News Briefs: Glencoe Art Festival this weekend; ‘Rent’ begins in Wilmette; Sustainable Yard Tour on Sunday

More than 100 artists will drop into downtown Glencoe for the annual Glencoe Festival of Art from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday-Sunday at 700 Vernon Ave.

Paintings, sculptures, photography, jewelry and more will be on display at the free event. Live music, family entertainment, food and drink will also be available, plus a live art demonstration.

For information on the presenting artists and more on the event, visit the event website.

Highland Park Players’ ‘Rent’ premieres July 18 in Wilmette

Local nonprofit Highland Park Players will bring the Tony-winning musical “Rent” to Loyola Academy’s McGrath Performing Arts Center, 3424 Illinois Road, for a week’s worth of shows beginning Friday, July 18.

The show will run July 18–27 with showtimes at 7:30 PM on July 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26, and 2 p.m. on July 20, 26 and 27. Tickets are on sale now online.

“‘Rent’ is a powerful celebration of love in all its raw, real, and revolutionary forms. It’s a story about the courage to be yourself, to speak out, and to find your community,” director Travis Monroe Neese said in a press release. “This show has lived in my heart for years and bringing it to life with this incredible cast and community is nothing short of electric. Whether it’s your first time experiencing it or your 50th, this production will move you, uplift you, and inspire you to live like there’s no day but today!” 

The cast features Steven Labine (as Mark), Roberto Mata (Roger), Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor (Mimi), Gabriel Levi (Collins), Kameron Rojas-Schueneman (Angel), Amanda Donohoe (Maureen), Taylor Morris (Joanne) and Agustin Quijije (Benny), alongside an ensemble that brings to life the East Village.

The creative and production team includes Bradley A. Rose and Scott A. Schwartz (co-executive producers), Travis Monroe Neese (director), Claire Dixon (music director), Todd D. Bulmash (choreographer), Sydney Cox (intimacy coordinator), Chris Morgan (production stage manager), Mary Nora Wolf (costumer), Daniel Melendez (sound designer), Kurt Ottinger (lighting designer), Lindsay Mummert (set designer) and Rick Doppelt (assistant producer). 

“This is the kind of show that grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go,” producer Bradley A. Rose said in the release. “We’re thrilled to bring ‘Rent’ to our stage. It’s bold, it’s emotional, and it’s exactly the kind of theater that sparks conversation and connection.” 

Tour sustainable yards in Wilmette

It’s Wilmette’s turn to show off yards that work.

Go Green Wilmette’s Sustainable Yard Tour is planned for from 9 a.m.-noon on Sunday, July 20, and will feature a wide variety of gardens, from shady to prairie, all maintained by hosts who don’t use chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides; who compost; and who use innovative techniques to save water.

According to Go Green Wilmette, participants can learn about combining native plants with cultivated flowers and with edible gardens, learn what native shrubs thrive in shade and provide homes and food for pollinator insects and birds, and more.

The tour will also stop by the Village’s Edens Wildflower Garden to learn about Wilmette’s native plantings along the Highway 94 corridor.

For more information and a map of the tour, visit the event’s webpage or email info@gogreenwilmette.org.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.