Old Town "Crush, Music & Comedy Fest"
| Date: |
Saturday & Sunday, September 12-13 |
| Time: |
11am to 10pm Saturday | 11am to 6pm Sunday -- $7 suggested donation |
| Location: |
On N. Wells St. between North Ave. and Schiller |
| Presented By: |
Horseshoe Casino |
| Beneficiary: |
Old Town Merchants and Residents Association & Chicago 2016 |
Gin Blossoms set to perform at expanded post-Labor Day fave: Wine Crush in Old Town. Now on two days with two stages, add in premium wines and comedy performances and you have the ingredients for a newly rebranded "Old Town Crush, Music & Comedy Fest," presented by Horseshoe Casino. It will be held on Wells Street between North Avenue and Schiller in Chicago's historic Old Town neighborhood.
In addition to two-days of premium wine tasting, the cuisine of great Old Town restaurants, artisans and the always-popular grape stomping contest (both days), two (2) music stages will feature Arizona alt-rockers the "Gin Blossoms", the soul/funk of "Jambon" (comprised of former members of Sonia Dada, Liquid Soul and Weather Report), quirky Californian "That 1 Guy" (aka Mike Silverman), "Todd Kessler", "Jason Reeves", "16 Candles", "Laura Warshauer" and many, many more.
Other highlights include:
- Premium Wine Tastings will be held both afternoons. $40 offers a souvenir wine glass by which you will receive 10 PREMIUM wine tastings - from a selection of upwards of 30 premium wines/vineyards. Additional tastings are 5 for $15. See below for more information and to purchase your tasting tickets in advance.
- Grape Stomping Contests with teams of two will be held each afternoon at 1:45 p.m. @ North & Wells.
- Cooking/Wine Stage located near Wells and Schiller.
A portion of the $7 suggested gate donation benefits the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association and Chicago 2016, the organization that's spearheading Chicago's efforts to land the 2016 Summer Olympics.
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A wine pavilion representing more than 30 different PREMIUM wines/vineyards will offer tastings and demonstrations each day. Browse through the arts and crafts vendors. Or, relax and enjoy some great live music and food from Old Town restaurants.
Tasting Tickets
PREMIUM Standard Tasting $40 (10 tasting tickets)
Tasting tickets can be purchased at the event. Limited to 1000 tickets per day -- don't miss out!
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Sample from the following PREMIUM wines:
- Moreux 2007 Sancerre "Les Bouffants"
- Ceago 2007 Chardonnay
- Marimar 2006 Chardonnay "Acero"
- Pahlmeyer 2007 Chardonnay "Jayson"
- Errazuriz 2007 Chardonnay "Wild Ferment"
- Tamayo 2007 Chardonnay
- Tamayo 2006 Sauvignon Blanc
- Stoneleigh 2008 Sauvignon Blanc
- Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2008 Graves Blanc
- Salomon 2006 Riesling "Steinterrassen"
- Knyphausen 2005 Kiedricher Sandgrub Riesling Spatlese
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- Chamonix 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
- Chamonix 2007 Chardonnay
- Chamonix 2007 Pinot Noir
- Witness Tree 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
- Au Bon Climat 2006 Pinot Noir "Les Bauges"
- Flowers 2007 "Perennial"
- Alma Rosa 2005 Pinot Noir "La Encantada"
- Loring Wine Company 2006 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard
- Errazuriz 2006 Single Vineyard Carmenere
- Robertson Cabernet Sauvignon "Prospect Hill" 2005
- Steltzner 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
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- Ceago 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chateau Pipeau 2000 St. Emilion
- Domaine Cabirou 2007 Cotes Catalanes "Serge & Tony"
- Movia Quattro Mani
- Ridge Vineyards 2007 Zinfandel, Paso Robles
- Norman 2006 Zinfandel "The Monster"
- Sattler Zweigelt
- Branham 2005 "Senal"
- Alcina 2004 Syrah Gabrielli Vineyard, Napa
- Bodegas Fernandez 2005 Tinto "Pesquera," Ribera del Duero
- Poniatowski 1990 Vouvray Moelleux "Clos Baudoin"
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Horseshoe Casino Music Stage @ North Ave.
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Saturday
12:30pm - ABBA Salute
1:45pm - Grape Stomping Contest
2:15pm - The Hat Guys
4:00pm - 7th Heaven
6:00pm - Lounge Puppets
8:00pm - Gin Blossoms
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Sunday
Noon - True Praise Choral Ministries w/ Elder Tim C. Brown
1:45pm - Grape Stomping Contest
2:15pm - Jambon
4:00pm - 16 Candles
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Comedy Stage in the O'Brien's Parking Lot
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Saturday
GREEN = Comedy
12:15pm - Dan Hubbard & the Humadors
1:45pm - Beauty School Dropouts
2:00pm - Eric Landshaft Trio
3:30pm - Red Orchid Theatre "Youth Ensemble" (comedy and music)
3:45pm - Josh & the Empty Pockets
5:15pm - Red Orchid Theatre "Youth Ensemble" (comedy and music)
5:25 - Todd Kessler
6:55pm - Ralphie Roberts
7:10pm - Jason Reeves
8:45pm - Martin Gollogly
9:00pm - Laura Warshauer
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Sunday
GREEN = Comedy
Noon - Taylor Carson
1:00pm - Bob Jay
1:15pm - One Sweet Jane
2:15pm - Bob Jay
2:30pm - That 1 Guy
4:15pm - Chicago Cabaret Project (music & comedy)
5:15pm - Chicago Cabaret Project (music & comedy)
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Gin Blossoms to Perform Saturday!
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 Fueled by mega-hits including "Hey Jealousy," "Found Out About You" and "Til I Hear It From You," Gin Blossoms completed the classic crossover from college-circuit heroes to multi-platinum album sellers.
The band's hometown following in Tempe, Arizona grew quickly as the band earned a great reputation as a live act. Readers of the Phoenix New Times chose them as the city's best rock band qualifying them to play at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas in March, 1989. Later that year, College Music Journal dubbed them the "Best Unsigned Band in America" and invited them to play MTV's New Music Awards in New York City.
Major label interest quickly followed ... their initial releases on A&M Records included Up and Crumbling in 1991 and the multi-platinum selling New Miserable Experience in 1992 featuring the single, "Hey Jealousy" which peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Four more singles followed ... "Mrs. Rita," "Found Out About You," "Allison Road" and "Until I Fall Away." With NME having sold nearly 3 million copies in the US alone, the Gin Blossoms became a band to be reckoned with.
Congratulations I'm Sorry, which was released in 1996, was the Blossom's final original album of the decade bringing them two more hits ... "Follow You Down" which spent ten weeks in the Top Ten and "As Long As It Matters" which earned the group a Grammy nomination for "Best Performance by a Duo or Group." The album debuted in Billboard's Top Ten and a year of touring helped put the record past 1,500,000 units sold.
The group then took a lengthy hiatus before embarking on an eighty-date US tour in 2002 and then releasing a new album, Major Lodge Victory in 2006.
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Location: Wells & Schiller
Times: 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. each day
An eclectic lineup of food and wine experts from Old Town will be giving inspirational (and educational) cooking and wine demonstrations each afternoon. Be sure to stop by, grab a seat, and learn from the masters!
Saturday, September 12
1:00 p.m. - Chef Christian Phernotten, Old Town Brasserie
2:30 p.m. - Kamehachi Restaurant
4:00 p.m. - David Datallo, The Fudge Pot (Chocolate dipping demonstration)
Sunday, September 13
1:00 p.m. - Chef Othon Angel, Adobo Grill (Zucchini quesadilla -- and more!)
2:30 p.m. - Chef/Owner Dino Lubbat, Dinotto Ristorante
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Grape Stomping Competition
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Grape Stomping is SOLD OUT! Stop by and see the action!
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What it is:
We have all seen the legendary 'I Love Lucy' episode where Lucy climbs into a vat of freshly picked grapes and begins dancing around in her bare feet. That is what we will have set up, only ours will be in competition style! We will have two vats filled with grapes and teams of two will compete. There is a spigot on each vat where the juice from the grapes will drain into your individual glass. Like in the old days, each contestant will remove their shoes and socks and stomp the grapes to produce the juice. (There will be a foot washing station to use at the completion.)
How it works:
Teams of two contestants will compete against other teams. A clock timing each team will record how quickly a 1/2-glass of wine is filled by each team. Contestants will climb into their vat and begin crushing on the whistle. A Wine Crush souvenir wine glass will be placed under each spigot. The first team to fill the wine glass half way wins the heat. The overall winning team will be determined by championship play. The team that successfully knocks out all of the teams will win great prizes.
How to begin
Registration: In order to participate, you must register as a team of two and complete a registration form and waiver. To register please contact Corrie McFarlane at Special Events Management -- (773) 868-3010 x249 or cmcfarlane@chicagoevents.com. REGISTER QUICK -- The grape stomping competition is limited to eight (8) teams daily.
Where & when:
The competition will take place at the main stage during the 6th annual Wine Crush on Saturday & Sunday, September 12-13, 2008. Located on Wells Street, near North Avenue. Each team must check in no later than 1:30 p.m. in order to participate in the competition. Teams will be selected to compete in random order. The first heat will begin promptly at 1:45 p.m each day. All prizes will be awarded onsite.
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Old Town Crush, Music & Comedy Fest Fun Run
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Click Here to Register!
A historical fun run will kick off the day's events for the Old Town Crush, Music & Comedy. The run will start at the entertainment stage on Wells St. just south of North Avenue. A Chicago historian and avid runner will rally the troops and then take them on a roughly 4 mile jog north on Wells St. and wind through Lincoln Park until the group finishes at the intersection of Wells and Schiller.
At the end of the run, participants will be able to hear a seminar on the benefits of wine for the runner. Entrance fees to the Old Town Crush, Music & Comedy festival will be waived for runners and they will receive some token gifts from the neighborhood.
The run is free of charge and will always move at a very recreational pace (no more than 12-minute miles). Runners will meet at 11am at the intersection of North and Wells by the entertainment stage within the festival grounds. The run is expected to take about one hour and fifteen minutes -- this accounts for breaks taken to discuss historical spots and points of interest.
Click here for a course map!
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Ride the CTA Brown Line "L" to Sedgwick and head east. For routes, directions and connections, call 312.836.7000 or visit www.transitchicago.com.
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Old Town Merchants & Residents
Since its establishment in 1971, the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association has served as the voice of the Old Town community advocating city services for businesses and residents including community policing, street cleaning, lighting and community planning. Working in partnership with 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett and 43rd Ward Alderman Vi Daley, the Association addresses issues concerning streetscape maintenance, commercial and residential development, zoning and parking.
Members are both business owners, property owners and residents of Old Town. A majority of the Association's membership is made up of business/property owners who also live in Old Town. Members are kept informed of Association projects and community issues through the publication of the Old Town News newsletter and through networking socials held throughout the year.
Members are automatically included in the Association's neighborhood directory and on the web site. Members are offered discounted advertising rates in the annual neighborhood directory and selected co-op advertising publications such as Where Magazine, The Chicago Collection, Skyline, Key Magazine and the Official Visitors Guide of Chicago. Members are also permitted to participate in the Association's street banner program which includes year round banner display on North Avenue, La Salle Street, Sedgwick and North Wells Street.
To learn more about membership, please contact the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association at 312-951-6106.
Chicago 2016
The Chicago 2016 committee comprises the board of directors plus approximately 250 members representing a wide array of interests in business, sport, education, environment, community relations, tourism and hospitality, accessibility, marketing and communications, arts and culture, government relations, international relations, building and construction trades, health care, transportation and security. To Learn more visit: www.chicago2016.org
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Marketing & Sponsorship Opportunities
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Looking to connect with active consumers at this event? For pricing and a customized benefits package, please contact Special Events Management at 773.584.6650.
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Still have questions about the event? Contact Corrie McFarlane with more questions or call 773-584-6649.
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Click here for more information and applications on how to exhibit at this event and others. If you have additional questions, please contact Susan Malen or at 773.584.6642.
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