COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Domestic Bliss: The Wines of Oregon, Washington, and California

After a primer on wine tasting basics, we’ll see (and moreover taste!) what makes wine grapes thrive in Oregon, Washington, and of course California—the state that put American viticulture on the map.

The first and inaugural multi-sensory exhibit that combines visual arts, music, gastronomy, perfumery, poetry, and touch into a brand new experience for the senses in 3500 square feet of space in three studios. Our inaugural exhibit will be based on the senses (earth, air, water, fire, and metal) and amazing ITROS artists of every form of art will collaborate to create an experiential exhibit based on each element.

Exhibit will include gastronomic creations by Arun's Thai, Mango Pickle, Chocolat Uzma, cocktails by The Violet Hour, scents by Christophe Laudamiel, Ralf Schwieger, Bambi Montgomery, music by Ryan Ingebritsen, Bob Garrett/Chihsuan Yang, Amos Gillespie, DJ Ryan Keesling, art installations by Galina Shevchenko, Maja Bosen, Kioto Aoki, Ellie Hazlett, Erwin Overes, live graffiti art by James Spurgeon, and set design by Alan Muraoka.

Tickets are $35 in advance, $45 day of show. All ticket holders for opening night 11/8 will include access to wine reception opening night to meet the artists at 6:30pm. There is limit of 125 tickets per day so get your tickets in advance to help us prepare for your unique experience.

The following Main / Chicago shops are open late on Thursdays for your holiday shopping convenience, and they're providing some sips and small bites while you shop:

Booked, 506 Main

Marie Parie Boutique, 508 Main

Belgian Chocolatier Piron, 509 Main

Follow Your Nose, 917 Chicago Ave

Thrift House, 920 Chicago Ave

Virag Jewelers, 703 Main

Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery, 704 Main

Goods of Evanston, 712 Main

Squeezebox Books & Music, 743 Main

Evanston Stitchworks, 906 Sherman

The following Main Street shops are open late on Thursdays for your holiday shopping convenience, and they're providing some sips and small bites while you shop:

Stumble & Relish, 1312 Chicago

Amanda Evanston Freund Studio & Gallery, 1310-A Chicago

Botanica CBD, 1306 Chicago

niceLena & Friends, 1235 Chicago

A hero's journey: This highly acclaimed movie depicts the very kind neighbor, Mister Fred Rogers. Many recall his program from their childhood or their children's TV watching days. He is remembered for his red cardigan and friendly demeanor, always looking to make his quests feel welcome. He always took the opportunity to teach equality, fairness, compassion and creativity in the context of his show. This unsung hero has been an inspiration to many and now will reach an even wider audience because of this movie. It is not to be missed!

In this playful performance Danya and a group of immigrant underground artists explore the diverse and largely abandoned body of songs written by Soviet composers in 1950-1970s. Danya sings Soviet totalitarian songs in full drag. Then switches to punk, soul and whatever other performance modes he finds suiting. The performance is a contemplation on the possibilities hidden in the discarded human experiences, both personal and historical.

Large portions of the performance are in Russian, featuring original lyrics and melodies.

Peforming:
Danya - Evanston-based immigrant performance artist and a soviet song collector.

Sanya Suvorovets - Chicago. Virtuoso musician, leader of the Multivitamins - a counterculture phenomenon in chicago immigrant circles.

Alexander Alabin - New York. Prominent jazz multi-instrumentalist on tour across the US.

Enjoy new artworks by Joanna Pinsky and Jill King.

Exploring themes of perception and history, Pinsky creates 2D shaped paintings portraying architectural fragments and national heroes. Her works are arranged in installations to interact with each other, producing spatial illusions and challenging memories.

King produces mixed media sculptures which allude to fantastical botanical drawings, flying kites, celestial cloud formations and enigmatic figures. Her works question what is ethereal and what is tangible.

Squeezebox will be celebrating Black Friday and Small Business Saturday with 20% OFF all regular merchandise Fri-Sun!

BLACK FRIDAY Squeezebox will OPEN @ 10am for Record Store Day Black Friday special vinyl releases*.

Tons of Ltd and Special LPs released on Friday 11/23

(*special releases not part of sale)”

Want a photo of your pet with Santa? Come on over!

Introducing Santa Saturdays beginning 11/24 thru 12/22 10:30 til 3:30 for free digital photos, plus holiday cookies & cider or cocoa!

We offer free gift wrap & boxes, and we can make up custom gift baskets, we can ship too!

Kick off the Holiday Shopping season with a bang by playing Monopoly on the Mile! If you make purchases from the shops on our Monopoly Game Board, you can redeem them for prizes and gift cards while you shop.

Follow our Small Business Saturday Facebook page for details!

Happy Howlidays and a Purry New Year! Come one, come all to the Holiday C.A.R.E. Faire. Bring your pup or kit to have their picture taken with Santa. Stock up on home-baked cookies and more in our famous Cookie Walk. Buy your holiday gifts from our Silent Auction, crafters and vendors..

C.A.R.E. is asking Faire attendees to bring pet food donations as suggested entry to the C.A.R.E. Faire. Dry dog and cat kibble (unopened bags), canned pet food and cat litter are especially needed. Pet food will be used for adoptable pets or to support C.A.R.E.'s Pet Food Corner at Irving Park Community Food Pantry.

HIGHLIGHTS
Silent Auction
Cookie Walk
Pet Pictures with Santa - (See the Santa photos from the 2017 C.A.R.E. Faire)
Pet Related Crafts and Vendors
Pet Food Drive

Please join us for a community education night by Education Consultant Imy Wax as she discusses finding the best college or university for your child. Colleges claim to offer learning supports but understanding how to match what a student needs to what a college will offer can be challenging. Know how to compare, ask the right questions, and find the right balance between studying, socializing, and receiving support.

Being prepared before going off to college can make the transition easier. Make the best match, compare the options, and find success with Imy Wax.

The last Tuesday of each month, La Principal will, as always, donate $1, for every taco sold, dine-in and carry-out, to a worthy cause. To learn more about beneficiaries, read on and click the link below.

OCTOBER 2018 - On Your Feet Foundation

SEPT 2018 - Unity Pre-School

AUGUST 2018 - Chimp Haven

JULY 2018 - YMCA Children's Center

JUNE 2018 - Rainbows for All Children

MAY 2018 - Washington Elementary PTA

APRIL 2018 - Lincoln Elementary

MARCH 2018 - The Musical Offering

FEBRUARY 2018 - Dawes Elementary PTA

JANUARY 2018 - Boomer ALS Research Fund

Shop for a cause! Help two non-profits at once. Shop, sip and snack with fellow animal rescue supporters. Enjoy the Fair Trade gift selection at Ten Thousand Villages. C.A.R.E. will receive a generous percentage of the evening's sales as a donation from the store. Wine, beer, and snacks provided by C.A.R.E.

Uncover the many fabulous and varied options in the world of sparkling wine, for every occasion, and for every bank account. We’ll dab a little into methods of production, and pair each bubbly with the cheese it was born to pair with. Decadent, absolutely, but you’ve been so good lately, no?

One-week cancellation policy. Please note we're within a block from both the Main Street Metra and the Main Street “EL” stops.

Traumatized by their experiences in war-torn Syria, a father and daughter dream of escape to a Spain where their ancestors once built a different kind of civilization: one grounded in peace, tolerance and the joys of artistic expression. But when a desperate rescue at sea leaves them separated, it seems their refugee journey is destined to end in tragedy. Can their faith in the possibilities of a better life sustain them through this final, agonizing trial?

Told through the songs and dances of flamenco by a critically acclaimed ensemble of musicians, Rose of Damascus features dancers from Studio Mangiameli, an original script by Benjamin Lumpkin, and artwork by Jim Hajicek.

Your suggested donation of $5 goes to St. Baldrick's Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.

Augie LaCapra will match any donations made before December 31st up to $1000, and State Farm will match Augie's donation, so any donation you make will automatically be tripled!

Learn about brewing from one of our head brewers, while enjoying samples of three beers. Hear more about Sketchbook’s commitment to sustainability, and our community-supported brewery model. Questions welcome!

The $10 fee (pay at the taproom or online) includes an up-close-and-friendly one-hour tour at Sketchbook’s small production brewery, free samples, a 12-oz. Belgian glass to take home, and one FREE full pour in the taproom.

All tour participants must be 21+; everyone will be carded before the tour. Limited tickets available. Please enter through the taproom.

CLICK HERE to reserve tickets

Just in time for your holiday gift shopping needs, ten students will be selling their work at the Pot Shop, including one of a kind mugs, plates, bowls, vases, and jewelry.

Pamela Bannos is an artist and researcher who utilizes methods that highlight the forgotten and overlooked. Her work explores the links between visual representation, urban space, history and collective memory. Her two-strand art practice splits its focus between pictures that reinterpret anonymous, found photographs and site-specific investigations that result in web-based projects or on-site installations.

Bannos has exhibited her work nationally and internationally, including solo exhibitions at the Photographers' Gallery in London, England, and the Edwynn Houk Gallery in New York. Her research projects include The Chicago City Cemetery and Lincoln Park and Shifting Grounds: Block 21 and Chicao's MCA. Bannos, the author of Vivian Maier: A Photographer’s Life and Afterlife, teaches photography at Northwestern University's Department of Art Theory and Practice.

For her presentation at Perspective Gallery, Ms. Bannos will show and discuss the evolution of her photo-based works. The lecture will take place on Sunday, December 9 at 4:30 p.m. There is no admission fee for this public event.

Evanston's very own FEW Spirits owner Paul Hletko joins us to kick off the "Best of Evanston" tasting series with small bites from Firehouse Grill. 100% of the tasting fees will benefit Curt's Cafe, an Evanston nonprofit committed to providing unique restaurant training and assistance to at-risk or formerly incarcerated young adults.

Our shops have a holiday gift for all of you, our friends and customers! On December 13th, stop at any participating business on the Main-Dempster Mile and enjoy a holiday treat, courtesy of that business owner.

Stay tuned as we start to publish more details and a list of participating businesses.

Tickets are free, but we request a formal RSVP for planning purposes. Kids welcome!

RSVP HERE

Join us as we embrace the holidays and ring in the new year for a special networking holiday party. Join us for conversation, connection, breakfast, and a chance to meet some excellent professional resources in the community! This is a holiday cookie exchange so please feel free to bring your favorite holiday treats to share with the group.

Don’t forget your business cards and your holiday cheer!