market (starting May 5)

Monday

Hinsdale Farmers Market (starting June 3)

Tuesday

none

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Glen Ellyn Farmer’s Market (starting May 24)

Saturday

Please note that the Lombard Town Centre French Market is not happening this year.

Do you have a farmer’s market in the west suburbs of Chicago that is not on this list? Please comment below or email me at annie@mykidlist.com.

Every year Oakbrook Shopping Center takes out their gorgeous tulips and throws them in the parking lot for everyone to take! They try to leave them in until Mother’s Day and then take them out shortly after… so Tuesday and Wednesday this week is the time to go get them.

This year they will dump them in the outer parking lot in the green fencing directly out from Seasons 52. In other words, if you are facing Pinstripes, it will be on your left. Please note that this is what the Oak Brook Center Management office told me, but a Kidlist reader commented on Facebook that the tulip bulbs are NOT near the green fenced in area. They are due south of the first entrance off Kingery, which is just north of 22nd St. So perhaps you want to check out that area too or call the office telephone number at the bottom and double check the information.

Tuesday, May 14: 9:30am, 11:45am, 2:30pm
Wednesday, May15: 9:30am, 11:45am, 2:30pm

They continually pull them out and dump them, so you do not have to go during the first time slot to get the best selection. For the most part you will not be able to tell what color they are because the flowers usually fall off by the time they get to the parking lot.

So here’s what happens:
Everyone lines up on either side of where they will be putting the bulbs, the truck comes and dumps them more or less in a line across the parking lot. Then one of the guys will say “go” and everyone takes what they would like. Last year I left my kids at home because I didn’t know how it would be, but people definitely did bring their kids and it seemed that the people working for the mall were very kind to the moms and dads, putting piles in front of them so they didn’t have to get in the mess.

A few pointers:
Bring something to put the bulbs in. You can lay a blanket down, put it right next to the pile and scoop the bulbs onto your blanket, then tie it up and put it in your trunk. Or bring a laundry basket or some sort of box to throw them in. Bags don’t seem to work that well because you have to worry about opening them up to put the flowers in… and it goes really fast!

Also, please keep in mind that you might have to wait a little bit because they have to make their way with the truck from the tulips beds to the outer parking lot. With the construction going on there and the traffic I would imagine that they won’t be extremely punctual, but don’t risk it by going late because like I said, it’s over in a few minutes (similar to the kids Easter egg hunts!).

Want to learn how to store the bulbs for planting?
Read How to Store Tulips Bulbs

Oakbrook Center
100 Oakbrook Center
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523-1838
(630) 573-0700