Are you still nursing injuries sustained in a Black Friday melee? Have you grown tired of the consumer and religious aspects of the holidays? Do you have grievances that need airing? Do you find tinsel distracting? Then get your Festivus poles out of your crawlspaces and come on down to The Book Cellar at 7pm on … Continue reading
It’s our birthday and we’re 5 and that means we can do whatever we want. And what we want is for you to join us at The Book Cellar this Monday, November 17 at 7pm. We want to raise a bunch of money for 826CHI, while listening to a night of awesome stories from these awesome people: Megan Stielstra is … Continue reading
We are 5 now. That means we are REALLY OLD. Like any other 5 year-old child, we can now count ten or more objects, peddle a tricycle, and speak clearly using more complex sentences. We are also better able to express our emotions. And we have so many emotions. It’s been 5 years since co-founders Alyson Lyon and … Continue reading
Bela Lugosi was born on October 20th, 1882, in full Dracula regalia. Throughout his entire life, he never removed his cape, even insisting on keeping it draped around his shoulders while showering. By the time he achieved success as a character actor in Hollywood, that cape had gotten pretty gross, ultimately contributing to fewer movie … Continue reading
Baseball games are often called off for bad weather, but on September 15th, 1946, a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs was called in the 5th inning due to “an invasion of gnats.” Your hosts, Karen Shimmin and Willy Nast, want to assure you that on September 15th, 2014 at 7 pm, Essay Fiesta … Continue reading
On August 18th, 1868, a group of French astronomers discovered helium. On August 19th, 1868, they discovered what happens to your voice when you inhale helium. On August 20th, 1868, they gave up their scientific pursuits to tour the countryside entertaining villages with their sideshow. At 7pm on Monday, August 18th, 2014 , Essay Fiesta celebrates … Continue reading
July 21st is not only the date of our next Fiesta, but it’s also the day that Ernest Miller Hemingway punched his way out of his mother’s womb in Oak Park, Illinois. Whether or not you were enchanted with his prose when your high school English teacher made you read The Sun Also Rises, you have to … Continue reading
Sure, everyone loves Father’s Day, but what about the day after Father’s Day? June 16th, commonly known as Hungover Dad Day, is the day Dad has to pay the consequences of having his own Hallmark-endorsed Sunday Fun-Day. On Sunday, you made Dad breakfast. On Monday, you make him a tall glass of water, four ibuprofen, and a … Continue reading
As we all know, May 19 marks the 186th anniversary of the day President John Quincy Adams (like John Adams, but Quincyer) signed the Tariff of 1828 into law, much to the chagrin of South Carolina’s John C. “Crazy Eyes” Calhoun, who labelled it the “Tariff of Abominations.” He had a way with words, that … Continue reading
What are your plans for this Saturday, April 26th? Cancel them. We have better plans. Plans that are fun and benefit children. Yes! It’s 826CHI’s annual prom fundraiser! This year’s theme – Prom 9 From Outer Space: A Galactic Romp Through the Retro-Futuristic Cosmos. Attendees will forgo ill-fitting rental tuxes and bustling taffeta for all manner of tin-foiled, … Continue reading
Essay Fiesta 