Quality time together becomes both more important and harder to achieve as kids get older. One great way to bond with your older kid and make some fun memories this summer is by heading to Ravinia, the beautiful outdoor concert venue. Here are the best Ravinia concerts to go to with tweens and teens this year. Tickets go on sale on to the general public on May 9.
Getting there
Ravinia is located at 200 Ravinia Park Road in Highland Park. Directions and parking information can be found here. Instead of driving, consider taking the Metra North Line that stops at the front gate.
Pentatonix on August 28
No instruments, no problem with this Grammy Award-winning group of five. Their YouTube videos have been viewed more than 2.2 billion times.
“La La Land” in Concert on June 18
Listen to “City of Stars” while sitting out under the stars. “La La Land” won six Academy Awards and left many tweens and teens swooning. The film will be shown on screens on the lawn and in the Pavilion with the score played by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
“The Lord of the Rings” in Concert on August 18-20
You don’t have to journey to Middle Earth to impress your fantasy-loving tweens and teens. You just have to travel Highland. All three of the Lord of the Rings movies will be shown, one each night, with the scores performed live by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Common on June 24
Chicago’s own Common will take time away from his acting and producing careers to appear at Ravinia this summer. You don’t want to miss it.
CSO Tchaikovsky Spectacular on July 16
Think your kid will fall asleep to classical music? Think again. Two words: cannon fire. It’s included as part of the performance of the “1812” Overture by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which will be anything but boring.
There are dozens of other concerts, so chances are you can find one that will work for your family. You can find the full Ravinia schedule here.
Good to know:
Kids ages 15 and under get free lawn passes for all CSO and Martin Theatre concerts including movie nights. (Only the Gala Benefit concert is not included.) High school students can get free lawn passes for all classical concerts in the Pavilion and Martin Theater, excluding movie nights and the Gala Benefit. Free lawn passes can be acquired online and students need a valid school ID with them for entry.
Another way Ravinia can be relatively cost effective is by bringing your own food. Guests are welcome to bring as much as they like, so pack a picnic of favorites for you and your older kids before you head out for a fun night together.
