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52. Save the Lives You Love at National Night Out
Our new baby turned two weeks old yesterday.…
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45. Travel the World at Barrington International Fest
We just spent Fourth of July weekend celebrating our country’s independence, but today’s a day to celebrate all countries and cultures without leaving Barrington. The first ever Barrington International Fest is happening today from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and we’re all invited to share a sampling of dance, food and music from around the world.
International Fest will be a day full of fun for all ages with vendors, performers and attendees from far beyond the Barrington area. There are activities planned for kids, teens and adults along with music from around the world.…
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43. Fire it Up with the Smokin Gunz
Be sure you’re cocked, locked and ready to rock when you head to the Barrington Brat Tent today. There’ll be lots of Country heat on hand tonight when Smokin Gunz takes the stage. The band will be tonight’s finale performance after a full day of family fun at the Barrington 4th of July Weekend festivities.
Smokin Gunz are otherwise known as “Chicago’s Hardest Working Country Band”. They’re a Top 40 Country band from the suburbs of Chicago, they have a reputation for getting the audience on their feet and you can learn more about them at SmokinGunz.net.
But the Smokin Gunz are just one of many great activities scheduled for the Brat Tent today……
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41. July 4th Barrington Brat Tent Returns with a Bang
The Brat Tent entrance will blast open today to celebrate four days of July 4th festivities in downtown Barrington. The 27th Annual Barrington Fourth of July celebration will feature a packed schedule of entertainment for kids, families AND adults. We’ll be sharing fun details and the full events schedule in the coming days here at 365Barrington.com, but one of today’s highlights will be the festival’s opening performance this afternoon by OD TAPO IMI.
OD TAPO IMI is a Chicagoland band whose name is an acronym for “Oil Drums That Are Pounded Out Into Musical Instruments”. They’re known for their Caribbean-style beats and best described as “Jimmy Buffet Meets Blue Man Group.”
OD TAPO IMI will light up the Barrington Brat Tent stage at 12:30 this afternoon with a powerful mix of vocals, steel drums, percussion, guitars and horns playing all genres of popular music with a unique tropical twist. But they’re just a delicious appetizer for a great list of highlights planned for Barrington’s Fourth Festivities this year.…
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22. Get Artsy Outdoors at Art in the Park
If you love art and you love the outdoors, you don’t want to miss the FREE “Art in the Park” art and music festival coming up in Barrington this weekend. The third annual event kicks off the outdoor festival season and is happening all day this upcoming Sunday, May 22nd. You can expect to find more artists displaying their works this year, along with more musicians, more children’s activities, more food AND more people gathered for a day of art and inspiration at Barrington’s Citizen’s Park.
There will be close to 60 area artists displaying their works for sale from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at this Sunday’s event, there will be eight musical acts performing live on the stage, you’ll find live art demonstrations happening throughout the park and just wait until you hear what’s planned for kids this year……

349. Celtic Fest in Bryan McGonigal’s Own Words
McGonigal’s Pub is making it easy to be Irish in Barrington this week! They’re hosting the community’s inaugural 2-day “Barrington Celtic Fest” starting on St. Patrick’s Day morning. The pub is also celebrating their one year anniversary, so I thought it would be a great time to catch up with owner, Bryan McGonigal. He’s a busy guy these days, but he took a quick break and found a comfortable seat at the bar. With the bartender busy in the background and a pint of Guinness within easy reach, Bryan filled me in on the festival details and highlights from his first year in business.
The fest will run tomorrow and Friday from 10AM until 1AM featuring a great lineup of live Irish music, Irish dancers, Corned Beef, Cabbage, a full Irish menu, pints of beer, NCAA basketball tournament watching and plenty of people in green. Admission is FREE and you’ll find the full festival entertainment lineup below. But first, here’s Bryan’s look at the fest and McGonigal’s first year, in his very own words.…
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341. Meet the Clarkes of Clarke’s Bakery and Deli
The month of March is one big party for a local couple that has built a thriving Barrington business around their shared passion for baking, cooking and celebrating the goodness of great homemade food. Matthew an Leone Clarke of Clarke’s Bakery and Deli are preparing feasts this month to celebrate Fat Tuesday today, St. Patrick’s Day next week, Barrington’s First Annual Celtic Fest AND their business’ 25th Anniversary. With a cup of kindness, two handfuls of hard work and a lifetime of experience in the kitchen, together the Clarkes have created a winning recipe that keeps loyal customers coming back for more.
If you drop by Clarke’s today, you’ll find Matthew or Leone at the counter, or it’ll likely be one of their two daughters who greet you. Stacey just graduated from college with a law enforcement degree and Kathrine is studying to be a teacher. Both girls grew up in the bakery and know their parents’ story well.…
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339. Spice Up Classrooms with the Chili & Music Fest
There’s a great party happening one week from today where you can sample chili, enjoy live music AND help create cool new programs that benefit all students in Barrington School District 220. It’s the fourth annual Chili & Music Fest, we’re all invited and you will be excited when you hear how this party is helping change the way students and parents in Barrington learn.
Barrington’s District 220 Educational Foundation organizes the Chili & Music Fest every year to raise money for one of our community’s most important causes……
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249. Ron Hawking "Home For the Holidays" Concert
Start my Christmas shopping…CHECK. Put up the Christmas tree…CHECK. Dig out after the season’s first snowfall…CHECK. But it just seems like something is missing. I KNOW! There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than to hear your favorite Christmas tunes live in concert and tickets are on sale now for a special Christmas concert happening in Barrington one week from today.
Barrington’s own Ron Hawking will be performing his “Home For The Holidays” concert at the Barrington High School Richard C. Johnson Auditorium. It’s a great show and the proceeds will benefit the Fine Arts Programs at Barrington High School.…
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233. New Skating Plaza Opening in South Barrington!
I have a bad habit of overusing exclamation points, but today, I simply HAD to put one in our title! Because, one week from today, the area’s only Open-Air Skating Rink will be opening for business in South Barrington. They’re busy setting it up at the South Barrington Arboretum and there are two big events tied to the outdoor “Skating Plaza’s” grand opening next weekend. The first is an appearance by “Skates”, the Chicago Wolves Mascot.…
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211. Bubbles, Bon Bons & Brie
Earlier this week I promised that I’d follow up with some fun Halloween activities going on this weekend for adults in Barrington and there’s one event happening tomorrow night that sounds simply sinful. It’s called “Bubbles, Bon Bons and Brie” and you’re going to DIE when you hear the details. Skull Lollipop anyone?…
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192. Filler Up at Fritzl’s Oktoberfest
Nothing beats an icy cold beer on a gorgeous sunny day. Mix in a little German food at a fun Oktoberfest celebration in our neck of the woods and you’ve got a great plan for a Saturday night!
Barrington’s neighbor, Lake Zurich, is home to one of the best German restaurants around and they’re hosting their annual Oktoberfest celebration tonight.…
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177. Art in the Barn at Good Shepherd Hospital
This is a big weekend for our friends up at Good Shepherd Hospital. They’re hosting their 36th annual “Art in the Barn” event on the hospital grounds from 10AM to 5PM on both Saturday and Sunday and they have a full schedule of art and entertainment planned, including live music, food and pony rides!
“Art in the Barn” began in 1974 when a group of ten women and local artists came up with the idea to help raise money to build the hospital here in Barrington. It started as a show with 30 artists, and this weekend, there will be about 180 artists displaying their works for sale and they’re expecting about 6,500 people to attend. There will be painters, jewelry-makers, sculptors, photographers, ceramics artists and woodworkers on hand, just to name a few. The art will be on display in barns that were used as food testing sites when the property was owned by Quaker Oats. Over the years, the annual juried art show has raised over $2.5 Million dollars for Good Shepherd Hospital. It’s a great way to spend a fall weekend in Barrington and support our local hospital at the same time.…
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174. “Ignite the Night” Fall Bonfire Festival & Cookout
There’s a super cool fall festival happening in Barrington Hills this weekend, so I wanted to give you the scoop and make sure you have plenty of notice. It’s the 4th Annual “Ignite the Night” bonfire festival hosted by the Friends of the Forest Preserves in Cook County.
The nighttime festival will take place this Saturday, September 25th, between 5 and 10PM within the Barrington Countryside Park District at the Spring Creek Forest Preserve in Barrington Hills.…
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