By Christy Simo
Get dolled up in your glad rags because it’s time for the 39th Annual Grant Park Mothball, an annual costume party fundraiser with all proceeds going back into the community.
Come party with your neighbors on Saturday, November 8 from 8:00pm to midnight at The Grant Park Recreation Center in the heart of Grant Park (537 Park Avenue). The event is hosted by the Grant Park Neighborhood Association, which uses the party’s proceeds for everything from transportation improvements and support for the Grant Park Farmers Market to grants for neighborhood schools.
This year, for one night only, the Mothball event space will be transformed into The Grant Park Speakeasy. There will be live music, a silent auction to benefit the Grant Park Conservancy, snacks, and treats by local restaurants and shops – and maybe a little bathtub gin to boot.
The costume contest and the dance-off will both return this year, with cash prizes and more.
“Last year we ‘rebooted’ the Mothball after a two-year hiatus, and I don’t think people quite knew what to expect. But we had so many people tell us they such a great time,” says Kelly Tenedini, GPNA fundraising chair. “It really is a good way to have fun, meet new neighbors or party with old friends, and give back to the neighborhood.”
The Mothball costume party is a Grant Park tradition that spans almost four decades. Back in the 1970s, it started out as a potluck dinner to thank everyone who volunteered for the Tour of Homes and was traditionally held the same weekend as the Tour.
As time passed, the party grew bigger until it turned into its own event. Past themes have included everything from Moulin Rouge and pirates to James Bond and Saturday Night Live. More than 250 people attended last year’s Mothball, which featured a Hootenanny theme.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the GPMothball Facebook page or go to www.gpna.org/mothball. If you want to volunteer with the event or are a local restaurant or retail establishment interested in contributing to the Mothball, contact GPNA Fundraising Chair Kelly Tenedini at fundraising@gpna.org.
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