ALBANY PARK — Albany Park wasn't even a dot on the map at the time of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, but the community is playing a key role in Redmoon Theater's Great Chicago Fire Festival.
Leading up to the festival's main performance — a spectacle along the Chicago River Oct. 4 — Redmoon is holding a series of public events in 15 neighborhoods, including a visit to Albany Park on Thursday.
Ronan Park, 3000 W. Argyle St., will host Redmoon's traveling show from 6-8:30 p.m. The festivities will include food (check out the motorized Cyclone Grill), art making, a photo booth and live music courtesy of Black Bear Combo, a brass and reed band that plays a mashup of traditional music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans, punk rock and free jazz.
Redmoon created the festival to "unite the neighborhoods of Chicago and show the world its strength" by celebrating the city's "epic resurgence" after the great fire, according to the fest's website. Sculptures will burn atop large floats, along with music, food, drinks and dancing.
The ultimate goal is for the festival to become the city's annual defining event, along the lines of Mardi Gras or the Running of the Bulls.
Thursday's fire festival activities will be followed by Adler Planetarium's "'Scopes in the City," with telescopes available for stargazing and planet spotting from 8:30-10 p.m. in the park.
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