‘Tis the season for holiday parties and sippin’ on spirits – but it is also a great time to give to those in need during this Holiday Season. Here is your chance to combine the two! From December 13-18 at Marigold, a unique Indian restaurant in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, they will donate 25% of its sales from customers who take one of two simple steps to show that they are supporters of Care For Real.

Care For Real strives to help their neighbors in the Edgewater community by providing food, clothing, and counseling services to those in need. Help them with their efforts.

1. Print out the “I support Care For Real” flyer on Marigold’s Facebook page and show it to your server.
- OR -
2. Show your server that you have “Checked-In” on Foursquare or Facebook to Marigold.

Also, keep an eye out for special deals at the restaurant for Care For Real supporters, such as half off all bottles of wine. Cheers to that!

- Evan Jones

Take a night out of the week to go out with your family and friends to see this special Christmas tradition! This holiday season is the 28^th anniversary with the Music Box!  It all started in 1983, when an operator in Chicago shows two old holiday movies in Christmas Eve. People came out to watch these vintage movies and sing Christmas carols during their intermissions.

By this being able to keep going 27 years later you know many people have made this their favorite family holiday tradition! If you haven’t ever experienced it you should definitely make it a priority this year. When you enter the Music Box Theatre you’re greeted with a jolly hello from Santa Claus.  He even leads you in Christmas carols to classic Christmas songs. If you happen to not know the words to the carols being sung, no worries, lyrics are projected on the theatre’s screen.

The movies that are being played are White Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life. You can see either one or stay for both! You can check out the single and double feature prices here http://bit.ly/rycwjC. Reserve your tickets today- you don’t want to miss out on this holiday event!

-Rhea Drougas

It’s absolutely no secret that I adore all things Irish (have you seen me on the streets between March 16th-18th, I’m a blissful mess) and all things Christmas (I may or may not tear up at the sight of a lit Christmas tree).  So when I stumbled upon Irish Christmas in America, I had to take some deep breaths, remind myself I’m not 8 years old anymore and dove right into finding out more about this fantastic fusion!

Oisin Mac Diarmada is the mastermind behind this insanely popular tour – he hails from the award-winning Irish group, Teada. Irish Christmas in America is comprised of top Irish musicians, singers and dancers and features Lumiere, one of the most talked about vocal groups to come out of the emerald isle as of late.

Not only is the show family friendly but it’s taking place at Old Town School of Folk Music, a wonderful, whimsical performing arts school, actually they’re the biggest independent community arts school in the country and they’re right here in Chicago. On December 14th if you’re in the mood for Irish ballads, Christmas carols, fine fiddle action and some serious Irish dancing, click here: http://irishchristmasinamerica.com/,  pick up a couple tickets and hit me up, I’ll be the one in the front row clutching my Irish family ancestry tree and singing along at the top of my lungs.

-KatieRose Cronin

Join the Chicago Children’s Choir December 11th at 3:00PM as they start to celebrate the holiday season. Under the direction of Josephine Lee, this Emmy Award-winning Concert Choir can sing!

Tickets are $15 – $65. Learn more about the choir here: http://www.harristheaterchicago.org/events/2011-2012-season/chicago-childrens-c

- Evan Jones

Watch out, IMAX.  Chicago’s winter skyline is about to become a giant movie screen. On Friday, December 9, The Art Institute of Chicago, supported by the Graham Foundation for Advance Studies in the Fine Arts, will beam Andy Warhol’s celebrated conceptual film “Empire” onto the top 12 stories of the Aon Center to mark the opening of the museum’s new photography exhibition, Light Years: Conceptual Art and the Photograph 1964-1977.

Shot in one, continuous take over the course of a single evening in 1964, Warhol’s silent footage of the Empire State Building observes the famed structure over a period of several hours from dusk to nightfall and finally, darkness.  Our city’s screening will mark the film’s first large-scale, outdoor presentation in the United States.

While the film will be viewable from Millennium Park, the Evening Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago are offering an indoor option. A special viewing party in the panoramic Modern Wing, entitled “Unveiled: Empire,” will give guests a front-row seat from which to consider one of Warhol’s landmark experimental pieces, all while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine, and music from one of Chicago’s hippest DJs.  Attendees will also get a special sneak preview of the museums new “Light Years” exhibit before it opens to the public.

The event will take place on Friday, December 9 from 8:00-11:00 PM in the Nichols Trustees Suite, located on the second floor of the Art Institute’s Modern Wing. The cost, which includes food and drinks, is $60 for Evening Associates members and $70 for non-members.

Tickets are limited, and those interested in attending can sign up here. Additional information is available at the Evening Associates’ information line (312-443-3710) or by contacting Jaime Norwood (jnorwood@artic.edu)

“Unveiled: Empire” is just one of many cool cultural events put on by the Evening Associates throughout the year. The group’s mission is to bring Chicago’s young professional community into an active, participatory relationship with the Art Institute of Chicago in order to promote an understanding and appreciation of the arts. Evening Associates members enjoy exclusive museum gatherings, gallery walks and other unique “after-five” events throughout Chicago, taking advantage of the city’s vibrant art and social scene.  More information is available at www.eveningassociates.com.

We hope you can make it! – Sean Mogle

Grab your holiday sweaters, candy canes and…party cups? Corn Productions, the producers of one-act plays, music monologues, and comedy sketches would like to wish you a Happy Holly-daze by inviting you to a drinking game performance. From December 8th-30th they will be “sharing all of their favorite holiday stories, songs, and beverages with you.” Each sketch is a drinking game, giving you the chance to celebrate the season in style. It is BYOB so you can bring anything from eggnog to bottled beer – whatever gets you into the holiday spirit(s).

Happy Holly-daze – A Drinking Game Performance runs Thursdays through Saturdays, December 8th – December 30^th (no show December 24^th) 8pm at Cornservatory, 4210 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago. Ticket price is $6 on Thursdays and $12 on Fridays and Saturdays and can be purchased online at www.cornservatory.org or reservations can be made at 773.650.1331.

- Evan Jones

Many of us use buses to navigate our way throughout the city, either going to school or work. We pack them full of people trying to avoid the blistering cold at the bus stop. This year help over 700 families by filling a bus with toys, blankets, coats, clothing, and canned goods. Starting December 8, 103.5 KISS FM, AT&T, Taco Bell, and The Salvation Army are teaming up to Stuff-A-Bus in Arlington Heights on the corner of Palatine and Rand Road.
Come out and join others as they celebrate the holiday season by helping those in need. You’ve already stuffed a turkey and are planning to stuff stockings – now is your chance to Stuff-A-Bus! Take a look at the schedule below to see when donations are being accepted.

Thursday, 12/8 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12m w/Special K.
Friday, 12/9 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12m w/Special K.
Saturday, 12/10 – 12p–12a w/ Special K.
Sunday, 12/11 – 12p–12a w/ Special K.
Monday, 12/12– 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12a w/Special K.
Tuesday, 12/13 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12a w/Special K.

Learn more here: http://www.1035kissfm.com/pages/StuffABus2011/

- Evan Jones

Now that the 7^th annual Chicago Fashion Focus has come to an end, this is the perfect time to reflect on the city’s initiative to cultivate local talent. Having just seen a parade of various trades, be it designers, producers, stylists, models, photographers and more, it’s comforting to know that the city is trying to help these emerging artists find a voice. Chicago definitely has been and still is a launching pad for many careers.

The locally based high fashion, boutique, modeling agency Factor Women is no stranger to developing talent and launching them into the world of high fashion. As a matter of fact, the Spring Summer 2012 show season was dominated by some of Factor’s Chicago models.

-Katrina Hoernig, 19 year old,  Whom you may have seen this week at the Millennium Park Tent, has just returned from fashion week, where she was featured by Marc Jacobs, Jeremy Scott, Charlotte Ronson and many more.

-Brittany Burke, 16 years old, spent several weeks traveling from New York to Paris and Milan. She was booked for one of the most coveted shows of the season –a Calvin Klein exclusive. She also walked in shows such as Rochas, Ungaro, Cacharel to name a few.  She is back in the Midwest now, finishing high school.

-Ava Smith, the 22 year old Chicago native ended up booking shows such as DKNY, Helmut Lang, Mugler and many more. She was also featured in a show by the uber talented Chicago grown and New York based, design duo, Creatures of the Wind, as was the aforementioned Katrina.

-Maria Bradley, who is 17 years old, started her first show season with a bang, booked by her stellar agent straight from Chicago. She opened the much talked about Alexander Wang show. Ashley Brokaw proclaimed Maria one of top three new comers on Style.com. Maria was then also featured in Proenza Schouler, Tommy Hilfiger, an exclusive show for Versace and their other line Versus, as well as an exclusive show for Balenciaga in Paris. New York Magazine then featured Maria, three times, including an exclusive interview, as did WWD, Models.com and countless fashion blogs.

It’s exciting to know that all of these talented individuals started here in Chicago and that every year, there will be many more successes like these. As a matter of fact, many new models debuted this year in Factor’s exclusive shows during Chicago Fashion Focus, as well as many other emerging talents.

- Kasia Koniar, Guest Blogger

Highwood might be a small city in the North Shore, but what we lack in size, we certainly have in heart. Take our second annual Great Pumpkin Fest into consideration to get an idea of what I mean.

Last year, our first attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record for most jack-o-lanterns lit in one location at the First Annual Great Pumpkin Fest went belly up due to inclement weather and major rains. However, we came close and this Saturday, October 22, we’ll go for the record again- this time lighting jack-o-lanterns simultaneously with previous world record holders, Keene, New Hampshire. Did I mention there will be 32,000 of them!?

Fun fact: Whether Highwood bests Keene and breaks the Boston record, one thing is certain: The city will hold the record for grinning jack-o’-lantern per capita. Keene, with 22,000-plus residents, is four times the size of Highwood. Boston proper – 617,600 – is almost 124 times as big.

Our Fest begins tomorrow, October 19 and runs through Saturday night. Fun for the whole family we’ll have a 5k run, pumpkin land regatta, parade, trick or treating, costume contest, rides, a petting zoo and more. We have plenty of parking to accommodate City folk so make your way up to the best kept secret of the North Shore!

For more info visit www.highwoodpumpkinfest.com!

- Tali Hylen, guest blogger

As one of the headlining shows during Fashion Focus Chicago, Conscious Living TV presents Vert Couture. This runway show is ready to wow the crowd and make fashionistas fall in love with the fashions of 2012. This Thursday, October 20^th, prepare to get your green on with this 3^rd annual event. Vert Couture is unlike any other fashion show out there- it focuses on Chicago’s sustainable fair trade fashion movement and the runway takes place on one of the largest green roofs in the Unites States! It was created by Michael and Bianca Alexander, founders of Conscious Planet Media, an Emmy award-winning green television, video and film productions company. Billy is on the host committee and thrilled to be a part of this earth-friendly evening of fashion.

You can attend this event and see the featured looks of spring and summer 2012 collections from Chicago’s most talented designers. What’s so different about these designer fabrics is that they are using renewable fabrics and vintage materials. The pieces that are being shown are the “best in luxury eco-haute couture” and feature designs from Brenda Abdullah, Richard Dayhoff, Dollparts, Heart, Victoria Larkin, Lauren Lein, Rosina-Mae, Silk Utopia and more.

This carbon-neutral event is taking place under the tents of Millennium Park and benefits Keep Chicago Beautiful – an environmental nonproft that offers governmental, corporate and community education programs to help beautify Chicagoland. Definitely get a move on purchasing tickets to Vert Couture, VIP tickets are $95 and General Admission is just $35 – get your tickets and more info at www.VertCouture.com.

- Rhea Drougas