Arts & Entertainment
Public Grand Opening Celebration for "Alebrijes" at Cantigny June 12
Festive event features dance performances, food trucks, interactive activities and more
The partnership of Cantigny Park, the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mexican Cultural Center DuPage and the City of West Chicago is hosting a five-month outdoor art exhibit "Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World" at Cantigny Park runs now through Oct. 30, 2022. A Public Grand Opening Celebration in honor of the exhibition's 48 whimsical creature sculptures inspired by Mexican folklore will take place at Cantigny Park this Sunday, June 12 from 12-6 p.m.
The day's festivities include the opportunity to:
* Meet the artists who created the amazing 48 alebrije sculptures from Mexico City located throughout the Cantigny gardens and grounds. Throughout the day and coming weeks, the master artists will be working on an all-new alebrije, created from scratch at the south end of the McCormick Allée.
* Enjoy dance performances at two locations in the park will featuring eight different folkloric dance groups with dancers of all ages from throughout Illinois, representing dance customs from multiple regions of Mexico.
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At the First Division Museum Tank Park
12:30 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico D33, West Chicago
1:30 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico Xochipitzahuatl, Glendale Heights
2:30 p.m.: Chanellos, Chicago
4:30 p.m.: Tonantzin Nueva Generacion Polka, Posen
At the Gold Pond
1 p.m.: Oaxaca, West Chicago
2 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico Sones Mexicanos, Melrose Park
3 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico New Generation, Bolingbrook
5 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico Mexico en la Piel de Waukegan
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* Create a multicolor print with the help of an Instituto Grafico de Chicago member, using various block combinations for colorful Alebrije print. Visitors can purchase a shirt. IGC will have various blocks to create a costume design. Fees may apply.
Multiple food trucks and food stations will be located outside the Cantigny Visitors Center, along with beverage stands.
Cantigny is located at 1S151 Winfield Rd. in Wheaton, Ill. Parking at Cantigny is $10/car. Off-site parking at the DuPage County Complex off of County Farm Road is free. On Sunday, buses will circulate between the Complex and Cantigny Park from 11:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. For more info, visit Alebrijes: Public Grand Opening - Cantigny.
