It Rained On Our Parade

Bill Biederman got some shots from the staging area just as the skies darkened and was kind enough to share them with us.

In all, 99 of the 163 parades entries crossed the starting line at Montrose and Broadway, and 52 entries completed the entire parade route before police stopped the parade due to safety concerns.

(click to enlarge)

And Representing The Home Team....

There are 160 entrants in Sunday's parade (down from approximately 225 a few years ago). Some of these may be of particular interest to Uptowners:

• #2 - Honorary Grand Marshal Mayor Lori Lightfoot
• #3 - Office of Governor J.B. Pritzker
• #6 - Legacy Grand Marshal Jim Flint, founder of The Baton Show Lounge. You can read more about him here (Sun-Times) and in the page for him in the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.
• #12 - Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles
• #20 - Chicago elected officials
• #23 - Cook County elected officials
• #26 - State of Illinois elected officials
• #43 - Business Partners, The Chamber for Uptown
• #46 - Howard Brown Health
• #74 - Pride Films & Plays

A complete list of the participants is here.

The entire parade will be livestreamed on www.abc7chicago.com - and televised between 1pm and 3pm on ABC7.

Parade Primer

Some things to know about Sunday's Pride Parade taking place in our front yard:

• It starts early! The parade kicks off at noon from Broadway and Montrose, but floats and participants start arriving early to the staging areas. Expect music (lots of music!) and a party atmosphere beginning around 8am, when streets close and the floats begin to arrive.
• Uptown retailers will be open! Stop by Uptown Arcade, Satellite Cafe, Jake's, Fat Cat, Provisions Uptown, My Buddy's, Tattoo Factory, Uptown Lounge, Baton Show Lounge... etc., etc., etc.! Show your #UptownPride.
• Getting around will be rough. Expect lots of people, and lots of vehicular traffic, especially on the arterial streets.
• Buses will be rerouted. Public transportation is your best bet - CTA will be putting extra trains on the Red Line, and several bus lines will be rerouted: #8 Halsted; #22 Clark; #36 Broadway; 76 Diversey; 77 Belmont; 78 Montrose; 80 Irving Park; 151 Sheridan; and #152 Addison. CTA has a really informative page on the logistics of getting around Sunday here.
• Public drinking is highly discouraged. Police will be stationed in the crowd and there is a possible $1000 fine for drinking on the public way.
• Restrooms and cooling buses. There will be port-a-potties scattered along the parade route and along the staging areas. There will be several places where cooling buses are available. In Uptown, it's on Buena between Sheridan and Broadway.

The Parade's very detailed information page is here.

Even The Skies Over Uptown Have Rainbows This Weekend

"Tattoo Paul" Collurafici from Tattoo Factory sent along this photo, taken after Friday night's deluge, and says: "Looks like even Mother Nature is getting geared up for the parade!"

He also says: "I’ll be here early with my son passing out all the bells and whistles that make us a huge part of Uptown." Tattoo Factory has been here since 1976, and is located just steps from the parade kickoff, at 4441 North Broadway. Stop by and say hi; get some swag; and maybe get a tattoo while you're there.

Make Way For The Parade! Parking Restrictions Begin At 4AM On Sunday

Along Montrose, numbers tell the parade entrants
where they should wait for their turn

Hey, in case you didn't know, Uptown is hosting a parade on Sunday! The 50th Chicago Pride Parade will step off at noon at Broadway and Montrose.

But that doesn't mean that there won't be a lot of preparation, starting early. If you haven't experienced Parade Day before, please know that there will be hundreds of thousands of spectators, which translates into traffic gridlock, especially in the areas around the route.

It also means that all 160 parade entrants will need to assemble, necessitating parking restrictions in order to provide the floats space to wait for their turn to join the parade. Promptly at 4am, towing and ticketing will begin along the designated streets.

Uptown streets with parking restrictions on Sunday, 4am to 8pm (click to enlarge)

MOVE YOUR VEHICLES BY 4am, or the city will move them for you. If you don't need to drive between now and 8pm on Sunday (when parking restrictions expire), we strongly suggest moving your vehicle as soon as possible. Don't wait until zero hour; it will be very difficult to find parking at that point, between the street closures and the spectators coming to the neighborhood.

The good news is, Uptown gets dibs on cleaning of the parade route and staging areas. It's rather remarkable - as soon as the last entry crosses the starting line, a bevy of street cleaners come behind them and do their thing.

Ald. Cappleman says in Friday's newsletter:

"Both the assembly area and parade route will have temporary "no parking" signs. Parking citations and towing will begin at 4 a.m. on Sunday June 30. You will need to find alternative routes for walking and driving during the time of the parade, which is 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm.

46th Ward streets with parking restrictions include:

• Montrose from Greenview to Hazel
• Broadway from Leland Ave. to Grace St.
• Sunnyside from Broadway to N. Sheridan Road
• Halsted from Grace St to Belmont
• Belmont from Racine to Broadway
• Diversey from Broadway to Cannon
• Cannon from Diversey to Fullerton
• Addison from 736 W. Addison to Sheffield Ave.
• Waveland from Halsted to Broadway
• Grace from Halsted to Fremont St
• Clifton from Montrose to Sunnyside
• N. Sheridan from Sunnyside to Buena
• Buena from Sheridan to Broadway
• Wellington from Clark to Sheffield
• N. Sheridan from Montrose to Wilson"

Woman, 54, Missing From Argyle Area (Updated)

Update: On August 19th, CPD sent information that Ms. Tran has been located.

Original Post: Bichphuong Tran, 54, has been reported missing. The last place and time she was seen was June 17th, on the 5000 block of Winthrop.

She is 5'2" tall, weighs 180 lbs., and has brown eyes and black hair. There was no description given of her clothing.

If you have any information that can help locate Ms. Tran, please call 9-1-1 or the Special Victims Unit Detectives in CPD's Area North at 312-744-8266. Her case number is M19B2905.

"I'm Still Standing" - Uptown Square Landmark District Buildings Get Historical Plaques

In 2016, the City Council voted that 42 historic structures in the area surrounding Broadway and Lawrence had been preserved well enough that the area qualified as an official Landmark District, Uptown Square. (The entire list is here.)

Last week, plaques on each of the contributing buildings started being installed, with the dates they were built and the names of their architects. Keep an eye out for glimpses of Uptown's history!

Remembering Stonewall, 50 Years Later

From the Meeting House Tavern, 5025 North Clark:

"Fifty years ago this June marks a crossroads in modern LGBTQ history. The patrons of New York City’s Stonewall Inn had finally reached their limits on June 28th, 1969, so when the police once again raided the bar, they rose up, defiantly taking to the streets to fight against years of harassment and bigoted arrests.

That fateful Saturday and the days that followed are seen by many as the turning point in the quest for almost every right we as the queer community now enjoy and those that we continue to fight for.

Join us on June 28, 2019, to remember and celebrate the brave souls who fought to tear down the walls of oppression and bring light into our spaces, to enable us to live out and proud.

Exactly 50 years later and during Chicago's Pride Weekend, let us come together to show our love and respect at Meeting House Tavern, where all are welcome and encouraged to be their true selves, no longer hidden behind the darkened windows of bars of the past, but in space that literally opens up to the streets.

“Stonewall50: Back To The Wall” will be a fully immersive multimedia dance and performance event with music and video curated by Chicago legend Moose the DJ and Video Historian Jeffrey Roscoe. The night will be hosted by Clayton W. Terrill, as he presents some of Chicago’s finest drag talent, performing numbers that were actually in the Jukebox at the Stonewall Inn, and so much more from NYC and Chicago Gay Bars in the 70s!

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door to support the work of Gerber Hart Library and Archives. http://www.gerberhart.org/ 

Much of the video and photographic content for this event came from Gerber/Hart."

4555 N. Sheridan Ready For New Residents On July 1

The beautiful living room of a unit in "Upshore Chapter" 4555 N. Sheridan 

Starting July 1, new residents will begin to fill a beautiful and modern mid-rise on a bustling corner that replaced a long-vacant fast food restaurant.

"upshore chapter" will feature 2 bedroom, 1 bedroom and studio units with amenities like:

BUILDING AMENITIES

Rooftop Terrace and lounge with grill station, fire pit, and outdoor TV
State-of-the-Art 24-Hour Fitness Center
Coffee Bar and Lobby Lounge
Dog run and pet washing stations
Bike Storage and Repair Station
Storage Cages
Steps from the renovated Wilson Red Line Stop
CTA, Uber, and Divy Tracker Screen
Secured Building Entry
Luxer One Package System

Modern finishes used in the kitchens of Upshore Chapter

PressBox Dry Cleaning Service
Free Printer Station

UNIT AMENITIES

In-Unit GE Washer & Dryer
Stainless Steel GE Kitchen Appliances
9’4” Ceilings
Smart Door Lock System
Chicago Skyline and Lake Michigan Views (Select Units)
2-Toned Soft-Close Cabinetry
USB Ports in Kitchen & Bedroom
Walk-In Closets (Select Units)
Pet Friendly
Plank Flooring

TimeLine Theatre Selects Architect For New Location On Broadway

What to expect when TimeLine Theatre's new home opens at 5033-35 N. Broadway (HGA)

(TimeLine Press Release)

"TimeLine announced in December 2018 that it had purchased property in Uptown—encompassing a five-story, 45,500-square-foot warehouse building plus a vacant lot near the corner of Broadway and Argyle—to be the site of its new home. Preliminary plans feature two intimate and flexible black box theatres seating up to 250 and 150 audience members, respectively. TimeLine’s new home also provides an expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more. The company has long been bursting at the seams of its current leased home located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, where the theatre has been in residence since 1999. Over the years, it has increasingly faced numerous limitations that constrain artistry, hamper audience accessibility and comfort, and challenge the ongoing financial sustainability that is critical for long-term success. With the selection of HGA as architect, TimeLine furthers its new home project, which is expected to take approximately three years to complete as the company moves through overlapping design, fundraising, and construction phases."

Free Neighborhood Concert In Buttercup Park This Thursday Evening

Please join us for this event and add it to your community calendar!

Windy City Winds, "Chicago's Community Band," to Give Free Concert in Buttercup Park June 27

• When: 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 27
• Where: Buttercup Park, 4901 Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640
• Free and open to the public!

The Windy City Winds, "Chicago’s Community Band," will celebrate summer in the city with a program of old and new concert band favorites at 7pm on Thursday, June 27 in Buttercup Park on Sheridan Road in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

The concert will feature festive and fun pieces such as Henry Fillmore’s Americans We, the theme from The Incredibles, a medley of tunes from the Broadway musical Les Misérables, and Jacques Offenbach’s show-stopping “Can-Can” from Orpheus in the Underworld, among other works.

This is a family-friendly event, appropriate for all ages. Audience members are encouraged to bring a blanket or a lawn chair.

To learn more about Windy City Winds, visit their website WindyCityWinds.org.

For more information contact Sarah Good Mosley at mwsgmosley@outlook.com.

Free Theatre Classes at Black Ensemble! (Ages 13-20)

To sign up, email kfrye@blackensemble.org.

#HarborPride

Summer, is that you?

The Pride flag, among others, flies over Montrose Harbor during Monday's gorgeous twilight.

CPS Offers Free Lunches To All Children Through Age 18 This Summer

CPS will be again be providing free lunch to all children 18 years and under from now until August 23rd through the LunchStop program. You do not need to be a CPS student to take part! The program began today and runs Mondays to Fridays through August 23rd.

The Uptown location is Uplift High School, at 900 West Wilson. The hours for lunch are 10:30am to 12:30pm, Monday through Friday.

To see a map of every LunchStop location, click here and select LunchStop where it says "Site list."

If children are involved in summer programs at CPS schools (they are also eligible for free meals, at more locations. Free breakfast and lunch are available while summer programs occur. Program duration and meal time varies per meal site. To see locations, click here and select "Indoor" where it says "Site list."

To verify times and locations of CPS programs or to find a site near you, call the Illinois Hunger Hotline at (800) 359-2163 or text FOODIL to 877877.

RibFest Is Coming Up Next Week! Volunteers Needed To Work The Beer Tents

From Business Partners - The Chamber For Uptown:

"It’s that time of year again when we ask our neighborhood and friends to support the annual Windy City RibFest coming up on Thursday, July 4 through Saturday, July 6!!  Note that it’s not the usual Friday thru Sunday schedule given the holiday.

Once again, we need a TON of volunteers to help us run the beer tents (tips go to the Chamber and help fund our various programs and events supporting the neighborhood).

Grab your friends and family and sign up for one or more shifts!  Volunteers must be age 21 or over to work the beer tents.  CLICK HERE for various shifts and dates! 

Happy to answer any questions about this year’s event. Contact Greg Carroll (greg@exploreuptown.org, 773.878.1184)"

Like "The Great Boodini" On Facebook

If you were one of the 120 audience members who saw The Great Boodini perform his magic at the Bezazian Branch Library this spring, you might want to follow him on Facebook.

He has a new page at www.facebook.com/The-Great-Boodini-317216692563874.

Who knows, maybe he'll make an encore appearance in Uptown with enough "likes"?

Enjoy Drag Story Time This Thursday At The Library

Drag Story Time at the Bezazian Branch of the library had to be postponed earlier this month when heavy rains flooded the library and forced a couple days' closure.

But it's been rescheduled for this Thursday. All are welcome!

The Bezazian Branch Library is located at 1226 West Ainslie at Magnolia, immediately west of National Car Wash. Look for the bright mural on the side of the building! There is street parking and a small lot in the back of the building.

Lori Lightfoot To Be In Uptown This Evening

According to her public schedule, "Mayor Lightfoot will stop-by Chicago's Uptown neighborhood for a visit with community members."

According to the statement, she will be at 4953 North Broadway (better known as Tank Noodle) at 6pm.

Update: Four alderman (James Cappleman, Maria Hadden, Harry Osterman, and Andre Vasquez) joined the Mayor, who spoke about immigration, as did U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky and a representative from Chinese Mutual Aid. NBC Chicago followed the story: 'Back Off:' Lori Lightfoot Issues Strong Rebuke of President Trump's Immigration Policies.

Summer Festival "Natsu Matsuri" at the Buddhist Temple of Chicago

An invitation from our neighbors at the Buddhist Temple of Chicago, located at Leland and Racine:

"Please come join us Sunday, June 23, 2019, for Chicago's longest running Japanese cultural event--Natsu Matsuri!  The festival runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and admission is free.  Browse our samurai exhibit, enjoy martial arts and taiko (drumming) performances, sit in on informational lectures about Buddhism and get a taste of Japanese American cuisine!"

To read more about BTC, check out its website: https://buddhisttemplechicago.org

Attention, Bargain Hunters: Community Yard Sale Saturday & Sunday

Same Free Legal Clinic, New Name For LAF Chicago

LAF has changed its name to Legal Aid Chicago, but it still offers free legal services for civil matters in monthly clinics at McCutcheon School. The new website is www.legalaidchicago.org.

April (and May and June) Showers Bring Bright Flowers

One thing about the constant spring rain - it's bringing some beautiful flower beds to Chicago. We understand that this corner bed, at Ainslie and Magnolia, outside of the Bezazian Branch Library, is thanks to NUNA (North Uptown Neighborhood Ass'n), particularly to Joy Nelson and David Silver.

Chicago Public Schools Job Fair at Truman College

Interested in working for Chicago Public Schools? CPS will be holding a job fair at Truman College (1145 W Wilson Ave) on Thursday, June 27 from 3pm to 7pm.

Available full-time positions include:

• Special Education Classroom Assistant
• Teacher’s Assistant
• Lunchroom Staff
• School Bus Aide & Bus Monitor
• School Security Officer
• Custodian

There are also a number of part-time positions available, such as:

• Substitute Teacher
• Substitute Teacher Assistant
• Substitute Special Education Classroom Assistant
• Substitute School Clerk
• Substitute School Bus Aide
• Substitute Bus Monitor

Please bring your resume as it will be required for entry.

CPS is especially in need of bilingual job candidates.

To pre-register for the fair, please visit http://bit.ly/CPSJuneJobFair. If you’d like to apply for these positions online, go to www.cps.edu/careers. 

h/t to Rep. Greg Harris for putting this info out there via email!

Volunteers Needed For Windy City Ribfest & Argyle Night Market

WINDY CITY RIBFEST

Volunteer Details

Business Partners, The Chamber for Uptown will receive a portion of the gate sales, beer sales, and all tips from beer/wine sales. Volunteers needed to help serve in the beer tents.

Dates:

Thursday, July 4 through Saturday, July 6

Volunteer Shifts:

11:30am - 3:30pm daily

3:00pm - 7:00pm daily

6:30pm - 10:30pm daily

Location:

Broadway, between Lawrence & Leland

Click HERE to volunteer for Windy City Ribfest

ARGYLE NIGHT MARKET

Volunteer Details

Volunteers are needed to help out in the following ways:

1) Uptown United Booth - volunteers will pass out info about the neighborhood and assist with t-shirt sales

2) Greeters - volunteers will stand near the entrances to the market greeting guests and counting attendees 

Dates:

Every Thursday from July 11 to August 29

Volunteer Shifts:

5:00pm - 7:00pm weekly

7:00pm - 9:00pm weekly

Location:

Argyle, between Sheridan & Kenmore

Click HERE to volunteer for the Argyle Night Market

Ripe For Development

The 23,337 square foot parking lot at 4747 N. Sheridan

A parking lot owned by the Ecumenical Institute (EI), an affiliate of the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) has placed its 23,337 sq. foot parking lot at 4747 N. Sheridan on the market for redevelopment. The parking lot is currently zoned B3-3.

There is no stated asking price, but EI will consider all proposals. According to EI, their hope for the site would be: 

"A high-level scenario for a potential joint venture could be a residential development with sustainable design and construction, on-site affordable housing, community focused services, and 30+ parking spaces for the exclusive use of EI and ICA. 

We have no stated asking price and will be having a “call for offers” in about 2 or 3 months after which we will begin negotiating with a short list of potential buyers and/or JV partners.  When plans begin to be developed, EI/ICA will host initial community conversations."

The real estate listing can be found here. 

Stewpendous Game Night @ Longacre Every Thursday

If you are looking for something fun to do on Thursday nights, Longacre has a great option. Join your neighbors for games, trivia, along with delicious food and drink specials. 1303 W. Wilson is the place to be!

Buttercup Fundraiser At Marty's Martini Bar on Sunday

It's going to be a full summer of activities at Buttercup Park (Ainslie and Sheridan), and you can help it happen by buying a martini (or two).

Marty's Martini Bar (1511 W Balmoral) will host a fundraiser on Sunday, June 16th, between 2pm and 5pm. Funds raised will support programming at Buttercup Park, coordinated by the all-volunteer Buttercup Park Advisory Council (BPAC).

Their mission is to build community, engage our youth, and make our community a more connected, vibrant place to live.

So come to Marty's, have a martini, and know you're doing something for the community as you bend an elbow.

Mamby On The Beach Music Festival To Be Held At Montrose Beach (CANCELLED)

click to enlarge

Update: On July 19th, the promoters announced that the MAMBY festival would be cancelled, due to high water levels taking up much of the beach and the nesting place of the endangered plovers at Montrose Harbor. See the entire statement here.

Original Post:  After four successful years at Oakwood Beach, the Mamby On The Beach music festival is coming to Uptown.

Scheduled for Friday, August 23rd, and Saturday, August 24th, it will take place at Montrose Beach between 1pm and 10pm both days.

Organizers, including Jerry Mickelson (owner of the Uptown Theatre and the Riviera) say they expect about 25,000 people to attend. Attendees will watch performances on three different stages (the beach, the park, and "the oasis"). That's about 10,000 fewer attendees than the Mumford & Sons concert at Cricket Hill in 2015, the last major music event at Montrose Beach.

Organizers also say that the noise levels should be far less intrusive than the 2013 Wavefront Festival, which residents claimed could be heard as far north as Rogers Park. This is due to wiser positioning of the speakers, away from residential areas. (Due to noise complaints, Wavefront was cancelled for 2014.)

Mamby is an all-ages event, with kids 10 and under getting in free with a parent or guardian. There will be free bike parking available, and promoters are encouraging attendees to use public transportation to get to and from the event.

In 2017 and 2018, the promoters donated over $50,000 to charities. In a statement, they say, "We take guidance from the surrounding neighborhood community groups and decide to where to make charitable donations based on their input."

In addition to music, the festival will include: beach volleyball, yoga sessions, water balloon fights, a braid bar, henna tattoos, tarot readings, palm readings, wellness workshops, gong baths, a doggie dome, a barber lounge, and an advice booth.

For more information, you can go to the Mamby on the Beach website, www.mambybeach.com, and read about it in the Tribune. VIP and general admission tickets are on sale now.

Final Phase Of Broadway Streetscape Now Underway

Good-bye, 1970s-era gravel-accent sidewalks! The last phase of the Broadway streetscape project has begun, between Wilson and Leland.

The first phase saw Uptown get a new community plaza in front of the Riv, and new sidewalks, new lighting, curb-to-curb street resurfacing, additional community identifiers, and new crosswalks in the section between Leland and Gunnison, and on Lawrence between Broadway and the Red Line entrance too.

(And may we reiterate how good it is not to have the foot-tall curbs along Lawrence anymore, and the scary-as-hell sidewalk incline at Clifton and Lawrence? That was some evil, evil infrastructure.)

The 4600 Broadway block had to wait until the construction of the Wilson L was complete, but Phase 2 is now underway, with some of the sidewalks already in the process of being removed.

We've seen a lot of changes in Uptown since this blog started back in 2007, and the improving face of Broadway is one of the most significant.

BPN To Hold Its Quarterly Meeting At The Yacht Club

Last Day To Buy Tickets For The State Of Uptown Luncheon

2019 STATE OF UPTOWN

This Friday, June 14, 2019

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Sun Wah BBQ: 5039 North Broadway

The annual State of Uptown luncheon convenes Uptown's business, development and non-profit community to hear from our elected officials. Join us this year as we hear from our newly elected and re-elected Aldermen:

Tickets can be purchased here.

• $25 - Chamber Members (discount code sent via e-mail - contact Greg Carroll at greg@exploreuptown.org if you need the code)
• $30 - General Admission

ONLINE TICKET SALES WILL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 AT 5:00 PM. Based on availability, we will be selling tickets for $35 at the door.

Ticket includes event admission and lunch (vegetarian options will be provided). We're thrilled to be hosting this year's event at Sun Wah BBQ, recipient of the James Beard Award.

Traditional Buddhist Procession Takes Place This Thursday

One thing about Uptown: our diversity brings a lot of things you rarely see other places in Chicago.

Thank you to the Buddhist Temple of Chicago for posting about this annual tradition. On its Facebook page, it says,

"The monks are coming! This Thursday morning June 13, the monks of Quang Minh temple [Damen and Sunnyside] are doing their annual Uptown pilgrimage. They are scheduled to be at our temple [Leland and Racine] around 9-9:30am. Come welcome them at our place or watch them make their way northward to Argyle Street during the morning."

According to Rev. Patti in a previous year, "They are doing an ancient Buddhist custom of monks paying an annual visit to neighboring temples. Anyone is welcome to watch them pay respects at each temple and donations are appreciated from lay followers."

Such Deals! Bezazian's Book Sale Is Saturday

Parlez-Vous Late Night? "Le Nocturne" Is Coming To Uptown

4810 N. Broadway, future home of "Le Nocturne"

It looks like Uptown is getting a new restaurant/nightclub/wine bar. "Le Nocturne Chicago" has begun renovations at 4810 North Broadway, in the former Caravan spot.

click to enlarge

According to its Facebook page, Le Nocturne will live up to its name, opening at 5pm and tripping the light fantastic until 3am.

There are signs in the window that they are hiring bartenders, barbacks, cooks, and bouncers, as well as light engineers experienced in or willing to learn Titan/Sunlite.

If interested, send a resume to lenocturnechicago@gmail.com, and/or show up for an interview between 2pm and 5pm Tuesdays and Fridays.

Welcome to the Entertainment District, Le Nocturne!

Save The Date For Independence Day Fireworks

As the weather oh-so-slowly gets warmer, many of us have begun thinking about Independence Day. If you've been around for a bit, you know that Uptown enjoys a local fireworks show, easily viewed from the north end of the community, thanks to our neighbors at a tucked-away country club.

The Saddle & Cycle Club, at Foster and Marine, has confirmed that it will be holding its annual fireworks display at approximately 9pm on Thursday, July 4th.

While only members of the club and their guests may watch from inside the club grounds, the fireworks can easily be seen from the surrounding areas. You can watch the show from Kathy Osterman Beach, Foster Avenue Beach, Margate Park, and from friends' homes along Foster Avenue and Marine Drive.

If your view looks south, Navy Pier will also be holding its traditional fireworks show on July 4th.

UU Note: Want to know more about our very low-key 124-year-old neighbor? Uptown Update did a "Flashback Friday" feature about the Saddle & Cycle Club a few years ago.

Beat 2033 CAPS Meeting Canceled Tonight

Beat 2033, which holds its bimonthly CAPS meeting on the first Wednesday of even-numbered months, has had to cancel tonight's meeting.

On Twitter, the 20th District tweeted this afternoon:

"Attention!

Tonight’s Beat 2033 Meeting has been cancelled, the host location at Bezazian Library experienced a flood and had to close last minute for repairs. Please look for the updated meeting location and time shortly.

Thanks for your patience!"

Bezazian Presents Drag Story Time On Thursday

As part of Chicago Public Library's celebration of Pride Month, the Bezazian Branch Library will hold Drag Story Time on Thursday, June 6th, at 10:30am. Although pre-schoolers are the target audience, all are welcome.

The Bezazian Branch Library is located at 1226 West Ainslie, at Magnolia. Limited parking is available in the lot, and there is street parking available as well.

Good Vets & Xfinity Coming To 811 Uptown

(Real Estate Listing from Harlem Irving Companies)

Thanks to the real estate listing for the 811 Uptown development at Montrose and Clarendon, we know now what's coming to the one story retail on the NE corner.

Good Vets, which currently has locations in the West Loop and Streeterville, has signed for one of the two retail spaces. In addition to vet care, they offer grooming and boarding services. This will make Uptown's second vet clinic after Wagnolia Veterinary Clinic at Wilson & Magnolia.

The other space will be home to an Xfinity Store. The closest location to Uptown is currently near Belmont and Ashland. Interesting to note that Xfinity has a new concept known as "Studio Xfinity" which features all of Xfinity's products as well as a La Colombe cafe. No word if that is what is slated for this spot at the moment. Coffee and cable could be a fun concept.

The big enchilada, the ground level retail space under the main tower, has not been spoken for, but our fingers are crossed for a Tony's Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme Market or maybe Binny's? (hint, hint)