Waukegan, Illinois (August 11, 2023) – The Waukegan Park District is hosting the 23rd Annual Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival on Saturday, August 19, 2023 from 11am to 4:51pm at Bowen Park, located 1800 N. Sheridan Road. The festival celebrates Ray Bradbury with arts and music. Art vendors, including painters, sculptors, and photographers, will have their art for sale.
Ray Bradbury, born in Waukegan on August 22, 1920, was an author and screenwriter in fantasy, science fiction, horror, and mystery. Some of his most famous works include elements of his hometown of Waukegan in them. Ray Bradbury passed away on June 5, 2012 and he is honored in numerous ways in Waukegan.
The 23rd Annual Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Festival will feature live performances from the following regional artists:
| Acoustic Stage | Time | Pavilion Stage | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Tong | 11am to 11:30am | Ordinary Hero | 11am to 12pm | |
| Sophie | 11:35am to 12:05pm | Jack Tell | 12:15pm to 1:15pm | |
| Rafael Torrez | 12:10pm to 12:40pm | Zion Ari | 1pm to 2:30pm | |
| Jeff Jazzman | 12:45pm to 1:30pm | Destruction Baby | 2:45pm to 3:45pm | |
| Funology | 1:35pm to 2:20pm | Crooked Moon | 4pm to 4:51pm | |
| Juiette Z. Payne | 2:25pm to 3:10pm | |||
| Zion Ari | 3:15pm to 4pm | |||
| Jack Tell | 4pm to 4:51pm |
New this year, local actors will perform Ray Bradbury’s Zero Hour, a suspenseful radio play about a children’s game called “invasion” that starts to become terrifyingly real as the time moves to five o’clock, the designated zero hour for the Martian invaders’ arrival. The play will begin at 6pm in the Dr. Lynn Schornick Theatre in the Jack Benny Center for the Arts.Preregistration is not required to attend this free, family-friendly event. More information is available at waukeganparks.org/dandelion.
About the Waukegan Park District
Established on December 26, 1916, the Waukegan Park District (WPD) has 53 properties and more than 742 acres of land, including the 18-hole Bonnie Brook and 9-hole Greenshire Golf Courses. Properties are managed to the highest environmental and conservation standards. Facilities operated by the WPD include the Field House Sports, Fitness and Aquatics Center, Waukegan’s Greg Petry SportsPark, Waukegan Skate Park, BMX Track, SplashZone, Percussion Playground, recreational centers, disc golf course, dog exercise area and agility course, outdoor sports fields, picnic areas, playgrounds, splash pads, and sports courts including basketball, tennis and pickleball. A full range of programs and services are offered year-round for all ages, from infants to seniors, as well as special need populations. Healthy lifestyles, wellness initiatives, and a connection with the outdoors and nature are integrated throughout programs, services, and special events. Arts and cultural activities are provided by the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Concert Chorus, and the Waukegan History Museum. We offer something for everyone!
A member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD), Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA), and the Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA), the WPD employs 73 full-time and 219 part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees and is recognized by the IPRA as an Exceptional Workplace.
Nationally accredited by the NRPA Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and State accredited through the IAPD Distinguished Agency Accreditation, the WPD has received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Triple Crown Award for receiving the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The WPD was awarded the NRPA National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in 2013, and was named a Gold Medal Finalist in 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Media Contact
Josue Pasillas, MPA
Communications Supervisor
Waukegan Park District
(847) 360-4789
jpasillas@waukeganparks.org
waukeganparks.org