Saturday Night: Evanston Green Ball Raises Funds for Ecology Center

From the City of Evanston website:

The Evanston Environmental Association has announced that "Jonas Friddle and The Majority" will headline the 2013 Evanston Green Ball, Evanston's big "green" party. The Chicago-based "orchestral folk" group is known for its "huge sound combining string quartet, horns, and rock and roll drums” that inspires foot-stomping and dancing,"

The Green Ball, a brainchild of the Evanston Environmental Association (EEA) and the City of Evanston, was designed to benefit one of Evanston’s most valuable institutions, the Ecology Center. The Green Ball will take place from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Friday, May 31 at the Levy Center, 300 Dodge Avenue in Evanston.

The Green Ball continues its tradition with the “Taste of Evanston,” showcasing restaurants such as Bravo, Creperie St. Germain, Koi, Prairie Moon and Terra Bistro, to name a few. Admission includes sustainably made Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale and Green River soft drinks. Attendees can also purchase glasses of organic wines from WineStyles.

The Green Ball also continues the tradition of celebrating Evanston’s major “green” organizations with an information station highlighting their accomplishments in the city. As EEA President Fred Schneider puts it, “The Green Ball is our opportunity to support the Ecology Center, as well as celebrate the contributions made by many hard-working, diverse, smart citizens, active environmentalists and community leaders to create a completely sustainable city.”

Local television journalist and Northwestern University graduate Dan Ponce is the MC of the evening’s festivities, which include a number of non-stop activities and unique opportunities for everyone. Guests can:
• Have their portrait taken with many of the Ecology Center’s famous critters, such as crowd favorites Betty the Boa Constrictor and Bernie, the 25-pound African Tortoise
• Decide which raffle packages to take a chance on, such as the Urban Adventurer (Patagonia gear, kayaking trips and paddleboard lessons) or Behind the Scenes (access to see Field Museum treasures not on display and labs where research is conducted)
• Purchase a cork for the “wine pull” and take home a nice bottle of organic wine, certificates for green services, dinners and more . . .

“The annual Green Ball is our premiere fundraising event and we’re grateful for it, and it’s also our chance to say ‘thank you’ to the community for supporting us throughout the year,” says Claire Alden, Ecology Center Program Manager. Catherine Hurley, Evanston’s Coordinator of Sustainability Programs, added:  “Evanston is comprised of people, organizations and businesses that are always ready to support the city and those making a difference, and the Ecology Center is certainly making a difference in our lives.”

Tickets, priced at $65, can be purchased at the Evanston Ecology Center at 2024 McCormick Blvd. To purchase tickets online or for more information, visit the Green Ball web site>>> . Ticket price includes food, soft drinks, beer and entertainment. For more information, please call 3-1-1 (847-448-4311).

The Green Ball is supported by the following top-level sponsors: Archer Patterson Family Foundation, Walgreens, Roberts Architects, Citizens' Greener Evanston, Evanston RoundTable, Northside Toyota, Whole Foods Evanston and Natural Awakenings.

The Evanston Ecology Center, built in 1974 by a group of local citizens and managed by the City of Evanston, serves as a focal point for environmental education and volunteerism in the community, offering wide-ranging educational programs to the local community. The Evanston Environmental Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving a sustainable Evanston and the long-term success of the Evanston Ecology Center and its staff in their efforts to provide quality environmental and sustainability education to children and adults in the community.

Food News: Tony Hu brings Lao Sze Chuan to Evanston

As you all know, I am new to the region so I didn't fully comprehend the impact of this news but Chinese food star and restaurateur Tony Hu is opening a Lao Sze Chuan in Evanston this August. And this is fantastic because Tony cooks delicious, spicy, inventive Chinese food.

According to evanston.patch.com restaurateur Tony Hu will be opening another location of his famous Lao Sze Chuan this summer in Evanston at 1637 Orrington Ave., adding to the 11 restaurants that make up the Tony Gourmet Group, which has locations in China Town, Schaumburg and Chicago, among others, the Daily Northwestern reported. Hu says he plans to bring authentic Chinese cuisine to Evanston with dishes such as spicy hot pot and boiled beef in spicy Sichuan sauce.  

From www.tonygourmetgroup.com: Opened in 1998, Lao Sze Chuan has become the most beloved Chinese restaurant for Chicagoans, and gradually gained its reputation by providing the authentic Sichuan cuisine with high quality materials and ingredients. In 1999, Lao Sze Chuan was recognized by Chicago Tribune as "One of the Best" and received a "three fork" ranking, which was a very high award for Chinese restaurants at that time. "One Style for one dish, a hundred dishes have a hundred different taste", that's what some of our frequent customers said keeps them coming back. At the present, Lao Sze Chuan has many special Grade A chefs who are from Sze Chuan China, to provide customers the most authentic tasting food. As the best representation of Chinese food, Lao Sze Chuan has been named the Best Chinese Restaurant in Chicago by the main stream food columns and won “Bib Gourmand” award from Michelin Guide for year 2012 & 2013.

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog dedicated to helping you too fall in love with Evanston, just like I did. If you have any questions or need to get in touch with me about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Also feel free to send me announcements about upcoming Evanston events and I will promote them here!

Evanston Beaches are Officially Open so Buy Your Beach Passes

The days of walking and running along the beaches freely are over! If you want to enjoy the swimming areas and lakefront beaches anywhere in Evanston from now until Labor Day weekend, you'll need a beach pass. Info below from the City of Evanston website:

Season beach tokens are available for purchase at the Morton Civic Center and all recreation community centers. Evanston’s five public swimming beaches open for the season on Saturday, May 25.

A beach token is a season pass that is valid from the time of purchase through Labor Day. Until Friday, June 14, 2013, tokens will be sold at a discounted rate of $26 for an Evanston or Skokie resident and $42 for a nonresident. Starting Saturday, June 15, a season beach token will be $34 for an Evanston or Skokie resident and $58 for a nonresident.

The City of Evanston and the Skokie Park District have a reciprocal arrangement that allows Skokie residents to buy season beach tokens at Evanston resident rates and allows Evanston residents to buy Skokie season pool passes at Skokie resident rates.

Daily passes may be purchased at beach entrances; a daily pass is $6 for children age 1-11 and $8 for people 12 years and older. Admission for children under age 1 is free.

Based on family size and income, Evanston residents may qualify for beach token fee assistance and a free beach token program.

The Mayor's Summer Recreation Program includes free beach admission for Evanston teens age 13-18 through a 10-punch pass. Starting May 22, teens who may not otherwise be able to go to the beach may pick up a pass at community centers and the main Evanston Public Library. Proof of Evanston residency is required. For more information, please call 311 (847-448-4311).

Save $$ and buy your tokens by June 14! Click here for more info.

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog dedicated to helping you too fall in love with Evanston, just like I did. If you have any questions or need to get in touch with me about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Also feel free to send me announcements about upcoming Evanston events and I will promote them here!

Photos: Another Great YEA! Festival in Evanston

Oak Tree Older Than Frodo Baggins on Evanston Garden Walk

According to the AOL hyperlocal media behemoth Patch, there is an oak tree in Evanston that is more than 600 years old and you can see it as part of this year's Evanston Garden Walk on June 30, 2013.

Originally the City of Evanston was only going to feature 150 year old trees on the Walk as part of Evanston's 150 year celebration, but this old oak snuck in.

Located at the home of Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin and his wife Gloria Callaci, this burr oak tree is more than 600 years old, which technically is older than Frodo Baggins.

Click here to read the full article and learn more about the Garden Walk.

This Saturday is YEA! Day Arts Festival in Evanston

26th Annual Young Evanston Artists Festival
Saturday, May 18th, 2013
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Dempster St. & Chicago Ave., Evanston

Tentative Schedule:

4 a.m In the dark of the morning on YEA! Day, a small group of volunteers can be seen loading display panels off a U-Haul truck and placing them at designated school locations.

6 a.m. A volunteer crew arrives and four teams put up all the panels in preparation for the teachers.

7 a.m. Another volunteer group arrives to blow up balloons and tie them on parking meters, lampposts and trees.

7:30 a.m. House of Rental arrives

8 a.m. Teachers arrive with art work to set up their schools’ presentation

8 a.m. Volunteers arrive to set up the Silent Auction

8 a.m. A crew arrives to set up the sound system for the performing arts

9 a.m. Volunteers arrive to set up the YEA! booths where baseball hats, t-shirts, tattoos, snacks and refreshments are sold

10 a.m. Crowds arrive. We have ignition and lift off: YEA! Day explodes with excitement and enthusiasm

4 p.m. The YEA! festival comes to a close and is dismantled piece by piece by all of the teachers and volunteers. But the YEA! program, itself, continues…influencing school arts programs throughout the year.

Dining News: Kids Eat Free in Evanston, When and Where

I like to post this list every once in a while so that you remember there ARE benefits to dining out with children*, especially when it is FREE.

From the Celtic Knot to Flat Top Grill, Evanston has several restaurants where kids eat free once a week, click here to see the full list on http://outtoeatwithkids.com.

*Please note that although I am posting this information on my blog, it's really only for your benefit as I personally detest eating out with children from an economic stand point. No one should be paid to serve my children, ever, especially if they are NOT going to devour what's on the plate. But if the meal is FREE, I can give in, a little. So you are welcome. Bon appetit.