Get out there and play
As you juggle to put your schedule together this weekend, pen in a trip to a circus with some positive attitude. In its eighth year, CircEsteem hosts its Spring Circus, Friday-Sunday at Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago.
Kids and young adults age 8-20 clown, tumble, juggle and perform on the trapeze during the four performances. New this year are performers from CircEsteem’s adult program, including 64-year-old Melanie Sikorski who performs on the gym wheel, which the group has dubbed the giant“hamster wheel.” Sikorski is CircEsteem’s first senior citizen pupil.
Tickets are available in advance online for , kids and at the door for , kids. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (312) 731-HAHA (4242) or visit CircEsteem.org.
Get your tickets here
See the first animated film to ever open the Cannes Film Festival, at a theater near you, of course. Two lucky Chicago Parent readers will win family five-packs to see“Up” at their choice of Classic Cinemas theaters. When deciding on your theater, please keep in mind that not all of the Classic Cinemas theaters offer 3D viewing.“Up” hits theaters May 29. For more information, visit classiccinemas.com. To win, visit our discussion board.
Get out there and play some more
Discover a new path to exploring art this Saturday when the Art Institute’s New Modern Wing opens. Offering more space for modern art, the museum also offers a restaurant, an open-air sculpture garden and a bridge that connects the museum to Millennium Park over Monroe Street, all three of which are open to the public without admission. The Modern Wing also houses the kid- and family-friendly Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Education Center, which occupies the first floor with a family center, teacher resource rooms, exhibition and classrooms.
On opening day, families will have an opportunity to listen to outdoor performances by the gypsy jazz of Swing Gitan and the African dance of Muntu Dance Theatre Chicago, indoor performances from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and several musicians. Drop-in activities and self-guided tours round out the activities. The day will also unveil the new kids’ exhibit,“Picture Perfect: Art from Caldecott Award Books, 2006-2009.” Activities begin with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.
The Art Institute is located at 111 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Regular admission to the museum is , Chicago residents, for students and seniors, Chicago resident students and seniors and free for kids 13 and under. Admission is free May 16-22. For more information, call (312) 857-7161 or visit artic.edu/aic.
Get out there and play
Bring out the animal-loving designers in your kids at the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Family Studio Sunday. Animal Architecture is a free four-hour event May 17 where kids will learn about how animals build their habitats through creative activities, including designing a creature’s home. Discover the art of Peggy Macnamara, who’ll share her painting of bird and insect homes, then join a tour of the Loop to spot animals adorning Chicago architecture.
Activities are designed for kids age 3-12 who must be accompanied by an adult. This free event runs from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. For more information, call (312) 922-3432 or visit architecture.org/index.html.
Get out there and play
This week, one lucky Chicago Parent reader will win“Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics: Dinosaurs, Trucks, Monsters… and More!” and“Treasury of 25 Storybook Classics: Fairytales, Magic… and More!” on DVD. The DVDs retail for .95 each and are available May 19. To win, visit our discussion board.
