The 12th Annual Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest Announces Upcoming Summer Festival Dates, August 17 and 18

The Popular Summer Arts and Music Festival Also Issues Call for Artists, Volunteers, and Sponsorships

What:  The Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest (GAAF) is a free, weekend-long event, drawing approximately 10,000 visitors per day, celebrating its 12th Anniversary. The Fest includes a street art fair, indoor art displays, and live entertainment on three outdoor stages featuring 48 acts.  Experience art, theater, music, as well as food and drink, on the brick-laid streets of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District in Chicago’s historic Rogers Park neighborhood.

Where: The Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest takes place in the Glenwood Avenue Arts District on Chicago’s North Side, in the heart of Rogers Park, on Glenwood Ave., 6900–7000 North (between Farwell and Lunt) and the 1400 block of Morse Avenue, steps from the Morse Ave stop on the CTA Red Line. The Outdoor Fest and many art studios are ADA accessible.

When:
Opening Night Event: Friday, Aug.16, 6 - 10 p.m., 6900 block of N. Glenwood Ave (at Lunt)

Outdoor Festival: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17-18, 12 - 9 p.m., 6900-7000 N. Glenwood Ave. and the 1400 block of Morse Ave.

Information: 773-761-4477 x701, www.GlenwoodAve.org. Admission is free to the public.

Call for Artists: Artist applications for the Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest are now available at www.GlenwoodAve.org. Street space fee for the weekend for GAAF exhibiting artists is $100. All GAAF exhibitors are required to provide their own 10’ x 10’ tent or rent one ($130) through the Festival. Organizers seek a balanced, mixed-media exhibition, with preference given to local artists and handmade arts and crafts (mass-produced products are not accepted).

Call for Sponsors: Business and organization sponsorships are available on the website now, and range from $500 to $5000. Visit www.GlenwoodAve.org or contact Al Goldberg at 847-910-1556 for more information.  

Call for Volunteers:  Interested volunteers may go to the volunteer page at www.GlenwoodAve.org. A free GAAF t-shirt and other gifts are available for volunteers signing up for a three hour shift.  Help is needed with setting up tables and chairs, assisting vendor load-in and load-out, and booth-sitting during the event so vendors can take short breaks. Volunteers are encouraged to work a shift and then stay and enjoy the Fest.

How: GAAF is made possible by the generous and enthusiastic support of the local business community.  Neighborhood commercial sponsors provide the support to maintain festival costs, ensuring that artist participation fees are low and that the Fest remains free to visitors.  There is no Fest admission charge, suggested donation or gated point of entry and all the outdoor performance events are free to view. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to purchase arts and crafts, food and beverages from the vendor stands.

Friday, August 16, 6 - 10 p.m. Opening Night Celebration:

Festival Kick-Off Party: 6900 block of N. Glenwood Ave.  (Glenwood and Lunt, outdoor stage)

Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18, 12 - 9 p.m.

Outdoor art:  Over 100 artists will exhibit on Glenwood and Morse Avenues

KidFest Area: Features free hands-on arts activities for kids. Also, on both days of the Fest, the South Stage offers family friendly circus, theater, dance and music acts from 12 - 4 p.m.

Three Festival Stages:  Two live music stages and a live music/performance stage (includes dance, theater and circus acts). Schedules will be announced on the website, www.GlenwoodAve.org, at a later date as well as on the Fest map and event signage.

Food and Beverage: Unique Rogers Park restaurants and bars contribute to the neighborhood flavor with food and beverage booths.

Rogers Park is the most culturally and economically diverse neighborhood in Chicago. Located in the far northeast corner of the city, more than 80 languages are spoken among the community's 63,000 residents. Rogers Park celebrates diversity and harmonious living. "In a city made famous for an accepted and often enforced cultural and socio-economic homogeneity within neighborhoods," said the Chicago Tribune, "Rogers Park stands almost alone as an exception."  The Daily Herald reported Rogers Park, on the north edge of Chicago, offers

an urban vibe, intimate but exciting theater, a variety of live music, good restaurants and largely free parking, and the glorious Lake Michigan beachfront open to all.” 

Glenwood Avenue Arts District features artist studios, music venues (Duke’s, Heartland Café, Mayne Stage, Morseland, Red Line Tap), and numerous unique and tasty restaurants.  The Rogers Park neighborhood is also well known for its theaters, including Lifeline Theatre, the side project, and Theo Ubique, which make up one of the city’s hottest theater corridors and are regularly recognized by the Jeff Awards.  “For pure Chicago heart, soul and polished grit, the Glenwood Avenue Arts District in Rogers Park is our favorite new destination” (Chicago Magazine, October 2008).

GAAF 2013 Planning Committee: Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest is a broad-based, grassroots, non-profit event planned and staffed by volunteers, dedicated to remaining free to the public, offering low participation fees to artists, showcasing the artists and venues of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District, and retaining the unique and eclectic character of the neighborhood.  The GAAF 2013 planning committee is Gregory Altman, Mary Bao, Ellen Baren, Les Begay, Ana Bermudez, Diana Berek, Andy DeLaRosa, Jim Ginderske, Alan J. Goldberg, Brettly Kawaguchi, Kat Krzynowek, Dorothy Milne, Amy Pojman, Mark Pazuk. The Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest is a community partnership with Lifeline Theatre, a 501(c)3 organization.

STAGE SCHEDULES TBA-visit www.GlenwoodAve.org

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