JULY
Saturday 27
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A list of noted cat lovers might include Sylvia, Bertie Wooster, and of course Samuel Johnson (“And then in a sort of kindly reverie, he bethought himself of his own favorite cat, and said, ‘But, Hodge shan’t be shot; no, no, Hodge shall not be shot’”). Various obstacles (including death and fictional status) prevent those three from attending, but the Brookfield Zoo is nevertheless going forward with Hats Off to Cats, a celebration of the fabulous feline today and tomorrow. Guides will give you details on the zoo’s big-cat contingent, including tigers, lions, lynxes, snow leopards, caracals, and jaguars. You can learn about regular old cats as well, and about efforts to preserve endangered ones. The zoo is at First Avenue and 31st Street in Brookfield; it’s open 9:30 to 5:30 daily. Admission is $2.75, $1 for children under 12 and seniors. (Zoo admission goes up to $3.50 and $1.50 on August 1.) Call 708-485-0263 for more information.
If the world of the 90s is too much with you, you can go back–way back–today at Poplar Creek for Psychedelic Celebration, as Dave Mason, Robbie Krieger of the Doors, Arlo Guthrie, John Kay and Steppenwolf, and Three Dog Night (Three Dog Night?) turn Poplar Creek into–well, if not quite the 60s, then a pungently nostalgic simulation. The gates open at noon for WCKG’s “psychedelic flashback” band Ruckus and booths full of spin art, sand candles, and tie-dye. The full show starts at 3. Tix are $5; Poplar Creek is at the intersection of routes 59 and 72 and the Northwest Tollway in Hoffman Estates. Call 781-7300.
Wednesday 31
The superstars of polka worldwide–Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones, Henny and the Versa J’s, the Downtown Sound, Vinny and the New Soundz, the Music Company, Prime Drive, Stas Golonka and the Chicago Masters, the Brass Works, Gennie “O” and the Windy City Brass, Stas Bulanda’s Average Polka Band, the E-Z Tones, and others–will be scraping accordions at the Ramada O’Hare this weekend as the International Polka Festival opens its 23rd annual slate of events. Things get under way today: doors open at 7, music goes 8 to midnight, admission is $5. Tomorrow and Saturday the doors open at 5:30, with music from 6 to 2 and a $9 admission fee; Sunday they open at noon, music goes 1 to 10, and admission is $9. Miss International Polka Association of 1990-91, Doreen Biela, will crown this year’s polka beauty Sunday at 6. A four-day pass is $25; a Friday-through-Sunday pass is $22. The hotel is at 6600 Mannheim in Rosemont. Call 254-7771 for details.
