WICKER PARK — One of the city's largest neighborhood street festivals, Wicker Park Fest, is not just for adult revelers and indie music lovers.
In an area where close to one-fifth of the population is under the age of 14, kids won't being left out of the fun when crowds of more than 50,000 people are expected to descend upon Milwaukee Avenue for the 10th annual Wicker Park Fest this weekend.
While the main festival runs from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on Milwaukee Avenue between North Avenue and Paulina Street, a dedicated Kid's Fest will take place in the parking lot of Walgreen's at Milwaukee Avenue and Wood Street from noon to 6 p.m. both days.
Kids activities include face painting, train rides, mini golf, a bounce house, an arts and crafts station, a tent sponsored by local retailer Psychobaby, performances by Mary Macaroni and a reptile show by the "Frog Lady."
Kids Stage Lineup:
Saturday, July 27
The Boogers, noon
Laura Doherty, 1 p.m.
Mr Singer trio, 2 p.m.
Sunday, July 28
Mary Macaroni, noon
Young Stracke All Stars, 1 p.m.
Erin Flynn, 2 p.m.
Additionally, several short performances by Redmoon Theater will take place both days and offer a "Hawkman Prince" perched atop a 30-foot high ladder, an aerialist descending from a chandelier and acrobats who will perform circus hoop artistry above the heads of revelers.
"Wicker Park and Bucktown have always been considered a creative, arty community, and we wanted to add a cultural element to the festival to better reflect that," said Jessica Wobbekind, program manager for the Special Service Area No. 33 taxpayer district, which is sponsoring the art fest.
The art fest section is located on Milwaukee Avenue between Evergreen Street and the Citibank parking lot entrance at 1455 N. Milwaukee Ave. It will be separated from the main fest by "The Gaates Installation," constructed by architect Paul Preissner.
The Gaates Installation offers "electric enamels, and minimalistic architecture, creating a sense of simple immutability," according to a news release.
Performance Schedule:
Redmoon's "The Ladder Machine, Hawkman and His Entourage"
2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (each performance approximately 15 minutes)
Redmoon's "The Champagne Chandelier"
6 p.m., 7 p.m. 8 p.m.. Saturday (each performance approximately 15 minutes)
Redmoon's " The Lyra Routine "
6 p.m., 7 p.m. 8 p.m. Sunday (each performances approximately 10 minutes)
Admission to both the Kids and art Fest is free, though festival organizers are requesting a $5 suggested donation to the main festival.
The art festival is sponsored by Wicker Park Bucktown SSA #33, a taxpayer-district funding stream managed by the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. The Kids Fest is presented by Paige & Paxton and Christy Webber Landscaping, with proceeds benefiting Burr Elementary School.
