Green Parent Chicago

New Location Announced for Flavorfest This Weekend

This weekend's Whole Foods Flavorfest organizers just announced a change of location for the annual Chicago food fest. The event will now take place in Trebes Park at Webster and Racine, instead of Wrightwood Park as previously advertised.

Admission to the festival is $5. Proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce.

Hours for the festival are:
Saturday & Sunday, August 23 & 24
11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday
11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday

Children's activities will be held in the Children's Pavilion on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m to 3 p.m.

Swiss Adventurer to Make "Solartaxi" Stop in Chicago On World Tour

Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer and his solar powered car, the "Solartaxi"  will stop at the country’s tallest building Monday, as part of a world tour to bring attention to solutions to climate change.

Palmer will give a presentation from noon to 2 p.m. at the southwest corner near the Sears Tower Skydeck entrance on the vehicle's technology and green features.

The Chicago visit is part of a world tour of the vehicle that began July 3, 2007. Palmer, his vehicle and his team plan to travel 32,000 miles and visit 40 countries on five continents without spending a single penny on gas or releasing a single emission into the air.

The Solartaxi team says the car, which travels at a maximum of about 50 mph is the first of its kind to drive around the world on the energy of the sun alone. The car is electric with a trailer covered in solar cells. Solar energy generated is stored in the battery, allowing the car to drive at night without sunlight.

Monday's visit is hosted by the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago and the Chicago-Lucerne Sister Cities Committee.

Rolling On The River Bike for the Environment Saturday

Rolling on the River, a family bike ride to benefit local environmental organizations will be held Saturday August 16 at the Kendall County Fairgrounds.

The event includes a camping option, food, live music and an after-ride party. Money raised from the event will benefit Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund, Illinois Stewardship Alliance and Prairie Rivers Network.

The ride consists of a 15, 25, 45, 62 or 100 mile option. The routes traverse the rolling hills of the Fox River valley, crossing the Fox River multiple times and traveling through scenic countryside and nearby towns.

In addition, roundtable talks on environmental topics, an enviro expo and other family-friendly outdoor activities will be held following the ride. Though online registration for the event has ended, registration will be accepted on the day of the event from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

All level of cyclists are welcome. Children must be 8 years old to ride alone on their own bike.

Raising Chickens in Your Backyard: Chicago Edition

Radish Magazine, one of our favorite regional magazines on natural and sustainable living out of the Quad Cities area (that's western IL/eastern IA) has a straightforward how-to this month by Darcy Maulsby on how to keep backyard chickens for homegrown eggs.

From the sound of it, and having talked to a chicken raising friend of mine, it appears to be similar to having pets with much of the work consisting of cleaning, watering and feeding the birds. Additional variables such as the cost of feed and a coop factor in, however. Maulsby's article includes tips on what type of breeds to consider for a harsh Midwest winter and the advantages to keeping chickens.

In addition, she lists resources for more information such as BackyardChickens.com, a veritable compendium of info on raising the feathered flocks. Their forum boasts thousands (!) of members.

Backyard Poultry magazine published out of Wisconsin devotes its issues to detailed information for the chicken raiser, such as what to do when you go on vacation.

According to The City Chicken, it appears that Chicagoans can have an unlimited number of chickens if they are only kept for pets or eggs and cannot be used for slaughter. Chickens must be penned. Other states are listed on the site as well. Little other information is listed online on city ordinances. However, last fall, there was some indication that City Council members were considering a ban on backyard chickens for a time.

Gaia Girls Author Lee Welles in Chicago this Weekend

Lee Welles, author of the Gaia Girls from Chelsea Green publishing is touring the country and will be making 3 stops this weekend to sign books from her young readers series in the Chicago area.

Welles will appear Saturday Aug. 9 at the gift shop at Shedd Aquarium from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday Aug. 10 she will be at Morton Arboretum and Monday Aug. 11 Welles will speak at 7 p.m. at the Chicago Public Library-Budlong Woods Branch.

The Gaia Girls series, aimed at ages 9-12, consists of 2 books (Welles is currently writing a third.) Debuted in 2006, the series chronicles the adventures of "'average girls' who team up with the Earth to fight back against environmental destruction." The books have won several book awards and gathered recommendations from environmental press such as Grist magazine. 

A freelance writer and former summer nature camp director, Welles recently introduced the "Summer of Gaia 2008" on her Gaia Girls blog. Each week she posts a video mission to kids on exploring nature. Kids can then download a mission log from the site and post to her blog on their findings.

Kids Big Wheel Race at the Chicago Criterium Sunday

A Kid’s Big Wheel Race will take place Sunday in Grant Park as part of the line-up of events for the first ever Chicago Criterium bike race.

The Chicago Criterium, the first of its kind in the city, will begin at 7 a.m. and continue throughout the day.

A criterium is a cycling race held in a closed circuit loop and is approximately 1.1 miles in length. Adult participants will compete for a total of $40,000 in prize money.

Sunday's Big Wheel event is open to kids age 2 to 7 and will be held in front of Buckingham Fountain. The first 200 children to sign up will receive a commemorative championship T-shirt. Each child will receive a "champion" medal and a $25 savings account opening bonus courtesy of ING Direct. The race begins at 12:10 p.m. A bike safety seminar will be held 5 minutes prior to the race start.

Registration is available online or on race day starting at 11:00 a.m. at the registration tent located on the northeast corner of Columbus and Balbo streets. Children may bring their own big-wheel or borrow one at the race. A limited number of big wheels will be on hand to borrow, first come, first served.

New Accessible Playground for All Opens In Evanston

Lawson Park in Evanston is now the sight of the new Noah's Playground for Everyone. The playground which opened Sunday was the project of Evanston residents Julie and David Cutter and the City of Evanston and honors the memory of the Cutter's 2-1/2-year old son Noah, who died in December 2005.

Noah's parents, family, friends, and service providers held several fundraisers to raise the $400,000 needed toward the construction of the accessible playground. The City of Evanston funded the remainder of this project. Lawson suffered from multiple neurological disorders throughout his life.

According to a recent Tribune report on the playground's opening ceremony, the equipment and toys are designed so kids with special needs can play alongside able-bodied kids, and get close to the action with ramps and larger spaces that are wheelchair-accessible. Paths are covered with rubber—instead of bark chips or sand—so wheels can roll easily. Toys are painted in bright colors so children with limited eyesight can navigate them. Nooks and crannies help give kids with sensory overload a place to calm down.

What about strollers? CTA May Introduce Seat-less Train Cars Soon

Ridership is up on the CTA. Due in part to the rising cost of gas and the CTA's free rides for seniors program that just began in March of this year. Citing the increase Wednesday, CTA officials announced at a transit board meeting that the agency will soon experiment with seat-less cars on rush hour trains to address increased ridership and crowded trains.

While this would serve as one solution to allowing more riders on board, how might this effect the ridership of parents with kids, who may also be carrying a folded up stroller along?

The cars would debut on the Brown Line by fall, according to CTA President Ron Huberman.  An eight-car train would include at least two contiguous cars without seats. Elderly, disabled and pregnant passengers could choose to ride in the cars with seating, Huberman said.

While some parents never bring a stroller along on public transit, opting to travel with a sling or carrier only. Other parents, including many who also bring a sling or carrier tote a lightweight stroller along for their older child or to ease the burden of carrying a diaper bag, lunch and sleeping baby all at once.

Though most parents who ride the CTA during rush hour and other busy times are probably no stranger to crowded conditions, it will be interesting to note what type of extra planning parents may have to consider before boarding a seat-less train. In addition, it remains to be seen if the plan will actually cut ridership numbers of parents with young kids.

We want to hear from you at Green Parent Chicago: would you plan any differently for trips on a seat-less train? If so how? Or is planning as simple as avoiding peak travel times or just leaving the stroller at home?

Whole Foods Lincoln Park Re-opens Following Health Inspections

Whole Foods' Lincoln Park store reopened Saturday after closing July 9 when inspectors found rodent droppings throughout the store. After finally passing a third inspection, the store's business liscense was returned Saturday.

Unless there are customer complaints, the store will not be inspected again for another 6 months, according to a recent Chicago Tribune report.

Lollapalooza This August: Rockin' Out Kids in Tow

Lollapalooza the 3-day outdoor music fest now permanently stationed in Grant Park, begins August 1 and will run until August 3. A number of headliners are scheduled for the event (Kanye, Wilco, Rage Against the Machine, Mark Ronson, etc.)  Single day and 3-day passes are still available online. Kids 10 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult.

As in years past, green initiatives are planned to address waste and the environmental impact of the festival which is expected to draw over 150,000 attendees over 3 days. Plans include the use of biodegradable bags, recycled paper, recycling bins, generators and light towers that run on biodiesel, compostable food packaging and containers and organic and locally grown food choices. Sponsors are said to "have pledged enthusiastic support" to the fest's green plans.

The Kidzapalooza area of the event will feature kids performers, music and dance workshops, recycled crafts, and temp tattoo and "rock-styled" hairdo styling for kids "using environmentally kid friendly products" from 11:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

Looking for some tips from experienced city mamas who've gone? 

Bonnie, mom to two says:

"Our kids love it and can't wait to go every year. We've gone the past 3 years and the kids area has never been uncomfortably crowded, has lots of shade and is a great space to hang in. It ends mid afternoon, before the major acts. I'd recommend printing pet tags with kids name and your cell # in case. Even older ones can panic if lost. I remind mine "stand still if you ever lose sight of me and I will turn around and find you". Luckily it's never been necessary. They will allow strollers for people going with little and even medium sized ones.

Pros--fest is HUGE and a jogging stroller is a great way to travel fast with little ones and is a good place for them to fall asleep if you stay till close. Though technically on the "not allowed" list, we've brought in a play tent for shade, water backpacks, a cooler full of fresh fruit, cold drinks, healthy kid food and toys, glow sticks, spray bottles, etc. under the stroller and never had an issue with it. Cons--evening crowds can get thick and if you're not in the back of the main stage lawn and you have a big stroller, plan on getting boxed in till the end."

Lisa, mom of one says: 

"I think its the best festival for kids, hands down.  The kids area is awesome! The only thing I'd advise is that it is very spread out, so if you plan on wandering away from Kidzapalooza keep that in mind. It can get crowded walking through. Can get hot, obviously--I' m pretty sure you can bring water. We usually bring misters for the kids to spray."

Safety tip: Visit the "Tag-A-Kid" service at the Information Tent where parents can pick up a numbered wristband for their child that includes parent supplied contact information in the event parent and child are separated.