See you at the Movies! On Bikes to the Chicago International Children's Film Festival

From the festival web site linked below

This weekend kicks off the annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival. If you have never gone, you should — this is usually wonderful. They have films for all ages screened at theatres around the city from October 21 to Oct. 30. You should take a bike since parking is stressful and we love not parking. Even bike parking is sparse around Facets theater, where most films are, so leave yourself plenty of extra time to get there. The theater can get crowded too.



This year they have again broken the films shown into distinct age groups, though you can go to any film. The groups are 2-5 years, 5-8, 8-10, 10-12, and 13+. Check out the fun sneak peak feature on the web site so you can see the trailer for many films before buying a ticket. It's best to get tickets online early if you really want to see a film. They often sell out, especially the ones at Facets.

A little bird told us that the film, The Great Bear is supposed to be wonderful.

The theaters include Facets, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Center on Halsted, and the University of Chicago Max Palevsky Cinema. The Music Box, the Thorne Auditorium at Northwestern, the Patio and the Instituto Cervantes are also showing films. Maps are linked and an official info page including links to schedules is here.

Facets is easy to reach via Greenview from the North, from the South maybe Wood to Cortland E, then north at Finkl Steel to Webster, then up Wayne or Greenview. You might need to pack a snack to Facets unless you love Subway or Mr. Submarine, though on second thought Nada japanese tea house (with some food like donburi and good green tea) is only a block or so west.

We have a post with directions to the nature museum from last year's festival. Haven't been to the others by bike yet, but the Center on Halsted is in the Whole Foods (snacks and bathrooms galore!). I'd take the lakefront path north IF IT'S SAFE TO RIDE AGAIN and ride Grace or walk down Waveland to get there from the center of town. There are a lot of quiet streets all around that area that look good to ride. You can eat all around there, but our kids love the fake vegan chicken fried steak at the Chicago Diner, up about 4 blocks at 3411 N Halsted (long lines sometimes).

In Hyde Park the Max Palevsky theater is huge and not crowded; there is lots of bike parking. You should go ahead and eat or drink coffee at Z&H on 57th st. You could also eat something at Medici, but never ever drink their coffee because it tastes like snakes. Ever. Don't forget to drop in at the 57th Street Books kid's department - it's great and it's an easy walk or bike ride from the theater. I'd take the LFP south (if it's safe) from downtown to reach this part of Hyde Park, curve through the green strip north of the museum of science and industry to the Midway Plaisance to reach Ida Noyes hall and the theater. Don't know a good route from the south, but maybe someone from Beverly or Blue Island can chime in. Hint hint. We've been thinking about writing a whole post about Hyde Park one of these days because it's got a lot of interesting things.

All the places and theaters we've mentioned have bathrooms. Hooray!