Good morning, Evanston.
Though Mother Nature threw a few curve balls this weekend, Evanston Pride, Inc. nevertheless staged its LGBTQ Pride Parade the afternoon of Saturday, June 26. The organization’s planned picnic and candle-lighting ceremony will be rescheduled thanks to the region’s inclement weather.
Mayor Daniel Biss, who was on hand to greet participants, appreciated that the parade centered on LGBTQ youth, a demographic that encounters adversity in numerous realms. Such youth “struggle with the question of whether they will be loved and accepted if they come out, and it’s an important question for people who are looking at this community and trying to decide if they want to live here,” he said.
Council Members Cicely Fleming and Tom Suffredin co-sponsored a virtual workshop on trans-affirming practices on June 22. The workshop covered topics including pronoun usage, intersectionality, terminology, the history and context of transphobic systems, “outing” and coming out.
Ms. Fleming said the workshop is part of the Ninth Ward’s Building Community summer series, which includes free yoga classes, live music, and community gatherings. “Building community means recognizing and understanding and valuing all the diversity the community brings,” said Ms. Fleming.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable Website
Weaving Workshops for Domestic Violence Abuse Victims and Survivors Provide Much Needed Support. A textile artist, painter, weaver, and art educator, Bryana Bibbs has used art as an outlet for her own experience with domestic violence. Six months after her relationship ended, Ms. Bibbs quit her retail job. She wanted to become a full-time artist again, but then COVID-19 intervened.
Virtual 4th of July Celebration and Photo Contest. In lieu of the traditional fun run, parade, band performance, and lakefront fireworks show for Independence Day this year, the Evanston Fourth of July Association has planned a safe, creative, virtual celebration instead. Tune in on Sunday, July 4, to enjoy the broadcast. Submit your photos: Community members are invited to enter the Association’s photo contest.
District 65 Board Members Propose Priorities for the 2021-22 School Year. At the June 7 District 65 School Board meeting, each Board member was given the opportunity to list three to five priorities they would like to have placed on the Board’s calendar for the coming year.
Great news for music lovers! The Evanston symphony orchestra is planning a return to the concert stage after an 18-month hiatus. The orchestra will play a free one-hour concert at the Wallace Bowl in Wilmette’s Gillson Park at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29. “We’re ecstatic about playing again,” Mr. Eckerling said. “It can’t happen soon enough.”
Honor System in Play on City’s Free Beach Days. Evanston beach attendants are following the honor system in admitting people to the beach, since the City Council declared three free days for residents, the City’s Parks & Recreation Director told a Seventh Ward audience June 24.
The Week Ahead
Today
- Administration & Public Works Committee 4:30 p.m, virtual. Available for community members on the City’s YouTube channel or on cable channel 16. Agenda.
- Planning & Development Committee 5 p.m, virtual. Available for community members on the City’s YouTube channel or on cable channel 16. Agenda.
- City Council 6:30 p.m, virtual. Available for community members on the City’s YouTube channel or on cable channel 16. Agenda.
Tuesday
- Levy Lecture Series: The Nazi’s Granddaughter 1 p.m, virtual. Listen to Silvia Foti’s account of her 20-year investigations of her grandfather during which she exposed an official cover-up by the Lithuanian government that resulted in an internationally followed lawsuit. Her discovery has undone a national narrative in Lithuania which converted Holocaust villains like Silvia’s grandfather into war heroes.
- Starlight Concert Series: The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Kamen Park East. Enjoy the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band performing street jazz.
Wednesday
- Wellness Wednesdays at Independence Park (Central Street Yoga) 8 a.m. at Independence park. Free Yoga class, registration is required.
- Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center (High School Youth) 6 p.m. Free food, PS5, Xbox Series S, and more activities available for high school students.
- 124th Annual Meeting of the Evanston History Center 7 p.m, virtual. Agenda.
Thursday
- Housing & Homelessness Commission 7 to 8 p.m. virtual
Friday
- Family Event: Community Building First Friday 6 p.m. at Mason Park. Obstacle Course, food, music, outdoor games, and more for the whole family.
Saturday
- Downtown Evanston Farmers’ Market 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the intersection of University Place and Oak Ave. The Evanston Farmers’ Market boasts nearly 60 vendors selling fruits, vegetables, meat, flowers, cheese, milk, eggs, bakery items, and more.
- Maker’s Market 12 to 5 p.m. In a covered parking garage, this market features hundreds of handmade goods by local artists including art, craft, wearables, jewelry, stationery, handbags, etc.
Around the Web
- Chicago Weather: Eye-Popping Rainfall Totals Add Up Across the Area. The Chicago area has been inundated with rain in recent days, and the National Weather Service has released rainfall totals from the last 72 hours.
- Chicago residents can get free Lollapalooza 2021 tickets if vaccinated. The city handed out 1,200 single-day tickets to Lollapalooza during a vaccination clinic Saturday.
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