Celebrate Chicago River Day May 9 at a street fest on a bridge
April 30, 2015
Metropolitan Planning Council and Friends of the Chicago River hosting music, food trucks and family-friendly activities on the northern end of Goose Island
On Saturday, May 9, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), in partnership with Friends of the Chicago River, will celebrate the volunteers that come out for Chicago River Day and their families with a party on the old railroad bridge that connects the north end of Goose Island with the North Avenue shopping district between N. Kingsbury Street and the Chicago River. The event is open to the public and will feature music, food trucks, adult and non-alcoholic beverages and opportunities to learn more about and get involved in helping to shape a vision for Chicago’s rivers through the Great Rivers Chicago initiative.
Chicago River Day, an initiative of Friends of the Chicago River, calls upon volunteers all across the city to clean up and maintain what is often an unfairly ignored resource: the Chicago River. Compared with Chicago’s 28 miles of lakefront, our 100-plus miles of riverfront—including the Chicago, Calumet and Des Plaines rivers—have long been underappreciated. By celebrating the volunteers who make it their mission to preserve this integral resource, MPC and Friends of the Chicago River also hope to raise public awareness about the Great Rivers Chicago initiative, including asking residents to take a 10-minute survey (available in English and Spanish) about our rivers, at www.greatriverschicago.com.
The May 9 event will feature Windy City Soul Club, family-friendly activities including fishing lessons from the Chicago Park District, beer from Goose Island Beer Company and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks from Chicago food trucks.
“Right now, there is no coordinated vision for Chicago’s rivers or riverfronts,” said MPC President MarySue Barrett. “There are a lot of great initiatives in the works, but nothing to tie them all together. Great Rivers Chicago will take existing plans and efforts combined with resident input to craft a long-term, effective vision and action agenda for this undervalued asset.”
For more information about the event on May 9 or Great Rivers Chicago, contact MPC Communications Director Mandy Burrell Booth at 312 863 6018 (office), 773 640 1206 (mobile) or mburrell@metroplanning.org.
WHO: Metropolitan Planning Council, Friends of the Chicago River, Chicago River Day volunteers and anyone who wants to come to a party on a bridge over the Chicago River
WHAT: Celebrate our rivers at a festival on an old railroad bridge, featuring music by Windy City Soul Club, food trucks, drinks and family-friendly activities
WHEN: Saturday, May 9, 1 to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Bridge #Z-2—better known as the old railroad bridge connecting the north end of Goose Island with North Avenue between N. Kingsbury Street and the Chicago River.
WHY: Our rivers and the people who keep them beautiful don’t get enough love. Let’s change that!
Great Rivers Chicago is an initiative of the City of Chicago, Metropolitan Planning Council and Friends of the Chicago River, through the generous support of ArcelorMittal, The Chicago Community Trust and Joyce Foundation.