EPR e-News: Winter Program Guide, Jamming Jean Concert, and more!

Friday, December 1, 2023   |   View in browser

Good Morning, 

Check out this week's Parks & Recreation e-News featuring information about the Winter Program Guide, holiday activities, a Jamming Jean concert, the Mayor's Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive, and more!

The Winter Program Guide is here!

The 2023 Winter Program Guide is now available to view online. This digital-only issue provides hundreds of recreation programs, special events, and ways to keep you healthy, active, and having fun this winter season.

Jamming Jean Concert - December 1

Enjoy a return concert featuring Gerald McClendon "Soulkeeper" and his band. This exceptionally versatile Soul R&B performer has played to sold crowds in many of the major entertainment venues throughout the Midwest. The concert is Friday, Dec. 1, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., in the Maple Room at the Levy Senior Center. It is free and open to the public.

Hecky’s Barbecue will be on-site with food for sale. Grab dinner from this Evanston institution, and enjoy while you tap to the tunes. Wine and beer will also be available for purchase.

Thanks to generous support from the Levy Senior Center Foundation, this concert is free and open to the public. The Jamming Jean Music Series, named in honor of a former Levy Center member, features music and musicians that reflect Evanston and its cultural diversity.

Write a letter to Santa

Santa is waiting for your letter! Letters will be accepted beginning Friday, Dec. 1 at the North Pole mailbox located at the Chandler-Newberger Community Center.

The Nutcracker on Ice

The Nutcracker on Ice, Robert Crown Community Center's winter ice show, will celebrate its return this holiday season for its 48th year! For tickets and information visit cityofevanston.org/register or call 847-448-8258.

Flapjacks & Flannels Registration Open Now!

Wear your flannel, bring your family, and enjoy some flapjacks! This event includes a full breakfast, selfies with Santa, dreidel, and snow globe-making. Vegan and Kosher options are available. Due to the nature of this event, we are unable to provide refunds. For questions, please email  adagostino@cityofevanston.org.

Thanks to our event sponsors: First Northern Credit Union, Healthy Kids Running Series, and Evanston Parks Foundation! 

Mayor's Holiday Food, Book, and Toy Drive

Help ensure every Evanston family can celebrate this holiday season. Through Friday, Dec. 8, we're collecting new, unwrapped toys in addition to staple food items for holiday meals, including stuffing, green beans, yams, mac and cheese, corn, and cornbread mix. We're also collecting new and gently used children's books. 

Donation drop-off locations:
Autobarn, 1015 Chicago Ave.
Booked, 506 Main St.
Briteco, 805 Greenwood St.
Chandler-Newberger Center, 1028 Central St.
Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.
Evanston Community Bank, 1740 Sherman Ave.
Evanston Made Holiday Market, 832 Dempster St.
Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.
Fire Station 3, 1105 Central St.
Fire Station 5, 2830 Central St.
First Northern Credit Union, 1705 Sherman Ave.
Fleetwood-Jourdain Center, 1655 Foster St.
Jewel-Osco, 1128 Chicago Ave.
Jewel-Osco, 2485 W. Howard St.
Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.
Police Station, 1454 Elmwood Ave.
Robert Crown Center, 1801 Main St.
Target, 2209 W. Howard St.
The Merion, 1611 Chicago Ave.
Valli Produce, 1910 Dempster St.

Register to Receive Food and Toys: Families who wish to participate in the Mayor's Holiday Food, Book & Toy Drive to receive toys and/or food items must register by calling 847-448-4311 (or dial 311 in Evanston) by Friday, Dec. 8.

Candle Making

The winter season is a time to celebrate holidays, festivals, and traditions that use candles to brighten up the darkest time of the year. Make your own candles to add light to you and your loved ones’ homes this winter and holiday season! In this class, we will explore the process of candle making and take home our creations. To register, please call the Ecology Center at 847-448-8256 or register online.

Family Gingerbread Decorating

Join us for gingerbread house decorating at Chandler-Newberger. All supplies will be provided to make a sweet masterpiece. Take home kits are also available. Register now!

Breakfast with Santa at Fleetwood-Jourdain 

Santa Clause is coming to...FJCC! What better way to make sure your wish list makes it to the North Pole than delivering it yourself? Registration ends Monday, Dec. 11, so secure your spot at the breakfast table! $12 per person. Register today.

Winter Warm Up Series

Brighten up your season and warm up your winter with a fun and festive series for adults at the Ecology Center! This wellness-focused series will explore how you can add more light, aromas, and houseplants to your home, as well as practice forest therapy to enjoy the benefits of nature in the winter. We will also learn how to make our own candles, scrubs and salves, cleaning solutions, stovetop potpourri, and beeswax wraps. To register, please call the Ecology Center at 847-448-8256 or register online.

Drop-In Pickleball at Levy Senior Center

Head to the Levy Senior Center every Monday and Wednesday between Noon and 3 p.m. to enjoy drop-in pickleball!

• Levy Membership required (Age 55 and older)

• $5 per person. Please pay at the front desk before playing.

• Three lined pickleball courts are available

• Nets and balls will be provided

• Players must provide paddles

Players are responsible for organizing games and being respectful of court time. All skill levels are welcome.

No drop-in pickleball will be available on December 18, 20, 25 and 27, as well as January 1 and 15.

New Winter Break Camp at Chandler

Learn outdoor survival skills while working hands-on with a team. Activities incorporate real world skills, STEM, and adventure. Register today.

Winter Break Camp at Fleetwood-Jourdain

Join us for Winter Festivities around the globe! Learn about how other cultures celebrate during the holiday season. Fleetwood-Jourdain hosts two weeks of holidays around the world. Sign up for one or both weeks, make new friends, reconnect with old friends, and make plenty of new memories. Register today.

Forest School Play Group

The Forest School model makes every day of learning an adventure.  Outdoor programs allow children to learn at their natural levels of enthusiasm and energy. Long periods of building, inventing, running, climbing, nature discovery, and imagination play nurture every developmental domain. A drop-off option is available for ages three years and up. Parents attend with children under the age of three. Sign up for one or both days! To register, please call the Ecology Center at 847-448-8256 or register online.

Break Dance at Chandler-Newberger

Whole Woman Fitness at Fleetwood

What better way to work off those holiday calories than with friends and enjoying great music? Sign up today for Whole Woman Fitness and begin the journey of getting your mind, body and spirit into shape. Register now.

1st/2nd and 3rd Grade Basketball Leagues 

This league will focus on the development of the basic skills required to play basketball. Games will simulate controlled scrimmages with coaches allowed on the floor with the referee to help teach players about game situations and rules of play. Coaches and school organizers are volunteers from respective schools who are responsible for scheduling their team practices. Time of games will vary each week.

Register for 1st/2nd grade teams or register for the 3rd grade teams.

Holiday Grooves & Disco Moves at Levy Center

Come out in your best Ugly Holiday Sweater and get ready to dance to local DJ Michael Stinson playing your favorite disco hits! The first Holiday Grooves & Disco Moves: December 8 Delight will take place on Friday, Dec. 8, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Levy Senior Center. All are welcome.

The Great Elf Hunt! Coming Soon

We have received word that the elves are on their way to Evanston! Once they arrive, on December 18, we need help tracking them down. We heard they will be hiding around the City's Community Centers and parks.

Help us find them between December 18 and 28. Find each elf, snap a photo with them, and send your photos to kgrundin@cityofevanston.org to be entered into a raffle to win various prizes including gift cards to local Evanston businesses. Each photo counts as one entry. Winners will be announced on January 2.

Special Thanks to these businesses for donating prizes!
The Fat Shallot
Candlelite Chicago
Firehouse Grill
Bluestone
Koi Evanston
Art Makers Outpost

A Poetic Kwanzaa at Robert Crown 

The City and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theater will host the annual first day of Kwanzaa celebration at the Robert Crown Community Center. Festivities will include the popular Artisan Market Place, delicious food, sweet treats, a community drum circle with Tony Garrett, arts & crafts for the entire family (sponsored by the Evanston Public Library), and a performance of 'A Poetic Kwanzaa' featuring JustUsArts. The event will conclude with a traditional Kwanzaa Ceremony. This is a free Evanston Community Sharing event. 

Vibrant Living

Are you ready to embark on a journey to a healthier, happier you in 2024? Join our Vibrant Living group wellness program for women, led by Certified Health Coach Jennifer Reddick. The class will begin on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Register today!

Light The Night

The City’s Parks & Recreation Department is seeking proposals for solar- and battery-powered, artistic light "installations" to be displayed in Tallmadge Park on January 27. Artists will receive a $150 check for supplies after the event.

Manifest your goals in 2024 - Fleetwood-Jourdain Vision Board Party

Enjoy an afternoon of vision board creation with images, motivational words, and group conversations to ignite dream-building and set new goals for the New Year. Enjoy alcohol refreshments with friends and meet new people during this Vision Board Party. This event is open to ages 21 year of age and older. Register today! 

Seniors, walk right in!

The Secretary of State's Office has opened a new, walk-in "Senior Only" DMV service temporarily housed in Room G300 of the Morton Civic Center. Seniors will not need appointments, as this walk-in center is specifically designed to meet their needs including Real ID, behind the wheel driving test, and renewals of State ID as well as drivers license.

Accessibility for all

The City of Evanston is committed to promoting a citywide culture of accessibility and inclusivity. To request an accommodation for a program, service, or activity, please call 847-866-2919 to make an ADA service request or fill out a request form online. 

Facility Locations and Phone Numbers

Chandler-Newberger Community Center: 847-448-8252
Levy Senior Center: 847-448-8250
Robert Crown Community Center: 847-448-8258
Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center: 847-448-8254
Ecology Center: 847-448-8256

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend,

The City of Evanston’s Parks and Recreation Team