By Carrie Whitney
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Each year, the Grant Park Summer Shade Festival celebrates the city’s oldest park, our very own historic Grant Park. Now in its eleventh year, the Summer Shade Festival is a weekend filled with art, live music, fun activities for children, plenty to eat and drink and beautiful summer weather. Funds raised by the festival support the work of the Grant Park Conservancy, the organization that maintains the park and helps keep it beautiful.
The fundraising begins on Saturday morning when the festival kicks off with the Adams Realtors 5K Run for the Park, which allows runners and walkers to enjoy the historic neighborhood on foot. There is also a 1K fun run for pint sized athletes.
During the festival, visitors will find more than a hundred booths in the juried and non-juried Artist Markets. These local and national artists offer everything from jewelry to sculpture to mixed media and everything is handmade. The festival includes a Kids Zone presented by City Council Member Carla Smith with activities, crafts and performances – most of them free of charge. Food and beverage booths throughout the park provide a range of fare. Attendees looking for something fresh and healthy can stop by the Grant Park Farmers Market on Sunday morning, too.
One of the favorite aspects of the Summer Shade Festival is the top-notch live music, which just gets better every year. This summer, the festival is thrilled to welcome Old Ceremony, Michelle Malone and Lee Bains and the Glory Fires. Two stages feature live music throughout the entire weekend, and Grant Park’s grassy hills offer fantastic seating and visibility.
The Grant Park Summer Shade Festival is a free event and takes place August 24 beginning at 10am and August 25 beginning at 11am. Registration for the Adams Realtors 5K Run for the Park opens at 7am, and the race starts at 8am. The Grant Park Farmers Market is held Sundays from 9:30am to 1:30pm. More information, a list of Artist Market participants and performance schedules are available at www.summershadefestival.org.
Grant Park was initially established by a gift of 100 acres from the estate of railroad magnate Lemuel Pratt Grant in 1883. The park was once referred to as a resort area due to its natural flowing springs, carriage trails, shaded walking paths and big beautiful trees. Today, Grant Park welcomes more than 2 million visitors each year who still enjoy it as a place of respite in a now busy city. The Grant Park Conservancy is a non-profit organization committed to the preservation, restoration and maintenance of historic L.P. Grant Park. Become a member today! www.gpconservancy.org
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