Get Ready...There's A Lot Happening In Morton Grove This Summer!

Memorial Day marks the unofficial kick-off to summer in Morton Grove and everyone is getting ready for a great season full of activities and fun. A big crowd gathered in front of the iconic "Doughboy Monument" after a parade that started at the American Legion Post 134 on the Sunday before Memorial Day to participate in the annual ceremony honoring those who sacrificed all for our country. The community has been honoring the men and women of the U.S. military at this site since 1921 when the monument was dedicated after the first ever Morton Grove Days event.

To welcome a new season, the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce (MGCCI) has mailed its new "Directory & Community Guide 2018-19" to every household and business in town. The brilliant cover photography is courtesy of Morton Grove's very own home-town photographer Brian Kabat. This guide contains a wealth of local information and a directory of local businesses. The MGCCI is also helping golfers get ready for a long season on the links by hosting its 40th Annual Golf Outing on June 12. This event includes a dinner open to golfers and non-golfers alike providing a networking opportunity with local business, government and civic leaders (this year in conjunction with the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce). For more about the Chamber of Commerce, visit www.mgcci.org to see a list of all their upcoming events and to find a member to help you to better "dine, shop, play and more" in Morton Grove. Be sure to stop by "Morton Grove Days" on their opening day, June 30 and participate in the coupon booth to win some valuable discounts and special offers from our local business community.

What says summer more than the farmers' market? The opening day ribbon cutting and ceremonies for the 2018 Season will take place on Saturday, June 9 at 1o am (the market will be open from 8am to 1pm every Saturday from June 9 through October 20 except for June 30 when it will close for Morton Grove Days). The public will enjoy a brand new layout and location in front of the Morton Grove Civic Center at 6140 Dempster with expanded hours, new vendors, great entertainment, new community groups and more! Come support your local market, meet new friends and see your neighbors every week at this community meeting place. For more about the Morton Grove Farmers' Market, visit www.mgfarmersmarket.org to see what's happening.

One way to get into summer is to attend "Sizzle Into Summer" at the Morton Grove Park District on Saturday, June 16 in Harrer Park from 5 to 10 pm. Come out and enjoy an evening of fun with your family at this seasonal launch party that will include live local music and family fun at Harrer Park. Children’s activities include mini golf, balloon artist, face painter, and inflatables. Bring the whole family. Food and drink available for purchase. For more about this and all the Morton Grove Park District's summer events including "Movies in the Park", visit them at http://mortongroveparks.com to learn more about events and other programs offered by the Morton Grove Park District to keep you healthy, active and happy.

Independence Day on July 4 means some of the best fireworks in the north suburbs and a week of fun at the Village of Morton Grove's - Morton Grove Days, which is the village's biggest celebration. This annual festival begins on June 30 and runs through July 4 and includes a carnival, beer tent, food, live music, parade, fireworks and other fun. For a full schedule of events for the week, visit http://www.mortongrovedays.org to plan your family's visit. There will even be a new "coupon booth" where you can win valuable special deals and discounts from local business...one day only on June 30 (a cooperative effort of the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce, Morton Grove Park District and Morton Grove Days Commission).

"Morton Grove Days" first happened back in 1921 when it was started to raise funds to create a monument to honor those who served in World War One. This is the 100th anniversary of the end of that war with our "Doughboy" statue and "The Days Celebration" soon ti be a century old too! The Morton Grove Historical Society (MGHS) is the steward of the statue and with the help of the MG Days Commission and the US WW1 Centennial Commission, renovated and rededicated the monument last year. But the work of the MGHS goes on as it preserves and shares local history. The Haupt-Yehl Museum (an authentic c.1888 farm house) will be open on Saturday's just behind the MG Farmers' Market from 9am to 1pm for tours of the house and gardens. This summer, visitors can also enjoy the new exhibit "Collecting Morton Grove" which is a display of those items people collected and cherished including toys, coins, arrow heads, stamps, autographs, badges, photos and more. The museum is also open on weekdays from 10am to 1pm. Want to support local history? Join the Morton Grove Historical Society today as an individual or family member. For more, call 847-965-0203 or visit the society's and museum's website at https://mortongrovehistory.weebly.com.

Are you someone who prefers to stay out of the heat? The Morton Grove Public Library has a wealth of information and programs available in their wonderfully restored (and air conditioned) building on Lincoln Avenue. The library may be just the place for you and the family to enjoy summer reading, listening, movie viewing, special programs and events or just a quiet, cool place to escape the summer heat. On June 16 from 12 noon to 1 pm, come hear New York Times bestselling author and Chicago resident, Samira Ahmed as she discusses her new newest release "Love, Hate and Other Filters". To see a full list of programs and events, visit their website at http://www.mgpl.org/ One of the things you and the family can do is participate in the "My Morton Grove" program to record and preserve your family's story as part of this local history project in conjunction with the Morton Grove Historical Society. Contact Chad Comello of the MG Public Library to make your family's story a part of history. For more information about the MGPL and to RSVP for events, call 847-965-4220.

As summer rolls along, don't forget to add "National Night Out" to your schedule on August 7 at 6140 Dempster from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community and provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Last year with donations we were able to offer our residents a live band, face painting, balloon sculptures, two caricaturists, pony rides, a climbing wall, tacos, hot dogs, ice cream, pizza, a 51-foot blow up obstacle course, a bouncy house and more. If you would like to donate to this year's event please mail checks to: Morton Grove Police Department at 6101 Capulina Avenue Morton Grove IL 60053 Attn: NNO 2018/Officers Lietz & Tabor. Visit their Facebook page for updates on this event at www.facebook.com/events/841874829330721/ and to donate.

As you can see, there's a lot going on in Morton Grove this summer. Get out and enjoy the season!