- Details
Music in our schools day happens every year on March 6. Music is an important part of a well-rounded education. High school students who take part in music courses are more likely to have higher GPAs and attendance rates than students who do not participate in music education.
The arts are essential to a complete and competitive education for all students. Through the arts, students learn critical thinking, effective communication, collaboration and creative problem solving. Music education has also been linked to better emotional regularity and an increase in verbal memory.
Illinois’ public schools have a lot to offer on the music education front, and one of the ways to support music in schools is attending one of your local schools’ concerts. The Illinois Music Education Association is a big supporter of music in schools. They have yearly band, orchestra, jazz and choral performances where students from all high schools in Illinois come together for one performance. Another way they help encourage music in schools is by pairing music teachers with current job openings. Celebrate Music in our Schools day by supporting your local school music concert and events.
- Details
It’s Chicago Theatre Week and you can celebrate by attending a show for $30 or less. Originally launched in 2000, the annual Chicago Theatre Week serves up value priced tickets for productions at dozens of theaters across the city.
Last year’s CTW hit record ticket sales as more than 20,000 tickets sold with more than 500 performances displayed by 78 participating productions. Sponsored by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago, more than 50 theatres will participate this year during CTW. The goal is to increase and represent theatre as a vital industry throughout Chicago.
Be sure to visit and attend theatrical showings this week at theatres such as The Chicago Theatre, which is known to be the first large lavish movie palace in America and was the prototype for all others. Opened on Oct. 26, 1921, this beautiful movie palace was constructed for $4 million and built in French baroque style. This seven-story building has 3,600 seats and is more than one half of a city block wide and consists of a vertical sign that displays “C-H-I-C-A-G-O” at about six stories tall. Throughout it’s time, The Chicago Theatre presented the best live and film entertainment with an array of the world’s brightest stars and greatest productions that have graced the stage, which includes Allman Brothers Band, Blues Traveler, Kelly Clarkson, Harry Connick Jr. and others.
For those seeking to make Theatre Week purchases, each theatre’s own ticket offers and ticketing system/box office details will be listed on the Chicago Theatre Week website at chicagotheatreweek.com.
- Details
Just in time for Black History Month, a new Illinois radio station has begun broadcasting. “Illinois Soul” is dedicated to the reflection of the Black experience throughout the state.
The station is produced by Illinois Public Media from Urbana, with the station located on the University of Illinois campus. With support and input from leaders within the Black community, the new station’s goal is to transform the media landscape.
Illinois Public Media sought input from many people, with the aim being to understand their preferences for a local Black media service. Illinois Public Media has attended community events with surveys in order to find out what topics the community wanted to hear about. The feedback revealed a need to amplify Black voices and stories, connect communities, and celebrate Black excellence.
As a part of its programming, the station will also introduce a new weekly local affairs program, focusing on issues that are important to black adults in Central Illinois.
You can listen to “Illinois Soul” over the air in Champaign-Urbana at 101.1 FM, or stream the station live from anywhere on IllinoisSoul.org.
- Details
Celebrate free museum days in Illinois this year by taking advantage of one of the many museums across the state offering free admission. From modern art to aquariums, there is plenty to enjoy for families or individuals of all ages. Check out a few museums below offering free admission days in February:
- Adler Planetarium, Chicago - every Wednesday from 4 to 10 p.m.
- Art Institute Of Chicago, Michigan Avenue Entrance - 111 S. Michigan Ave. – Loop, Chicago - weekdays (Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays). To receive free admission tickets, Illinois residents must reserve them online in advance.
- Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe – Feb. 4 – 9, 19. Pre-registration required.
- Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago – Feb. 29
- Chicago History Museum, Chicago – Feb. 19
- Shedd Aquarium, Chicago - every Saturday, Sunday and Monday throughout the month
- Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Skokie – Feb. 23
You can also enjoy a number of museums that are free all month long:
- Livingston County War Museum, Pontiac
- Northwest Territory Historic Center, Dixon
- Illinois State Military Museum, Springfield
- Karpeles Manuscript Library and Museum, Rock Island
- Ottowa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum, Ottowa
- The American Toby Jug Museum, Evanston
- Arcadia: America's Playable Arcade Museum, McLean
- DePaul Art Museum, Chicago
For a full list of free museums in Illinois, visit here.
- Details
Today marks the start of the 17th Annual Chicago Restaurant Week, which is the perfect opportunity to explore the Chicago food scene, have a taste of the hundreds of cuisines the city has to offer and experience one of the major reasons why Chicago has been the Best Big City in the U.S. for seven years in a row.
Each neighborhood has a selection of notable restaurants to choose from which provide prefixed menus for brunch, lunch and dinner, exceptionally crafted to provide the best dining experience for guests. With over 400 participating restaurants across the city, there is food to appease every kind of palate.
Enjoy a variety of foods from around the world, local favorites or traditional American food. Must-try spots include award-winning restaurants, diet friendly restaurants with vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options and places with one-of-a-kind dining experiences.
Chicago Restaurant Week runs until Feb. 4. To make a reservation and view a full list of participating restaurants visit the Chicago Restaurant Week website.
Cheers!