An Archive of Past Events
Relating to the 1893 World’s Fair
March 8, 2018: Union League Club of Chicago lecture on “The Columbian Exposition”
The Union League Club of Chicago (ULCC) is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the 1893 World's Fair with a presentation by Greg Cook titled "The World's Columbian Exposition and its Transformation of Chicago Architecture" on Thursday, March 8 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Union League Club (65 Jackson Boulevard in Chicago). The Union League Club of Chicago. [Image from https://www.facebook.com/ULCChicago/] A cocktail reception with a cash bar and light appetizers will start at 5:30 pm and feature a display of the Union League Club's recently conserved prints from Hubert Howe Bancroft’s The Book of the Fair and other archival artifacts from the [...]
Feb. 7, 2018: Des Plaines History Center “World’s Fair” event for children
"The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 exhibited important cultural ideas including innovations in architecture and the fine arts, just to name a few! At the time, it was the world’s biggest fair," writes the Des Plaines History Center, which will be holding a event called "Homeschool Adventures: World’s Columbian Exposition (The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893)" from 1-2 pm on February 7, 2018. The Center invites children ages 5-12 with adult, to "come learn about the fair and create your very own White City out of mixed media." Located at 781 Pearson Street in Des Plaines, IL, the Des Plaines History Center [...]
Nov. 30-Dec. 29, 2019: Joffrey Ballet’s “Columbian Nutcracker” (Chicago)
Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet once again will stage their spectacular production of The Nutcracker, with story set on the fairgrounds of 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Performances run from November 30 to December 29, 2019, at the Auditorium Theater. This ballet by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, which premiered in 2016, invites the audience to … “journey inside Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair with Wheeldon’s critically acclaimed holiday masterpiece. When young Marie and her mother, a sculptress who is creating the fair’s iconic Statue of the Republic, host a holiday party, a surprise visit from the charming Great Impresario sets off a Christmas Eve [...]
Dec. 1-30, 2017 (Chicago): Joffrey Ballet returns to the Fair
Chicago's Joffrey Ballet will be returning to the Columbian Exposition with their 2017 production of The Nutcracker, running from December 1 to 30 at the Auditorium Theater. This spectacular ballet by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon premiered in 2016 and invites the audience to ... "journey inside Chicago's 1893 World's Fair with Wheeldon's critically acclaimed holiday masterpiece. When young Marie and her mother, a sculptress who is creating the fair's iconic Statue of the Republic, host a holiday party, a surprise visit from the charming Great Impresario sets off a Christmas Eve dream of whirlwind romance and adventure. A must-see tradition [...]
Nov. 30, 2017: “Fair Game” theater show at Northwestern University
An interactive theater show opening soon at Northwestern University will allow audience members to walk through the magic (and menace) of the 1893 World’s Fair. “Fair Game: A Chicago Spectacle” by Sit and Spin Productions explores Chicago in the years 1891 to 1893, as the city builds and then hosts the Columbian Exposition. Written and directed by Eli Newell, the choose-your-own-adventure “FAIR GAME” is described this way: As the 1890s commence and the new century beckons, Chicago is a city reborn into grand opulence, danger, and, above all, spectacle. Throughout the town, people of all ages and from all [...]
Nov. 16, 2017: “Making a New American Nutcracker” documentary premiers
The Joffrey Ballet's spectacular new production of The Nutcracker, which Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon re-imagined taking place on the fairgrounds of the Columbian Exposition in the winter of 1892 (see our other post here), is the subject of a new documentary titled "Making a New American Nutcracker." Produced by Daniel Andries and narrated by actress Neve Campbell, the documentary will premiere on Thursday, November 16, at 8:00 pm on Chicago's WTTW11 and on wttw.com. Other PBS stations may pick up the show for broadcast in December 2017 (check your local listings). BroadwayWorld.com reports that: "'Making a New American Nutcracker' takes [...]
Oct. 28, 2017 (Chicago): White City dinner and drinks at The Reservoir
Enjoy an evening at the White City on Saturday, October 28, with a meal and cocktails inspired by the 1893 World's Fair. The Reservoir, located at 844 West Montrose Avenue in Chicago, will host a Halloween "Devil in the White City" party beginning at 6:30 with cocktails name "White City Devil," "White City Soda" and "Devil's Elixer." A special 1893 World's Fair special dinner is on the menu, followed by a costume context with prizes at 9 pm. Herman Mudgett may or may not be in attendance.
Oct. 23, 2017 (Chicago) THE LIVING INFINITE author reading
Chantel Acevedo, author of the new novel The Living Infinite, which imagines the life of Princess Eulalia of Spain and her 1893 trip to visit the World's Fair in Chicago, will visit City Lit Books in Chicago on Monday, October 23 at 6:30 pm as part of her national author’s tour. "The Midway was closing for the night, and so Tomas and Eulalia headed back towards the lights of the White City. Edison's incandescent bulbs would burn the whole night, and only a few dark spots remained in the Court of Honor." -- The Living Infinite by Chantel Acevedo Check out our other post [...]
Oct. 23, 2017 (Chicago): William Waldorf Astor’s World’s Fair Dinner at Cindy’s
The Chicago Athletic Association in 1913 Cindy's Rooftop in the historic Chicago Athletic Association hotel will host a special dinner on October 23, 2017. Four chefs have collaborated on the menu, which is based on William Waldorf Astor's World's Fair dinner held on October 9, 1889, at Delmonico's in New York, where business leaders met to plan their city's bid for the World's Fair. The 1893 World's Fair (of course) was held in Chicago, and the Chicago Athletic Association building, designed by World's Fair architect Henry Ives Cobb, opened in 1893. Tickets for this World's Fair dinner are available for [...]
through Jan. 15, 2018 (Norwich, CT): Exhibit on Bela Pratt, World’s Fair Sculptor
One of the sculptors who contributed to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago is the subject of a new exhibition at the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, Connecticut. “Bela Lyon Pratt: Sculptor of Monument," which opened on October 15, 2017, and runs through January 15, 2018, showcases “50 sculptural works and two-dimensional works of art, text and archival material” from the Norwich native. One of two sculptural groupings of The Genius of Navigation by Bela Pratt. For the 1893 World's Fair, Bela Pratt (1867-1917) created two large sculptural groups titled The Genius of Discovery. Each grouping [...]