Northern Suburbs July-September

Activities

Through 9/5, Temple Lipizzans Performance
Tempel Farms
17000 Wadsworth Rd., Old Mill Creek
(847) 623-7272
www.tempelfarms.com
The beautiful Tempel Lipizzan stallions perform their stylized and intricate form of dressage every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Cost: $18 for adults, $10 for children. Tours take place at 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; adults cost $9 and kids cost $6.

7/10-9/6, Bristol Renaissance Faire
12550 120^th Ave., Kenosha, WI
(847) 395-7773
www.renfair.com/bristol/
Huzzah! The annual festival has returned, complete with costumes, jousts, craftworks, shows, rides, games, living history demonstrations and more. Step back in time to enjoy the sights and sounds of 20 stages and a full slate of fun, plus summer-ready food and plenty of period excitement. Watch for ticket deals online.

8/7-8/8, David Adler Festival of the Arts
Cook Park
Cook Ave. & Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville
(847) 367-0707

8/14-8/15, Great Tastes Fine Arts Festival
Downtown Long Grove
307 Old McHenry Rd., Long Grove
(847) 634-0888
www.longgroveonline.com

8/28-8/29, 27^th Annual Port Clinton Art Festival
Downtown Highland Park
600 Central Ave., Highland Park
(847) 432-0800
www.amdurproductions.com
Features 260 juried artists and 275,000 visitors.

Places

Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe
(847) 835-5440
www.chicagobotanic.org
The sprawling beauty of this North Shore attraction appeals to visitors year-round. With gorgeous themed gardens, roses, a lake complete with rainbow-generating fountain and dozens of events each month, the Botanic Garden has something for everyone. This summer, enjoy the Garden Chef series every Saturday and Sunday through 10/3, which includes Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend on 7/10-7/11. Free carillon concerts take place Monday evenings through 9/6, the Hot Summer Nights music series is on Thursdays through 9/2, Music on the Esplanade is Tuesdays until 8/31 and the kid-friendly Railroad Garden is on display through 10/31. Watch for flower shows planned regularly throughout the season and check out the children’s programs, library exhibits and more. The Farmer’s Market can be found on first and third Sundays of the month until 10/17.

Grosse Point Lighthouse
2535 Sheridan Rd., Evanston
(708) 328-6961
www.grossepointlighthouse.org
After several shipwrecks occurred in the area, the U.S. government built the Grosse Point Lighthouse in 1873 to mark the approach to Chicago. Early French explorers and traders in the 17^th century named the promontory on which it stands Grosse Point (Great Point). You’ll find it just north of Northwestern University.

The Grove National Historic Landmark
1421 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview
(847) 299-6096
www.glenviewparks.org
Natural history and human history intersect at The Grove, a national historic landmark that combines a museum and beautiful nature preserve. The Interpretive Center displays live animals found in present-day Illinois, along with fossils and artifacts that document the state’s history. You can also visit the historical Kennicott House, Native American Longhouse, blacksmith shop and log cabin. Several trails meander through the 123-acre site. Civil War Days at the Grove takes place 7/24-7/25.

Knauz Classic Car Center
Rt. 41 & Rt. 176, Lake Bluff
(847) 234-2800
On display are Ferraris, Mercedes, a Land Rover, an original Austin Mini, Army Jeeps and a range of classic cars. To view the collection, call Jeff Lefebvre at 847-234-2800. By appointment only.

Lambs Farm
Route 176 & I-94, 2 miles east of Libertyville
(847) 362-4636
lambsfarm.org
Lambs Farm is a private non-profit organization that serves adults with developmental disabilities. It features a farmyard, pet store, thrift shop, country store, bakery and the Country Inn Restaurant. At the Discovery Center, kids can learn about farm life and animals; the petting area is popular, too. Guests can also play on an 18-hole miniature golf course or take a miniature train ride. Children between the ages of 1-12 can ride the Old World carousel.

Long Grove Confectionery Company
333 Lexington Dr., Buffalo Grove
(888) 459-3100
Experience the old-fashioned way of making chocolates in this 85,000 sq. ft. facility. Learn about the company’s candy kitchen, watch chocolates being made and enjoy a few samples before you go. The Chocolate Factory tour takes approximately one hour. Call for details.

Wagner Farm
1510 Wagner Rd., Glenview
(847) 657-1506
www.wagnerfarm.org
Over 100 years old, this 18.6-acre farm was saved from destruction when it was purchased by the Glenview Park District. Now, Wagner Farm is home to many farm animals and a Heritage Center that uses hands-on exhibits to teach visitors about farming methods from the early 1900s. The annual Picnic Supper, Barnyard Dance and Ice Cream Social takes place 9/12 and the Harvest Bonfire (s’mores and cider!) takes place 9/26.

Key Lime Cove
1700 Nations Dr., Gurnee
(877) 360-0403
www.keylimecove.com
The highlights of Chicagoland’s newest water park include a wave pool, giant water slides, a whirlpool ride, a lazy river tube ride, a water playground with dump bucket and kids’ pool. The stunning facility, which is one of the area’s largest at 65,000 square feet, is only available for guests of the resort.

Six Flags Great America
1 Great America Pkwy, Gurnee
(847) 249-4636
www.sixflags.com
Our favorite giant amusement park, plus Hurricane Harbor waterpark, are open every day through 8/29. After that the park opens 9/4-9/6, 9/11-12 and 9/18 (plus weekends in October).  New this year is the Glow in the Park parade and The Little Dipper, a vintage wooden coaster that used to reside at Kiddieland Amusement Park, which closed in 2009. It’s the park’s 14^th coaster, if you like that sort of thing. Events include a Fourth of July celebration on 7/4, Mitchell Musso in concert on 7/5, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Day on 7/10, The Maine in concert on 7/20, and the Xtreme Spirit Cheer and Dance Competition festival on 9/11.

Evanston Historical Society
225 Greenwood, Evanston
(847) 475-3410
The Evanston Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1898 to preserve and share Evanston history. EHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Evanston's past through the Charles Gates Dawes House, interactive and engaging museum exhibits, research room and collections, educational programs and book publishing.

Glenview Naval Air Station Museum
2040 Lehigh Ave., Glenview
(847) 657-0000

Great Lakes Naval Museum
Naval Station Great Lakes, Building 158
2601A Paul Jones St., Great Lakes
(847) 688-3154
The Great Lakes Naval Museum shows the history of the Navy in the Great Lakes area. Photography and memorabilia are on display.

Holocaust Museum and Education Center
9603 Woods Dr., Skokie
(847) 967-4800
www.ilholocaustmuseum.org
This new museum opened its doors in spring 2009 with speakers Bill Clinton and Elie Wiesel and expects to attract more than 250,000 people annually. Exhibits in the $45 million, 65,000 sq. ft. space include artifacts from Simon Wiesenthal, an original volume of the Nuremberg trial transcripts, a German railcar, art from concentration camps and a collection of letters, postcards and other documents. A Room of Remembrance honors the memory of victims; issues related to current genocides have also been integrated. Skokie became an enclave for Holocaust survivors after WWII.

Kohl Children’s Museum
2100 Patriot Blvd., Glenview
(847) 832-6600
www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org
Here’s a place for your kids (up to age 8) to play in a safe and educational yet inspiring environment. They can enjoy water play, musical instruments, an outdoor habitat, a grocery store, an animal hospital, a car care room and other fun areas. Regular special exhibits and activities for kids are included. Through 5/24, the special exhibit is “Pizza: Any Way You Slice It” and the annual Eggs to Chicks exhibit remains through 5/10. From 5/26-9/5, come for “Watch Us Grow: Monarch Butterflies”  and return from 6/15-9/26 for “Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home.”

Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
Northwestern University, 40 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston
(847) 491-4000
www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu
The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art is committed to providing excellence in the visual arts for the communities of Northwestern University and the greater Chicago area.  The permanent collection contains strong holdings of 20^th-century sculpture and 16^th- to 21^st-century works on paper displayed in the Print, Drawing, and Photography Study Center. From 4/9-6/20, catch “The Brilliant Line: Following the Early Modern Engraver, 1480-1650.”

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
2600 Central Park Ave., Evanston
(847) 475-1030
www.mitchellmuseum.org
The Mitchell Museum offers over 6,000 individual objects dedicated to the native cultures of the Woodlands, Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast and Arctic regions of North America. Each gallery contains "touching tables" where visitors can handle real examples of Indian artifacts, as well as feel the raw materials—including snakeskin, caribou fur, birch bark, turquoise and buffalo skin—that were used by Native Americans. Closed Mondays. “Raising the Totem: Exploring Northwest Coast Indigenous Cultures” is on display through 6/13.