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Family Friendly: Families can experience Japanese culture at garden
Kokyo Taiko will perform at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 18 and 19 at the Chicago Botanic Garden's Malott Japanese Garden Summer Festival.
Updated: August 16, 2012 4:56PM
The sound of Taiko drums will enchant families at the Malott Japanese Garden Summer Festival, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, and Sunday, Aug. 19, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. Kokyo Taiko will perform at 12:30 p.m. each day.
Eileen Prendergast, the garden’s youth and family programs director, said there will be a tea ceremony, Japanese storytelling by Anne Shimojima and other musical performances.
“The Chicago Koto Group has two special guest performers joining them this year,” Prendergast said. In addition to a flute, the harp group will be accompanied by a shamisen and a sansin, traditional stringed instruments.
Children’s activities will include creating paper origami boats that actually float and making uchiwas, a type of flat fan. Children can practice using chopsticks, rake miniature dry gardens and practice calligraphy.
“We will also be making a variety of different Japanese-style kites,” Prendergast said.
For details, call (847) 835-5440 or visit www.chicagobotanic.org/familyprograms/dropin.
Justin time
Family favorite Justin Roberts and The Not Ready for Naptime Players will perform a Kraft Great Kids Concert, 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at Ravinia in Highland Park. Tickets are $10 for reserved seats, $5 for lawn seating.
For details, call (847) 266-5100 or visit www.ravinia.org.
Closing the book
Just before kids return to school, the Highwood Public Library is celebrating “a summer of delicious reading” with a Reading Party, 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at 102 Highwood Ave. There will be craft projects, games and other activities.
For details, call (847) 432-5404 or visit www.highwoodlibrary.org.
TGIF?
A mother and daughter who don’t see eye-to-eye switch places because of a fortune cookie’s curse in “Freaky Friday.” Mothers and daughters — and everyone else — can see the 97-minute, PG-rated film at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, at Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave. The 2003 movie is based on Mary Rodgers’ book of the same name.
For details, call (847) 448-8610 or visit www.epl.org.
