понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Kids will find Easter wears many bonnets

You won't catch the Easter Bunny at this weekend's wildest party- the annual Easter bash at Lincoln Park Zoo's Great Ape House. Hey,would you want to deliver dyed eggs to a gorilla? But you can meetthe basket-toting Big Bunny at several other events around town.

Here are party particulars.

GOING APE OVER EGGS: Residents of the Lincoln Park Zoo's Great Ape House will have a highold time (swinging on ropes) at their annual Easter egg hunt. Itbegins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, and you're invited.

The question is: Will Koundu, a 485-pound gorilla, hoard all thedyed eggs? "He's not into sharing," said Ape House senior keeper PatSass. Sass (wearing bunny ears) will hide colored eggs for thegorillas, as well as the chimps and orangutans. Each animal willalso get a brown bag full of popcorn, raisins and other treats. Thebag, said Sass, is "dessert."

The big guys, on an egg roll, should be wild to watch. But thecutest animals will be Nyani and Magadi, 1-year-old chimps still indiapers. Not yet on public display, they'll make a specialappearance Sunday in the Ape House nursery (opposite the entrance),joining 2-year-old chimps Kiri and Shar.

Each of the "kids," as Sass calls them, will get Easter treats,including toys. At a recent sneak preview of the party, I presentedMagadi with a stuffed bunny. She kissed it, chewed its whiskers andsat on it - pretty much what my toddler would have done.

The Lincoln Park Zoo is at 2200 N. Cannon (312-294-4660). It'sopen from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; admission is free.

A BOUNTY OF BUNNIES: OK, so gorillas are groovy, but thisweekend you'd really like to rendezvous with rabbits. You can getnose-to-pink nose with real bunnies at Lambs Farm in Libertyville andthe Community Center Foundation's Children's Farm in Palos Park.

The Easter bunny will oversee activities at Lambs Farm from noonto 4 p.m. tomorrow. There will be an egg hunt (with plastic eggs,many with tickets for prizes inside), an egg coloring contest, facepainting, and baby lambs and goats to pet.

Enter the small animal nursery (admission is free tomorrow) andmeet Fluffy, a silky-haired angora bunny described by farmyardmanager Kitty Shipman as "a very attractive rabbit." Perhaps theEaster bunny would like to take her for a ride on the Lambs'miniature choo-choo. (Tickets are $1.50.)

Kids will be able to hold bunnies and see newly hatched chicks.They can also take pony rides ($1.50), tour the farmyard (75 cents;$1.25 for adults), or play miniature golf ($3; $3.50 for adults).To order a fancy Easter basket you can pick up tomorrow($11.95-$16.95), call (708) 362-4636, Ext. 238.

Admission is free at Lambs Farm, Interstate 94 and Illinois 176,Libertyville.

At the Children's Farm, kids will be able to pet and hold Peter,Moonstruck, Lola and other bunnies during the annual Easter EggRound-Up from 1 to 4 p.m. tomorrow. According to program directorLois Lauer, kids also can pet baby lambs, goats and ducks.

Children will be invited to fetch an egg (hard-boiled) in thechicken coop and dye it, then hike out to the Farm's pine forest tofind another egg. Show this to the Easter bunny, and he'll handover candy. There will also be rides for the kids on ponies, who,along with other animals, will be wearing Easter bonnets. Ticketsare $3 per person; call (708) 361-3650 by noon today to reserve.The farm is at 12700 Southwest Hwy., Palos Park. From the city,take Interstate 55 to La Grange Road, go south to 131st Street, eastto Southwest Highway and north to the farm.

HAPPY EASTER, DEER: At the Cuneo Museum and Gardens, 1350 N.Milwaukee,Vernon Hills, the Easter bunny will share the spotlightSun- day with rare white deer, swans and geese that live on the 75 acressurrounding this former private residence, now open to the public.

At 1 p.m., kids and parents can join the Easter bunny andseveral high school musicians in an Easter parade that will form atthe front of the mansion (the former home of John F. Cuneo, Sr.,founder of Cuneo Press). The parade will wind through formalgardens to the greenhouse where, surrounded by spring blooms, theEaster bunny will hand out gifts to children from 2 to 4 p.m.

Families can explore the grounds, feed the deer, spy swans onthe lake and enjoy an Easter buffet in the museum restaurant from 11a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ($15 for adults, $7.50 for children).

Admission to the grounds and Easter event is $4 for adults, $2for children. For information and brunch reservations, call (708) 362-2025.

WHITE HOUSE EGG ROLL: The 156-year-old Clarke House, just southof the Loop, will be the site of the Chicago ArchitecturalFoundation's Easter Egg Roll for kids from 12:30 to 3 p.m. tomorrow.

The Easter bunny will be on the steps of the handsome whitehouse (Chicago's oldest building), signaling the start of a race tofind foil-wrapped candy eggs every 15 minutes. Some will be marked"prize," good for a bonus goodie.

Tickets are $1. Reservations are recommended; call (312)922-3432. Clarke House is at Indiana Avenue and 18th Street.

PETER RABBIT PARTIES: Fearful of sugar overload? Take the kids to an Easter "vegetablehunt" at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Children's Bookstore, 2465 N.Lincoln (312-248-2665).

Owner Andy Laties will read Beatrix Potter's The Tale of PeterRabbit, then kids can collect carrots, radishes and other veggiesstrewn about the store. Have them make salad for dinner. Admissionis free.

At 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. today at the Kohl Children's Museum,165 Green Bay Rd., Wilmette (708-256-6056), kids can make bunnypuppets and act out the story of Peter Rabbit. At the same timestomorrow and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, they can search for paper eggs andmake a basket to put them in. Museum admission is $3 per person;kids under one are free.

Children can also make bunny puppets at parties at noon and 2:30p.m. tomorrow at the Paperback Trading Co., 8825 S. Ridgeland, OakLawn. There will be storytimes, egg decorating and egg hunts. Forreservations, call (708) 598-8442. Admission is free.

EASTER PARADE: The Easter bunny will lead a Scandinavian paradeon Sunday to get the celebration rolling in the Andersonvilleneighborhood.

The march will begin at 10 a.m. at the Landmark ofAndersonville, a trilevel gallery of 20 shops at 5301 N. Clark.Revelers will proceed from Foster and Clark north on Foster andCatalpa and then south back to Clark.

This traditional "Bell-Ringer's March" alerts shopkeepers tosweep their sidewalks. Afterwards, there will be revelry at theLandmark, with an Easter hat contest held for the "most elegant" and"the funniest." Other hijinks include a jelly bean counting contest.The Easter bunny will be on hand for photographs with the kids. Fordetails, call (312) 784-8357.

BUNNY BRUNCHES: If you'd like to enjoy a fancy Easter brunchwhere kids are not only welcome, but catered to, the Drake Hotel, 140E. Walton, is a good bet.

Brunch will be served Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in theGold Coast Room and from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Oak TerraceRestaurant ($31.95 for adults; $17.95 for children 5-11; kids under 5are free). The Easter bunny will deliver goodies to tables, and, ina kids' "entertainment room," there will be an egg hunt, videos, amagician and a balloon artist. For reservations, call (312)787-2200, Ext. 27.

At the splashy Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker, afamily-style Easter brunch will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30p.m. Sunday in the All Seasons Cafe. Entrees will range from leg oflamb and smoked salmon for adults to fried chicken and hot dogs forkids. Cost is $26.95; kids under 12 are half-price.

The Easter bunny will preside at the Easter Egg Roll at noon.There will also be clowns, jugglers and an outdoor petting zoo. Call(312) 565-1234 for reservations.

More Easter brunches are listed in Dining.

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