Media Contact:
Jeff Reiter
Cantigny Park
630.260.8218
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CANTIGNY CELEBRATES McCORMICK DAY AUGUST 4
Special performance by Chicago Sinfonietta will cap full day of activities;
Free concert and free parking!
Wheaton, IL, July 21, 2016 — Cantigny Park will celebrate the birthday of its
benefactor, Colonel Robert R. McCormick, on Thursday, August 4. Activities, tours and
demonstrations for visitors of all ages are planned throughout the park from 12 to 7 pm,
followed by the renowned Chicago Sinfonietta in concert. The day is Cantigny’s gift to
the community—activities, parking and the evening symphony are complimentary.
McCormick, former editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, was born on July 30,
1880. He lived on the 500-acre country estate from 1920 until his passing in 1955. His
will designated Cantigny as a public park for education and recreation. On McCormick
Day, Cantigny remembers the Colonel’s remarkable life as a gentleman farmer, First
Division soldier, public servant and media industry giant.
Scheduled activities include:
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McCormick Museum open house (12-6 pm)
Amy McCormick living history performance by Ellie Presents (McCormick
Museum: 2:30 pm)
History Alive! (First Division Museum: 1-3 pm)
Historic Grounds Tour (guided one-hour walks from Visitors Center at 12, 2 & 4
pm)
Garden Tour (guided one-hour walks from Visitors Center at 1, 3 & 5 pm)
Wreath laying ceremony honoring Robert R. McCormick by American Legion
Cantigny Post 556 (Exedra: 3 pm)
Birthday cake cutting with Amy McCormick (East Lawn: 3:30 pm). Cupcakes for
all while supplies last!
Music by ZAZZ (jazz combo) on McCormick Museum East Porch (3:45 pm)
adoptaBull English Bulldog Rescue (Parade Field: 12 pm)
Piñatas (Allée: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 pm)
Splash Artillery (Parade Field: 12-4 pm)
Newspaper toss challenge (McCormick Museum south lawn: 12-6 pm)
Inflatable Jumpy House and Horse Derby Race (Parade Field: 12-6 pm)
Monster Mural (Parade Field: 1-3 pm)
Old-fashioned games: stilts, graces and hoop rolling (Parade Field: 12-5 pm)
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Crafts: Japanese lantern making (Education Center: 12-3 pm or while supplies
last); Mustache and birthday hat making (McCormick Museum Gold Theatre: 122 pm & 4-6 pm)
Vintage “base ball” exhibition (Parade Field: 6-7 pm)
Chicago Sinfonietta plans Americana favorites
At 7:30 pm, the dynamic Chicago Sinfonietta takes the stage outside the First Division
Museum for an exciting finish to a fun-filled day. Maestro Mei-Ann Chen will lead a
special performance featuring Charles Ives’ “Variations on America” and selections from
Aaron Copland. After a brief intermission, the Sinfonietta welcomes the amazing Mosaic
Choir from Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora. Selections will include Alexander
Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances before the evening’s grand finale: Tchaikovsky's “1812
Overture” complete with real cannon fire!
Picnics are welcome for this Ravinia-style lawn concert sponsored by Molex, Morgan
Stanley, NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago, WDCB 90.9 FM and Daily Herald Media
Group.
Cantigny Park is open every day during the summer from 7 am to dusk. A complete
schedule of concerts, workshops and special events is posted online at Cantigny.org.
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About Cantigny Park
Cantigny Park, part of the Chicago-based Robert R. McCormick Foundations, is the 500acre Wheaton estate of Robert R. McCormick (1880-1955). It is home to the McCormick
Museum, First Division Museum, formal gardens, picnic grounds, walking trails and a
Visitor Center with banquet and dining facilities. More information, including hours,
directions and upcoming events is online at Cantigny.org. Cantigny Golf, adjacent to the
park, features a 27-hole championship golf course, full-service clubhouse, Cantigny Golf
Academy and the 9-hole Cantigny Youth Links. For more information, visit
CantignyGolf.com.
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