Get out there and play

Watch the sky over Lake Michigan light up at the 52nd Annual Venetian Night, Saturday, with this year’s theme, “Hollywood on the Lake.”

One of the highlights of the night begins at 8 p.m., when the Chicago Fire Department’s Air/Sea Rescue Re-enactment takes place at Queen’s Landing, located at Congress and the Lakefront in Grant Park. The boat parade, where more than two dozen boats decorated with lights and props sail across the lake, begins at 8:15 p.m. The event also features a fireworks display and a Guinness Book of World Records highest jump attempt by motocross superstar Ronnie Renner at Butler Field, 100 S. Lake Shore Drive, at 6 p.m.

Venetian Night is located at Lake Michigan, Lake Shore Drive and Congress Parkway, Chicago. Public transportation, walking and biking are suggested. Admission is free. For more information, call (312) 744-3370 or (312) 744-3315, or visit venetiannightchicago.us.

Get out there and play some more

Eat your way through the weekend at the Taste of Lincoln Avenue. While your family takes in more than 350 vendors, jam with 40 music acts on five stages, including Sugar Ray and Chicago bluesman Bobby Rush.

The event also includes a free kids’ carnival featuring inflatables, a petting zoo, pony rides and entertainment from noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Have some competitive fun with cornhole tournaments, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday. And chow down at the Jimmy John's Sandwich Eating Competition at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

The Taste of Lincoln Avenue is located between Fullerton and Wrightwood in Chicago's DePaul/Lincoln Park neighborhood. The event is held from noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is a $7 donation before 4 p.m. and $10 after. For more information, call (773) 868-3010 or visit chicagoevents.com.

Outside fun

Take your family back in time this weekend with the Civil War Living History Days. Stroll through Confederate and Union encampments and discover what life was like on the battlefield. Watch a skirmish between Blue and Gray at 2 p.m. each day and visit the Civil War field hospital. Meet “celebrities,” including President and Mrs. Lincoln and General and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, or watch Mark Twain in action at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Candlelight tours of the camps are offered from 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday for an extra fee.

Civil War Living History Days are held at The Grove National Historic Landmark, 1421 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5, $1 kids 12 and under. Free parking. For more information, call (847) 299-6096 or visit glenviewparks.org.

Piece of the prize

Puppies and kittens appeal to almost all girls, especially when they’re stuffed. This week, six lucky Chicago Parent readers will win Daisy the dog or Toby the kitten stuffed plush from Pawparazzi Pets. We have three of each. Both Toby and Daisy come with a purse, leash, collar, blanket, name charm, celebrity magazine, dish, dining mat, toy and a pearl necklace for girls and matching collar for their pets. Pawparazzi pets retail for $35. For more information, visit pawparazzi.com. To win, visit our discussion board. Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\article-detail.xslt