Ravinia Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ravinia Festival |
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One of the entrances to Ravinia Festival
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| Location(s) | Highland Park, Illinois |
| Years active | 1904–present |
| Founded by | Chicago and Milwaukee Electric Railroad |
The Ravinia Festival is a famous outdoor music park in Highland Park, Illinois. Every summer, from June to September, it holds many concerts and shows. You can hear all kinds of music there, from classical and pop to rock and jazz.
The festival has a long history. The New York Philharmonic was the first orchestra to play there on June 17, 1905. Since 1936, it has been the summer home for the world-famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). The festival is held in Ravinia Park, which is 36 acres. It has several stages, both indoors and outdoors. Each year, about 600,000 people come to enjoy the music and the beautiful setting.
The name "Ravinia" comes from the deep ravines, which are like small canyons, found along the nearby shore of Lake Michigan.
Contents
History of the Festival
From Amusement Park to Music Hub
Ravinia wasn't always a music festival. In 1904, it opened as an amusement park. It was built by a railroad company to get more people to ride their new train line. The park had a baseball field, a big fountain, and a building for dining and dancing. The only original building still standing today is the Martin Theatre.
After the railroad company went out of business, local people came together in 1911 to save the park. They decided to focus on music, and Ravinia became a place for summer concerts. The festival has been running ever since, only stopping for a few years during the Great Depression and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Opera Years
In the 1920s, Ravinia was known as the "summer opera capital of the world." A businessman named Louis Eckstein brought in famous singers from major opera companies in Chicago and New York. Stars like Yvonne Gall and Giovanni Martinelli performed there.
However, putting on operas was very expensive. The festival ran out of money and had to close for four years. In 1936, people in the community raised enough money to reopen it. They invited the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to perform, and the orchestra has made Ravinia its summer home ever since.
What to See and Do
Music and More
Today, Ravinia offers more than just orchestra concerts. You can see performances of opera, jazz, blues, folk, and rock. The festival also hosts ballet and drama shows.
Ravinia is also a place for learning. Its educational programs help about 75,000 students in the Chicago area each year, especially in schools that don't have their own music classes. One program, called Jazz Mentors and Scholars, brings together talented student musicians with professional jazz players.
Over the years, many famous artists have performed at Ravinia. Some of these include John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, and Sting.
Performance Venues
Ravinia has a few different places to watch a show:
- The Pavilion is the main stage with 3,350 seats. This is where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and other major artists perform.
- The Martin Theatre is a smaller, indoor theater with 850 seats. It's used for chamber music (music for small groups of instruments), operas, and other shows.
- Bennett Gordon Hall is an even smaller venue with 450 seats. It's home to the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, a summer school for talented young musicians. It also hosts concerts and talks before the main shows.
- The Lawn is a huge grassy area where many people enjoy the concerts. You can bring a blanket and a picnic while the music plays through a high-quality sound system. Sometimes, there are large video screens so you can see the performers on stage.
Picnics and Trains
One of the most special things about Ravinia is that you can bring your own food and drinks. Many families and friends pack picnic baskets with full meals to enjoy on the lawn before and during the show.
Getting to Ravinia is also easy. A Metra train on the Union Pacific North Line has a special stop right at the front gate of the park. It is the last private train stop in Illinois. A famous conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham, once joked that Ravinia was "the only railway station with a resident orchestra."
See also
In Spanish: Festival de Ravinia para niños
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- List of opera festivals
