Summer Fun in Grant Park, Chicago

Being a native Chicagoan, I have 60+ years of memories of summers spent in Chicago. Some of the most pleasant are from my earliest childhood when my parents would drive us down the Eisenhower expressway from the West suburbs to the old band shell in Grant Park to hear classical music.

The old band shell, long gone, was called that because it had a shell shape with fluted striations on the outside. It was located across from the Field Museum where Lake Shore Drive curves at Roosevelt Road.

We would spread a blanket and eat fruit and snacks while we listened to the classical concert. My brother and I would goof around while my parents reclined on their elbows listening.

Afterwards, we would walk down to Buckingham fountain to watch the colors change in the rushing waters. If my dad was feeling especially benevolent, we would stop at Prince Castle's on the way home to have their distinctive cubical sherbet cones, three colors stacked high.

Years later there were so many great concerts at the Petrillo band shell. Seeing Miles, Count Basie, and so many of the local cats jamming at the jazz festival on labor day weekend was always a treat. I still have sketches from some of those concerts. The crowds were usually fun too, full of the mellow, hip folks digging the sounds. This was America at its best, with the whole spectrum of races and classes sharing the good vibes.

There were so many wonderful concerts at Petrillo. The Blues festival is Chicago's biggest, with people from all over the world coming to appreciate Chicago's home grown art. I remember a jam where I was in crowd up front at the end of a concert and I yelled out, "Come on Corky!" and Corky Siegel proceed to jam out in a ferocious and uplifting harmonica solo. It's so cool when the audience and performers meld like that.

Countless summer evenings have been spent listening to the classical sounds of the Grant Park symphony, a world class orchestra. They always have interesting guest artists and conductors. Having free concerts like this is one of the great gifts of living in the big city.

When I was younger and had more tolerance for that kind of thing, I enjoyed the Taste of Chicago. This is not a place to come if crowds intimidate you! Sampling the food from many of the local restaurants, trying stuff you didn't normally try, checking out all the talent, getting beer spilled on you by underage drinkers was all part of the ambiance.

Chicago has its big fireworks display on July 3^rd. It is always a world class display and if you can deal with sharing the park with a million or so other folks, it is worth experiencing. The Grant Park symphony plays the 1812 overture, the fireworks light up the sky, and you try not to think about how you are going to get home through the crowds.

The city advises its residents to use public transportation and thankfully many do. I recall the last time I went downtown for the fireworks I decided to drive and found a place to park near the Billy Goat Tavern on lower Wacker Drive. It was not a bad walk to the park, maybe a mile. I found driving downtown during this insane time to be a fun challenge during my cab driving days. As they say on TV, don't try this at home:)

Now of course there is Millenium park with all its wonders. It is truly awesome; you have to experience it in hot weather so you can see the wading pool with the video towers and the screaming kids.

Chicago is a world class city with its unparalleled architectural marvels and its beautiful lakefront. Grant park is Chicago's front yard and it is a lovely place to spend some time on a warm summer's day or evening.