The North Shore Weekend, April 27th, 2024

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NEWS

6 north shore doings

Your go-to guide for all the latest local events

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

9 tour de force

Tower Players of Highland Park present Arsenic and Old Lace at the Winnetka Community House

9 material pursuits

From an exclusive pair of Crocs to a self-contained sauna you can put in your backyard, we've got this weekend's must haves

10 a lotta fun

A former parking lot in downtown Highland Park is transformed into a food and entertainment center

12 #hashtag

Meet Jeffrey Condren and learn more about Ravinia's upcoming Music Matters benefit on May 11

13 social life

Arch in Winnetka throws a reception to celebrate local artists and JUF Women’s Philanthropy hosts its annual Grand Event fundraiser

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

14 sunday breakfast

Aaron Weiner, PhD, of Lake Forest-based Bridge Forward Group, looks back at what influenced him to become a psychologist

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During the two-week camp girls will learn:

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The Entrepreneurship & STEM Summer Camp is offered at Gorton Community Center, Lake Forest.

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SPACE IS LIMITED.

APRIL 27

NORTH SHORE DOINGS

MORE THAN A NOVEL AFFAIR

WHERE: Ragdale

Ragdale hosts its intimate “More Than A Novel Affair” fundraiser April 27 on its beautiful Lake Forest campus, featuring a cocktail party and seated dinner with featured artists. Tickets are $500 and include a signed book and special gift. Tickets are limited. ragdale.org

APRIL 27

“SHAKIN’ & STIRRED”

WHERE: 28 Mile Distillery Co.

The Women’s Board of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital will host “Shakin’ & Stirred,” an upscale casual event raising funds to support nursing education. Co-chaired by Catherine Bernardi, Jeni Hoogasian, and Anne Stewart, the event will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and the band Hello Weekend.

lfhwomensboard.nm.org

NOW THROUGH APRIL 28

THE ONE OF A KIND SPRING SHOW

WHERE: The MART

Chicago’s favorite shopping event is returning to The MART. This spring’s One Of A Kind Show and Sale will showcase more than 350 artists and makers spanning more than 20 categories including jewelry, ceramics, apparel, fine art, bath and body, home goods, and gourmet items. Tickets are now available online. oneofakindshowchicago.com

NOW THROUGH APRIL 28

THE MUSIC MAN

WHERE: Community House

Come see the musical the Smithsonian Institute calls “one of the great glories of

American pop culture.” The Music Man follows the story of Professor Hill, a schemer pretending to be a boys’ band leader who falls for the town’s music teacher and librarian. The Children’s Theatre of Winnetka will have shows on 12:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. on April 27, and the show will close with a performance at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on April 28. Tickets are on sale now. mycommunityhouse.org

NOW THROUGH APRIL 30

JULIE COWAN ART

EXHIBIT

WHERE: Vivid Art Gallery

Support local Evanston artist, Julie Cowan, this month by visiting with her exhibit, “Translucent Botanicals and Transparent Architecture.” Cowan’s art explores the beauty of botanicals and architecture through a translucent lens. The gallery will include Cowan’s work along with 25 other artists. vividartgallery.net

NOW THROUGH MAY 4

STAR WARS WEEK

WHERE: Lake Bluff Library

Celebrate the Star Wars franchise the week leading up to “May the 4th.” The Youth Department will be holding themed activities and crafts all day. This event is free and open to the public. lakeblufflibrary.org

NOW THROUGH MAY 12

MONSIEUR CHOPIN

WHERE: Writers Theatre

Storyteller, musician, and Chicago favorite Hershey Felder makes his Writers Theatre debut with an original script and live performance of Chopin’s gorgeous masterpieces. Days after the February 1848 revolution, Frédéric Chopin is teaching a piano lesson in Paris. Set in the Polish pianist/composer’s intimate salon, Chopin shares secrets

about the piano and himself with his students—as well as playing some of his most beautiful and enduring compositions. In a tour de force performance, Felder brings to life the romantic story and music of the man once called the “Poet of the Piano.” writerstheatre.org

NOW THROUGH JUNE 30

TITANIC: THE EXHIBITION

WHERE: Westfield Old Orchard

Experience the story of the Titanic in an exhibit featured at Westfield Old Orchard, running Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests will be able to traverse the Grand Staircase, see recreations of the ship’s interior, view artifacts from the ship, and more. The Discovery Gallery will give a glimpse at what archaeologists saw when they discovered the wreck of the Titanic. This exhibit also pays homage to the SS Eastland Disaster, which is the largest loss of life in a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes. Tickets are on sale now. thetitanicexhibition.com

NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7

CIRCUSVILLE: PLAY UNDER THE BIG TOP

WHERE: Chicago Children’s Museum

Bring your kids to the Chicago Children’s Museum to play at the circus! Children can try their hands at all of the vital roles in a circus: star of the show, ticket taker, acrobat, hot dog vendor, and more. Props and costumes for families will be provided. chicagochildrensmuseum.org

NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 13

“SHTETL IN THE SUN”

WHERE: Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center

In the late 1970s, photographer Andy Sweet took

numerous photos of Holocaust survivors living hopeful and joyous lives in South Beach, Florida. Through his images, it provides a poignant display of life after tragedy. The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center’s exhibit, “Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Beach 1977-1980,” celebrates Sweet’s work as a tribute to those who lived during that time. The exhibit will run through October 13. ilholocaustmuseum.org

NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 25, 2025

“KENILWORTH

CENTENNIAL HOMES”

WHERE: Kenilworth Historical Society

Explore the history of Kenilworth’s oldest homes and celebrate its architectural significance with a dynamic exhibit that chronicles the evolution of residential development in the village. The homes featured in this exhibit were built between 1889 and 1924. kenilworthhistory.org

APRIL 28

ARTEMIS CHAMBER

ORCHESTRA CONCERT

WHERE: Trinity Episcopal Church

Artemis Chamber Orchestra is holding a free

spring concert, “Souvenir de Florence,” at 3 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church. Enjoy beautiful music from Fisher, Sibelius, and Tchaikovsky. Seats can be reserved online. artemischamberorchestra.org

APRIL 28 TO MAY 19

GUIDED BIRD WALK

WHERE: Gillson Beach Join Go Green Wilmette for morning bird walks starting at 8 a.m. on April 28, May 5, May 12, and May 19. Learn how to identify different types of birds and get tips on how to attract more birds to your yard. Beginners and children are welcome. Groups will meet at the martin house by the Coast Guard station at the south end of Gillson Park. Bring binoculars if you have them and dress for the weather. wilmettepark.org

APRIL 29

MOSAIC PICTURE FRAMES

WHERE: Wilmette Public Library

Children grades 3 through 8 can make mosaic picture frames from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the Wilmette Public Library. These picture frames can be given as gifts or kept by their creators. This event will take place in the Youth Program Room. Parents and

caregivers of children 8 years and under must remain in the library during the program. wilmettelibrary.info

APRIL 30

FAMILY GAME NIGHT

WHERE: Highwood Public Library

Enjoy a family game night from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Board games will be provided by the library. This event is free to all participants.

highwoodlibrary.org

MAY 1

TOP 10 WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

WHERE: Northfield Public Library

Go Green Northbrook hosts a program from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. discussing impactful ways to lower personal carbon footprints. This program is for ages 16 and older. Registration is required and will close May 1 at 7 p.m. wnpld.org

MAY 2

JUNIOR KLEZMER

ORCHESTRA 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

WHERE: North Suburban Synagogue Beth El  Eighteen musicians will perform in a 30th anniversary concert of the Junior Klezmer

EDITED BY CHEYANNE LENCIONI THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Alzheimer’s Association Rita Hayworth Gala

Orchestra. The concert features past and present students from the North Shore and across the country. This includes Ian Weinberger, musical director of Hamilton on Broadway, and The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, who has taught Yiddish music for the past 30 years. All ticket proceeds will support the Klezmer Music Foundation, a Skokie-based nonprofit that ensures this musical heritage will continue for generations to come. klezmermusicfoundation.org

MAY 3

THE DAY-GLO FREAKS

WHERE: Kenilworth Assembly Hall

The Day-Glo Freaks presents a Night of Steely Dan from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and the doors open at 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar available.

kenilworthparkdistrict.org

MAY 3

GLENCOE UNDER THE STARS

WHERE: Northmoor Country Club

Join Family Service of Glencoe for its annual benefit at 6:30 p.m. in Highland Park. Guests will enjoy a festive evening under the stars that includes a chef-curated menu, dancing, silent and live auctions, a paddle raise, and a motivational program about maternal mental health and its effect on the community on all levels. Funds from this evening will directly provide critical support for community mental health services. Tickets are now available. glencoeunderthestars.org

MAY 3

CATTAILS & KIDDIES

WHERE: Mellody Farm

Nature Preserve

The “Cattails and Kiddies” event returns from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Kids 5 to 10 years old will partake in outdoor activities, nature walks, and s’mores by the campfire. Children can be dropped off by the gate at Mellody Farm Nature and picked up at the same location. Please bring

a water bottle and dress for the weather. Space is limited and members pay $40 per child while non-members pay $50 per child. Registration is required. lfola.org

MAY 4

HOPE WALK AND MUTT STRUT

WHERE: Gillson Park

Join Rotary Clubs of Wilmette, Winnetka/Northfield, Evanston Lighthouse, and Glenview Sunrise for the organizations’ 5k Walk/ Mutt Strut. All proceeds will benefit groups that provide for unhoused people living in the Chicago area. This 5k is for families and dogs alike and will be from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants will start at the Wallace Bowl and traverse around Gillson Park. Afterwards, everyone will meet back at the Bowl for refreshments and announcements. Tickets are available now. secure. givelively.org

MAY 4

SPRING GARDEN FAIR

WHERE: Lake Forest Market Square

Join Lake Forest School District 67 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a fun-filled morning full of garden and spring activities. The event includes a shop filled with items grown, made, or crafted by District 67 students along with other engaging opportunities to learn about nature. It will be a wonderful chance to pick up some seedlings to start your own garden, some special gifts for Mother’s Day, and perhaps even some homemade dog treats. Activities include face painting, making upcycled floral crafts, rock painting, and playing yard games. All

proceeds from sales will go directly to supporting Gardening 2 Grow, its mission, and the District 67 garden clubs. Admission to the event is free. lakeforestschools.org

MAY 4 TO MAY 5

ANNUAL SPRING DAHLIA SALE

WHERE: Chicago Botanic Garden

Central States Dahlia Society is holding its annual spring sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This fundraiser will include award-winning varieties from previous dahlia shows. All plants are $9. Any that aren’t sold through the weekend will be sold online on May 7. Flowers will be selling quickly. Admission tickets are available now.

centralstatesdahliasociety.com

MAY 8

SENSORY SHENANIGANS

WHERE: Northfield Public Library

Enjoy an hour of interactive play for children up to 4 years old from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The activities will foster fine motor skills and concepts through play. This program will be a bit messy and very fun so please dress accordingly. Adults must accompany children for this program. No drop offs permitted. wnpld.org

MAY 11

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION RITA HAYWORTH GALA

WHERE: The Old Post Office

For more than four decades, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan has inspired millions with the story of her mother, Rita Hayworth, the Hollywood legend whose life was cut short by Alzheimer’s disease. This year's gala will celebrate the strides made by the Alzheimer’s Association and a future filled with hope and will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and dancing to the music of The Party Faithful. Susan and Jim Draddy will receive the prestigious Philanthropy Award for their outstanding contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association spanning 15 years.

The gala begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $1,000 per person or $500 for guests under 40 years of age. alz.org

MAY 11

ANNUAL SPRING DINNER

WHERE: Church of the Holy Spirit

Enjoy an evening of bluegrass music, a live auction, and a low country boil prepared by a private chef. Cocktails will be served at 5:30 p.m. and dinner and the live auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person, $1,500 per table, and are available while they last. Casual dressy attire is suggested. All proceeds go to the church’s Mission and Outreach fund. chslf.org

MAY 11

MUSIC MATTERS

WHERE: Ravinia Festival

The Ravinia Associates Board hosts Music Matters with an open bar, live music, and silent and live auction. Proceeds benefit Ravinia and its Reach Teach Play music education programs. ravinia.org

MAY

11 TO MAY 12

NORTHBROOK ART IN THE PARK

WHERE: Northbrook’s Village Green Park

Art in the Park returns for its 4th year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during Mother’s Day weekend. This year there will be more than 80 artists showcasing paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, ceramics, and more. There will also be live music, selfie stations, and crafts for kids. Food booths and restaurants are nearby so no one will go hungry. Admission is free and leashed dogs are welcome. This event is stroller and wheelchair friendly. amdurproductions.com

MAY 15

MYRA RUBENSTEIN HEALTH RESOURCE CENTER LUNCHEON

WHERE: Exmoor Country Club

The Myra Rubenstein Weis Health Resource Center (MRW) will hold its 27th Annual Benefit Luncheon at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park. The benefit will include a silent auction and raffle. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $160 per person and tables start at $2,500. This year, Karen Kaul, MD, PhD, will be speaking on the topic of personalized medicine and genomics. foundation.northshore.org

MAY 17

SONS OF THE NEVER WRONG

WHERE: Studio5

Sons of the Never Wrong is closing Studio5’s spring season. They are a Chicago-based alt-folk trio who have been playing whimsical songs with soaring harmonies since 1992. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $35 for general admission and $45 for cabaret seating. studio5.dance

MAY 17

THE HOME TOUR

WHERE: Several Winnetka Houses

The Community House Woman’s Board is hosting its annual Home Tour. This showcase takes participants through several houses in Winnetka. Check in starts at 9:15 a.m. and the home tours begin at 9:30 a.m. There will be a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community House, which will benefit from all proceeds. Now through May 16, tickets can be purchased for $125 and raffle tickets are $25. On May 17, any remaining tickets can be purchased at the Community House. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets early as this event sells out each year. mycommunityhouse.org

MAY 17

CATTAILS & COCKTAILS

WHERE: Mellody Farm

Nature Preserve

Celebrate “Camp LFOLA” at the Cattails and Cocktails event from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Guests will enjoy comfort food, camp-like games, live music, and the evening will end with s’mores at the campfire. Tickets are limited and have different prices. “Campers” are $110 for members and $160 for non-members. “Glampers” are $250 for members and $300 for nonmembers. All proceeds benefit Lake Forest Open Lands Association’s mission. This event will happen rain or shine and guests are encouraged to dress accordingly for the weather. There is no public parking at Mellody Farm, but there will be a shuttle system from Christ Church of Lake Forest. lfola.org

MAY 18 SPRING PLANT & TREE SALE

WHERE: Mellody Farm

Nature Preserve

Plant native plants and trees in your yard this spring. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mellody Farm Nature Preserve will be selling plants and trees native to the Lake Forest area. These plants can go into “problem spots” where the ground is too saturated, sunny, or dry and replace invasive species. Pre-orders for plants will open April 15 through May 15. lfola.org

JUNE 23

WINGS NORTH SHORE LADIES LUNCHEON

WHERE: Westmoreland Country Club

Support the WINGS nonprofit by attending the third annual North Shore Ladies Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets are at a discounted price of $175 until May 13, after which prices will be $200. WINGS makes a difference in the eyes of families suffering domestic abuse and all proceeds will fund its future work.

wingsprogram.com

To submit your event for consideration, please email events@ nsweekend.com.

Hope Walk and Mutt Strut

Annual Spring Dahlia Sale

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE

Growing up in Little Village on Chicago’s South Side, Mexican American artist Elsa Muñoz spent much of her youth indoors, away from the threat of violence on the streets. But gifted with a rich imagination, deep spirituality, and love for beauty, the sanctuary she cultivated within herself sustained hope and then found beautiful expression as Muñoz became a painter.

Dark, photorealistic landscapes of forests, seas, and skies, dreamlike depictions of sacred medicine bags, or smoky panels of prescribed forest burns—Muñoz’s finely detailed paintings are all an expression of desahogamiento, which means “the act or process of undrowning” when translated from Spanish.

A healing technique within curanderismo or Mexican folk medicine, desahogamiento was a word Muñoz’s mother, Maria, used a lot. Maria believed in grieving as medicine—the self-directed, embodied “grief work” that makes healing possible.

Likewise, Muñoz’s paintings center on healing. Exploring intuitive ways of knowing (such as dreamwork and storytelling,) responding to changing climate realities, and approaching art as a somatic healing technology, “my paintings manifest from the act of undrowning,” she says.

From the time she was a little girl, Muñoz thought and listened deeply. Although her mother had no formal schooling, she taught

herself to read and spent long hours poring over books with Muñoz. “She was an innate thinker and seeker who saw my sensibilities and supported me in every way she could. She tells me I always chose the longer stories, where the main character goes on a long journey of some kind—gets lost, fights a monster, learns a lesson. I’m still very much that way,” Muñoz laughs.

But it was poetry that moved Muñoz most powerfully in those early years because it connected her to beauty. “In a very literal sense, poetry untethered me from the limits of my

surroundings,” she says. “I remember sitting under the dining room table or in the boiler room of our attic almost daily, with a thick English textbook on top of my legs in search of new poems. This meditative act was almost wholly responsible for helping me build my inner world. I realized that beauty mattered deeply—not only as a salve from ugliness, but as an introduction to a deeper conversation with ourselves, the world around us, and the vast uncertainty within and beyond those borders.”

Painting the beauty she experienced within and without came later. During college, she switched from studying psychology to art after visiting The American Academy of Art, where she eventually graduated. She still remembers the moment her guide gently lifted an oil painting from a drying rack for her to see. “Such alchemy!” she recalls. “Colors, shapes, and lines coalesced to somehow form an exquisite, almost breathing face. It was magic.”

Muñoz’s animist lens for viewing human interaction with the earth and living things was deeply informed by childhood stories steeped in magical realism. In one such story, her mother, who as a child worked the fields of Central Mexico tilling soil and planting seeds while barefoot, developed such fear of the unearthed scorpions and snakes that she became very ill. A neighboring wise woman knew an unusual cure: she took the child and placed her on a red ant hill where, instead of biting, the swarming ants absorbed the poi-

Muñoz’s Medicine Bag paintings exemplify this. While medicine bags are small pouches traditionally used by indigenous peoples of the Americas to hold sacred items for healing, the vision for Muñoz’s series was born in a dream. “I saw a very tall glass jar containing water, herbs, and three large silver coins,” she recalls, “this very clear image of what felt like a folk medicine ritual. I had been reading about genetic memory: the possibility that our genes can hold memories and knowledge passed down from our ancestors, and that made so much sense to me. I began painting with this beautiful idea that we can access ancestral wisdom through liminal spaces like dreams.”

In each of the paintings, the bags are filled with simple objects—tap water, alley plants, flowers from the garden—and are transparent “gesturing toward the importance of communal care,” says Muñoz. “The idea is that we can create new rituals using readily accessible items, alluding to the belief that there is medicine all around us.”

Many collectors know Muñoz best for the Controlled Burn series she has been painting for more than ten years. One of the paintings, The Great Turning, a 30”x30” oil on panel, was included in DePaul Art Museum’s Life Cycles exhibit last fall and then chosen to become part of the museum’s permanent collection.

sonous fear into themselves and died, leaving the child healed.

“The idea that ants can conspire to heal was one of the stories that informed my enchanted way of thinking about the natural world. I paint that magic into things,” Muñoz explains.

Inspiration for the Controlled Burn paintings goes back to a visit Muñoz made in third grade to a nature preserve. There a forest ranger showed her a prescribed burn—an indigenous practice used throughout the world to maintain a forest’s health and replenish the soil. The idea that fire, which can be so destructive, could also be a healing force deeply impacted Muñoz. “Through painting medicinal fire, I seek to make quiet images that provide some psychic space to help us see the contours of, and ‘stay with the trouble,’ [in our world] ecological and otherwise.”

Currently dividing her time between her home in Chicago (main studio at the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport) and Madrid, where she goes for special projects, Muñoz is now painting a new series, Fire Followers, that builds on the Controlled Burn painting themes. “It’s a series about wildflowers that bloom only after a fire,” Muñoz sums, “which I think is an incredible metaphor for resilience.”

For more information, visit elsamunoz.com.

Fire Follower: Spider Lily, 13”x16” oil on canvas, 2024.

Medicine Bag - Chicago Tap Water, $1.73 and the Alley Plants that know me, 24”x18” oil on panel, 2022

Inner Flame 2, 30”x30” oil on panel, 2023. Art Photography by Elsa Muñoz

TOUR DE FORCE

Tower Players of Highland Park continues its tradition of presenting high-quality theater for the community with its latest production of Arsenic and Old Lace

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

It may seem counterintuitive, but when the film Arsenic and Old Lace was released, it was a screwball comedy starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. No one thought much of it the time but nearly a century later, it has become a staple in theaters across America.

Agatha Christie knew her stuff.

On June 21, Tower Players in Highland Park will be presenting its annual offering, this time at a new venue, Winnetka Community House. A gangly bunch of theater buffs, Tower Players do it for the love of the stage. This is not Hollywood. But they embrace what theater is all about.

“It’s a community-based theater. Everybody’s a volunteer,” says Elizabeth Crimmins, who’s a member of Tower Players. “We have some interesting cast members to note, including Toby Nicholson, who was a drama and dance teacher at New

Trier for more than 30 years.”

Arsenic and Old Lace is set in the late 1800s in Brooklyn. The plot centers on two women who own a boarding house and appear to be, by outside observances, friendly, charitable, and good neighbors. In truth, the men they take in often end up dead of poisoning. They’re not to be messed with.

Tower Players has been together for nearly 50 years, and there’s a bit of history in this year’s production. The costumes for the two women who play the sisters this time around, Mary O’Sullivan and Marion Hanold, were donated by a woman who starred in the play for Tower Players back in the 1970s. It feels a bit like a full circle.

“Her daughter called us and said, ‘We’ve got these costumes, do you want them?’ They were perfect. These kinds of nuances this year with the play are kind of cool,” Crimmins says.

But there’s a twist to this year’s Tower Players’ production.

For years the troupe has staged its plays

MATERIAL PURSUITS

This weekend’s curated luxury trends

BLOW OFF STEAM

Whether you are working remotely or coming home after a long commute, nothing helps you clear your mind and de-stress after a long day more than a good steam. Thanks to Redwood Outdoors, now you can have the transformational power of a luxury sauna right in your back yard. The eco-friendly Thermowood Panorama Sauna is a self-contained oasis of mindfulness. Built from the finest lumber to deliver the healing benefits of intense heat—including better sleep and less muscle pain—these saunas can seat up to six people comfortably. The model’s panoramic feature brings the beauty of the great outdoors in. Prices start at $6,599. redwoodoutdoors.com

at Sacred Heart Parish in Winnetka. While the church continues to be supportive of its efforts, this summer’s play will be staged at Winnetka Community House.

“We’re doing it for a bunch of different reasons. It seats more people. We have always sold out, so this gives us the opportunity to expand our audience,” Crimmins says. “It’s a real theater space.”

Tower Players represents the breadth of arts and culture that can be found on the North Shore.

“The Tower Players started in the 1970s and it ebbs and flows. It first started as the Junior Tower Players, run by parents, which is still alive today,” Crimmins says. ”There were a bunch of us who had an interest and said, ‘We’ll take it from here.’”

The Tower Players presents Arsenic and Old Lace at Winnetka Community House at 7 p.m. on June 21. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com/e/friday-june-21stthe-towerplayers-presents-arsenic-and-old-lace-tickets-797863821167.

CROC OUT

For those who haven’t been paying attention, Crocs are back in a big way. The everyday, slip-on clog has evolved and with such celebrities as Post Malone and Justin Bieber signing on for collabs, the iconic footwear brand has become a fashion statement. Released late last month exclusively at Tokyo-based atmos (and coming soon to a retailer near you), the new Crocs Nova Trek sneaker sports a foam exoskeleton for support paired with mesh bootie for breathability and comfort. Unlike the clog model, this one laces up to secure your foot through every move. Launching in unisex sizes with two-tone colorways, this could be the shoe of the summer. Prices start at $110. atmos-tokyo.com/brands/crocs

GRILL UP

It’s almost time for barbecue season and Traeger is ready to help you knock your grilling game out of the park. Its new limited-run Louisville Slugger Maple Wood Pellets are crafted from baseball’s most renowned maple hardwood, promising a “premium burn very time.” Whether it’s beef, pork, chicken, lamp or veggies, the wood pellets infuse your favorite grilled items with a sweet, smoky flavor. The company’s unique partnership with Louisville Slugger throws a taste of America’s favorite pastime right to your back yard. Priced at $27.99 traeger. com/wood-pellets/maple-louisville-slugger-pellets

A LOTTA FUN

Formerly used as a parking lot, a space in downtown Highland Park lights up as a food and entertainment center for local residents during the warmer months.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

With the warm season descending upon us, the aptly named The Lot in Highland Park is gearing up to host a packed schedule with activities and entertainment in the city’s downtown. The festivities include al fresco dining from some of Highland Park’s best restaurants; The Taste of Highland Park and Oktoberfest, which are just two of the six events from June through November; and a French Market on Sundays throughout the season.

It's rather obvious how The Lot earned its name. No mystery there. Located at 525 Central, prior to serving as the city’s al fresco dining space it served as a parking lot.

This will be the third season The Lot has been utilized by the city and its management team, Ripple Public Relations, to bring the community together in a central location to get outdoors, gather together, and satisfy their appetites and need for entertainment.

“It started back in 2021. City staff and members of the Economic Development Advisory Group had been conducting some focus groups and gathering feedback from residents, businesses, commercial property

owners, and other stakeholders in the area,” says Diane Larson, Marketing Coordinator at the City of Highland Park. “There was a great need to attract more people to the downtown business district.”

Larson says with their interest in placemaking and business development, municipalities are adept at maximizing space, so Highland Park conducted a review of all of

its downtown assets and up popped The Lot.

“Staff found a couple of locations that not only provided space but also easy access for vendors and entertainers,” says Larson. “We also wanted to provide access from the east side of the railroad tracks from downtown, and the St. John’s North Lot fit all of our criteria.”

What you’ll find on event days at The Lot is much of what you’d find at one of Chicago’s many summer festivals. There will be six events taking place over the course of June to November. Additionally, the French Market will run on Sundays from June 9 to September 29.

In addition to the goal of bringing more foot traffic downtown so people can learn about businesses and goods available for sale, The Lot plays a role as a community

gathering place where neighbors who might not have gotten out much during the cold winter months can meet up with each other and chat, and kids can mingle and play with their friends.

“At first glance, in the off season, it’s just an asphalt lot, but it does really transform during spring events. We bring in décor. We bring in tents. We bring in lighting, and it’s really vibrant over the summer during events,” Larson says. “Two of the most prominent things that most people come together for are food and music, so The Lot serves as a local place where you can gather close to home and sample food from different Highland Park restaurants all at once while enjoying live entertainment from recognizable artists.”

For more information about The Lot and its summer schedule, visit enjoyhighlandpark.com/ the-lot.

The Lot is Highland Park's center for entertainment during warmer months.

JEFFREY CONDREN has been part of the Ravinia Associates Board since 2016. Originally from Cincinnati, Condren didn’t know what to expect the first time he visited the park. He was blown away during that first concert and now can’t imagine life without Ravinia. Generally speaking, he is more of a fan of the lawn over the pavilion, but certain concerts he feels are a “pavilion must,” including any time the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is playing. Condren is excited to for Music Matters 2024 on May 11 where he and the board hope to explore different ways to enhance guests’ park experience including allowing guests in the pavilion during the cocktail hour. “This will be a wonderful chance for guests to have an experience similar to a musician or conductor taking the stage,” he says. Music Matters will honor The Negaunee Foundation and its President, Richard W. Colburn, and may have a surprise or two in store for everyone. Condren put aside his party planning tools to share how he stays current in an ever-changing world.

#ON MY NIGHTSTAND

The last book I finished was Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk. In finance, risk is something that everyone thinks about and handles differently. The book does a nice job of going through the perception and history of risk, how things like Modern Portfolio Theory came about, and the challenges of relying solely on risk to make decisions. In my day to day, though, I enjoy reading The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and other online publications.

#ON MY MOBILE

Simon Sinek and Gary Vaynerchuk are the two people I follow the most.

#IN MY EARBUDS

I’m supposed to say Taylor Swift here, right? The music I listen to is dependent on my mood. If I’m around the house with my family, we likely have “Tropical House” music playing. We came across this genre during COVID, and it’s one style that everyone in the family can agree on. If I’m by myself and need a bit more energy, I’ll put on popular music from the 1990s and 2000s.

EDITED BY DUSTIN O'REGAN ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

ARCH ARTISTS’ RECEPTION

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN MCLEOD

Arch in Winnetka hosted a reception to celebrate the work of local artists Katie Powell Brickman and Anne Hayden Stevens. Guests sipped champagne and mingled with Brickman and Stevens to discuss their striking creations. Don’t worry if you missed the big night, the artists’ work will be featured at Arch through May, so pop in to experience the pieces firsthand. archglow.com

GRAND EVENT

JUF Women’s Philanthropy hosted their annual Grand Event at Bryn Mawr Country Club. This year’s event featured Lizzy Savetsky, a leading Jewish and pro-Israel influencer and activist, and was attended by more than 450 women. Nearly $490,000 was raised to support JUF’s annual campaign, which provides life-saving services and life-enriching experiences for 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews worldwide. juf.org

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT KUSEL

Heidi Jonas Lizzy Savetsky

Melissa Novack Friedman, Cristi Finkel, Anna Katz, Robyn Tavel

Janna Berk, Lizzy Savetsky, Annie Berk

Lindsey Markus, Jennifer Leemis, Claudine Liss

Danielle Pearl, Jacqueline Lotzof, Lizzy Savetsky, Alissa Simon, Jamie Ordower Zaransky

Carly Silverstein Rokni, Yari Rahmanim

Wendy and Tim Franzen, Julie Barry

Katie Powell Brickman, Stephanie Knight, Caryl Powell

Katie Mann, Maeve O’Meara, Megan O’Meara

Kelly Laszlo, Gina Adduci, Elizabeth Kubiak

Pamela Fitzgerald, Kim Pedraja, Cassie Buccellato Tracy Keenan

Tracy Roemer, Katie Powell Brickman

Natalie Hamm, Alicia Waters

MIND OVER MUSIC

Former Wilmette resident Aaron Weiner seized myriad opportunities in the music department at New Trier Township High School. Now he’s singing the praises of his chosen profession—psychology.

BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

During his years as a student at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Aaron Weiner performed in ensembles, played the piano and the clarinet, sang in two choirs, and was a member of the orchestra band.

He also listened often—to his close friends’ problems.

“They felt comfortable coming to me and talking with me,” recalls Weiner, a former Wilmette resident. “I didn’t mind being there for them and giving them all the time they needed. We’d have long conversations about life. I helped people open up.

“I’ve always been interested in people.”

Nobody in Weiner’s life was surprised when he contemplated pursuing either a career in music or a career in psychology while attending Iowa State University (Class of 2007) in Ames.

“I remember asking myself, ‘How can I be of most service in a line of work?’” says Weiner, who majored in psychology and minored in music and in sociology at ISU. “Songs make people smile, and it’s fun to go to concerts. In psychology, I’d be able to impact fewer people, but the impact would be more significant. That’s why I chose to go down the path of psychology.”

Now 38 and living in Long Grove with his wife, Lauren, and their two classical guitarplaying children—a 9-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son—Aaron Weiner, PhD, is a licensed, board-certified psychologist and master addiction counselor. Also a clinician, author, and frequent speaker on addiction treatment and issues, he launched his Lake Forest-based practice, Bridge Forward Group LLC in 2020.

Bridge Forward Group is an entrepreneurial venture with a mission to catalyze positive change in the addiction space. Projects focus on connecting clients—clinical, professional, governmental, or the general public—to the information required to most effectively elicit change, with an emphasis on presenting information in an accessible and actionable way.

The group’s reassuring message is, “Addiction is complicated. Understanding it doesn’t have to be.”

“I’m passionate about sharing information with people who need it to become hopeful and empowered,” says Dr. Weiner, who speaks 50 to 60 times a year before a range of audi ences, from students of all grades to parents to fellow therapists. “I care about being the vehicle of information for others who seek solutions to treatable problems like anxiety, depres sion, trauma, and others.

“I’m also aware that information is good, but action is better.”

Weiner earned his doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign in

“I find people fascinating.”

After serving as a staff psychologist/clinical director at the Spectrum Health Medical Group in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from 2014-2016, Weiner was named director of addiction services at Linden Oaks of Edwards-Elmhurst, a three-hospital health system based in Naperville. His tenure there spanned 2016-2020.

On his second day at Linden Oaks, Weiner was pulled out of a work orientation session shortly after it had begun. But not because Edwards-Elmhurst had second thoughts about hiring

“They wanted me to attend a meeting with the chief medical officer and other hospital leaders on that morning,” Weiner says.

“They wanted to hear about the sci-

Social psychology appealed to me, because it deals with human dynamics and personalities, as well as why people do what they do. Everybody has a story, right? I find people fascinating.

2013, four years after completing his master’s degree (American Psychological Association Accredited Counseling Psychology Program) at the Big Ten school.

“Beginning at Iowa State, normal psychology interested me more than abnormal psychology did,” Weiner says. “Social psychology appealed to me, because it deals with human dynamics and personalities, as well as why people do what they do. Everybody has a story, right?

ence of addictions. I shared some of that and some of my ideas. They listened. They were receptive. I liked that.”

Born in Melrose Park, Weiner lived in River Forest until the fifth grade and resided in Buffalo Grove from the ages of nine to 13. His family—his mother, Teresa Barker, is a health writer and editor, and his father, Steve Weiner, has a background in business writing—then moved to Wilmette.

“I had stage fright,” Dr. Weiner remembers.

“I was a musician, and a future public speaker, who used to fear appearing on stage as a band member in high school. I was nervous about getting nervous. But I overcame it. Years later there was a three-year gap between my speaking engagements, due mostly to COVID-19. The day I resumed speaking at a gathering, I was at a conference, wearing a suit. I stood up and spoke. I was fine. No nervousness.

“Anxiety,” he adds, “is one of the most treatable conditions.”

Regarding addiction, there’s good news and concerning news about nicotine vaping among U.S. youth, Weiner reports.

“Vaping is down at the high school level but up among middle school students,” he says, citing 2022 data. “It’s awful what companies are doing to market such products, preying on uninformed teens. E-cigarettes aren’t safe. Smoking cigarettes cost 480,000 lives, recent studies show. Alcoholism cost 140,000 more lives, but nobody, it seems, talks about the heavy toll of alcohol abuse.”

Russia Today interviewed Weiner for the article “Drinking on an empty stomach? You might have ‘drunkorexia’ and should question your relationship with alcohol. Here’s why.”

Dr. Weiner, the founder and owner of Bridge Forward Group, is the bridge between addiction science and the frontline realities of medicine, public health, politics, clinical treatment, and youth drug prevention. A symposium he presented virtually was titled, “Building an empire: The tactics and science behind vaping’s rise and ideas about where to go from here.”

“I believe in the work I’m doing, and there are a lot of folks out there who would benefit from a bit more psychology in their lives,” says Weiner, the recipient of both the DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team Changemaker Award and the Naperville Jaycees Distinguished Services Award (Healthcare Professional) in 2019.

“It was gratifying helping others when I was young, and it still is.”

Bridge Forward Group LLC is located at 100 South Saunders Road, Suite 150, in Lake Forest. For more information, visit weinerphd.com. John

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