Northbrook Park District: Paint The Prairie Weekend Highlights The Outdoors

Press release from the Northbrook Park District:

2024-09-05

The Northbrook Park District’s newest event, Paint the Prairie, takes place Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8, at Techny Prairie Parks and Fields, where community members can watch artists painting the splendor of nature all weekend.

The weekend-long event is presented in partnership between the Northbrook Park District and the Village of Northbrook’s Arts Commission. It will highlight the allure and beauty of “plein air” painting, meaning painting outdoors in French, which has seen a resurgence in recent years.

The event includes a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Trail Through Time at Techny Prairie Park and Fields. The festivities will take place from 12:30pm to 3:30pm on September 8, and will include free art activities, music, a plein air painting demonstration for children and adults, giveaways and a prize drawing. There will also be a nature walk with fun and educational activities along the Trail Through Time.

Located on 14 acres along the West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River, the Trail Through Time pays tribute to the natural and cultural history of the land, showcasing a restored prairie, and wetlands home to mammals, birds and insects.

Opened in July 2004, the Trail Through Time was created with the help of two grants from the state of Illinois: $1.4 million from an Open Land Trust Grant and $200,000 from the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Program. The next year, the Illinois Park and Recreation Association honored the project with an Outstanding Facility and Parks Award.

Capping off the Paint the Prairie weekend, the artwork submitted by the plein air painters will be judged at 3:30pm on September 8, with awards for first place, second place, third place and honorable mention. Visitors will be able to view the paintings at Techny Prairie Activity Center until 5pm on September 8 in a special Paint the Prairie gallery. The artwork will also be available for purchase.

This press release was produced by the Northbrook Park District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.