Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival

This past weekend was my favorite weekend of the year in Rogers Park, the Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest. It's two and a half days of art and music and food and drink and vibrating energy. And it's literally right outside my door! From my living room sofa, I could hear the bands performing at the North Stage! How exciting!

The Fest gets bigger and better every year, and this year I was able to spend several hours each day exploring and experiencing. Yesterday my lovely and talented friend Yvette drove in from Countryside, Illinois, to fest with me, and we had a ball! Yvette decided that no Sunday will ever again be complete without Puppet Bike, Go-Go Dancers, and Buffalo fries.

I, too, am a huge fan of Puppet Bike. Jack, the puppeteer genius behind Puppet Bike, is a tireless performer who delights crowds and crowds of people every Chicago summer. He's legendary!

My absolute favorite experience of the Glenwood Fest was when artist Anna Todaro showed me her marvelous children's book, Everybody Hoops but Me...., and read the entire book to me as though I were five years old. She used voices too! I think she's amazing! I ended up going back to her tent later in the evening, expressing my delight at her having read me the book, and buying a copy of said book, which she graciously autographed for me!

My second favorite experience of the Fest was when I noticed that the artist studios on the second floor on Glenwood south of Morse were open. There's a violin-making shop that I've always wanted to visit. I've seen it from the El stop for years and have been DYING to see the inside! So I waltzed in the open door, marched up the stairs, and asserted myself onto the violin studio. It was a magical place. It's owned and run by Sean Colledge, a mutual friend of Jillian Frank's and mine. Once I dropped Jillian's name, I was an instant family member! Sean told me he'd been making violins for twelve years, that he'd pretty much designed his own curriculum through an apprenticeship he'd had. He also told me about his awesome Cajun band (whom I'd heard through my living room window, performing on the North Stage) and invited me to try some of his wife's delicious Crayfish Etoufe!

There was so much creative energy buzzing around my home all weekend long that I actually got out my sketchbook and pencils today and drew something for the first time in a year! I am inspired!! Speaking of inspiration, don't forget the Stitch 'n' Bitch at the Glenwood Bar at 7:00 tonight! And as always, my dear ones, til next time, Peace, (radical) Love, and Yarn!!