Live entertainment, outdoor summer concerts, speaker series, theater productions, movies, child daycare, meetings, classes, and a lot more. That’s what you can find at Gorton Center at 400 E. Illinois Rd. in Lake Forest, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a “Birthday Bash,” Sept. 14-15. The “Bash” is sponsored by Lake Forest Bank and Trust.
The event begins on Sept. 14 at 10 a.m.-noon with “Dog Day,” which is a long-standing tradition in the community.
“We took it over from Parks and Rec. about eight years ago,” said Director of Events Ann Wildman. Gorton changed it from a dog parade to a dog fair.
“People can register their pets in a variety of contests,” Wildman said. “There’s a look-alike contest, there’s a costume contest, there’s the best dog trick, the most interesting heritage, and the most mysterious heritage.” A Top Dog is chosen from the winners of the various contests.
There will be live music from School of Rock in Highwood and food vendors and dog-related vendors.
When the dogs clear out, a free outdoor carnival will begin and run through 7:30 p.m. “We will have a mini-golf setup,” said Manager of Donor Engagement Ann Kiesling. “There will be a dunk tank with our high school sports teams being dunked. We have a children’s area with face-painting, bracelet-making, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and RoboThink table.” There will also be raffles and giveaways. The carnival is free.
From 8-10 p.m., the band Fastball will perform in the John and Nancy Hughes Theater. Tickets are $50.
The Sept. 15 activities will kick off at 11 a.m. with a relaxing Sound Bath. Registration is required.
A movie festival will begin at 2 p.m. For $10, adults can see three movies in the John and Nancy Hughes Theater—“The Breakfast Club,” “Uncle Buck,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
There will also be a free children’s movie festival in the basement Grotto area and the Card Room.
The Gorton Center is a definite asset to the community. According to Center officials, last year alone, 15,000 patrons used the Center, and 14,000 attended a paid performance from over 300 zip codes. In the past 10 years, revenue has increased by 275 %, and classes have increased by 1,289 %.
Ann Wildman has worked at the Gorton Center for eight years. She enjoys working there because of “the community connection and having the opportunity to build something really exciting,” she said. “When I came in, in terms of my specific department, we operated on a really modest level and now it’s so robust.”
Ann Kiesling has worked at the Gorton Center for two years. “You get to see the results of the work you put in immediately and the staff here is phenomenal,” she said.
Around 30 people are employed at the Gorton Center in different capacities.
The building started life in the early 1900s as Central School but was then renamed Edward F. Gorton School after the then mayor, Kiesling related. The last class graduated in the 1960s and the building was scheduled for demolition until a group of Lake Forest residents convinced the school district that renovation would cost less than demolition.
“In 1974, it opened back up as Gorton Community Center,” Kiesling explained.
What makes the Gorton Center unique is “the diverse range of what we do in offerings. We have everything from office space for area nonprofits to a children’s learning center to our programming which includes films, classes, performing arts and special events,” Wildman noted. “It’s a place you can go in the heart of the community where you can get community engagement as well as entertainment in your backyard.”
The forward-thinking Gorton Center management is not resting on its considerable laurels. Wildman reported, “We are in the second year of a 3-year strategic plan with goals around marketing, donor cultivation, programming, and Gorton’s physical space.”
(Fact Box)
‘Gorton Center’s Birthday Bash’
When: Sept. 14-15
Where: 400 E. Illinois Rd., Lake Forest
Tickets: Free except for concerts ($50) and R-rated film festivals ($10).
Information: 847-234-6060; gortoncenter.org/event/gortons-50th-anniversary-celebration.
MORE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK
Here are some other events occurring the week of Sept. 12-18 in Doings and Pioneer Press suburbs.
All that jazz
Hey Nonny presents Windy City Jazz Electric, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights. Tickets: $18-$45. 224-202-0750; heynonny.com/shows/windy-city-jazz-electric.
Innovative musicians have joined forces to present modern jazz.
B prepared
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie presents “Eddie B: Teachers Only Comedy Tour ’24,” 8 p.m. Sept. 14 at 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: $39.50-$59.50. 847-673-6300; northshorecenter.org/event/eddie-b.
This comic has earned the reputation of being the official voice of teachers across the globe.
Homes, homes in La Grange
La Grange Area Historical Society presents “La Grange Home and History Tour 2024,” noon-5 p.m. Sept. 15, starting from 444 S. La Grange Road, La Grange. Tickets: $45-$50. 708-482-4248; lagrangehistory.org.
Visitors will tour six unique residences and can ask the homeowners questions.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
