Grant Park Music Festival 2016: Book 4

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2 0 1 6 G R AN T PA R K MU S I C F E S T I VA L
A PICNIC IN THE
COSMOS
Creative Chicagoans are invited to recruit their
friends, choose a team name, pack a festive
picnic and show off their clever, elaborate and
imaginative feasts in the fifth annual Grant Park
Music Festival Picnic Contest on the Great
Lawn of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium
Park. The contest takes place on Saturday, August 6 at 6 PM before the
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus take the stage at 7:30 PM to perform the
world premiere of American composer Michael Gandolfi’s The Cosmic Garden
in Bloom and Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor.
The programwill be led by the Festival’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Carlos Kalmar with guest soloists Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi, Janai Brugger, Hoss
Brock and Daniel Eifert. Admission for the contest and the performance is free.
Teams are encouraged to pitch their blankets, adorn their tables, maybe
coordinate some costumes and show off their impressive spreads. And
concertgoers are invited to get in on the fun by circulating the Great Lawn and
checking out the magnificent tableaux.
This year’s contest theme, A Picnic in the Cosmos, is inspired by the 30-acre
private Garden of Cosmic Speculation in the Borders area of Scotland, de-
signed by Charles Jencks as a joining of nature and modern physics, along with
Mozart’s large-scale and sweeping, unfinished Great Mass. Contestants will be
judged on how they incorporate the theme, as well as their creative menu,
imaginative décor and presentation of food and drink into their picnic.
Last year’s winner, Harpreet Khera, advises contestants to just have fun.
“Whether you win or not, you’ll enjoy a delicious picnic with your friends under
the stars with the world’s greatest skyline as your backdrop and world class live
classical music as your soundtrack.”
Meegan Scovell, whose team Cuckoo for Beethoven won in 2014, advises con-
testants, when possible, to listen to the music in advance and get an idea of the
setting and story that the composer had in mind. “Utilize these clues,” she says,
“and be creative.”
Anyone can participate in this free contest, but pre-registration is required.
Fill out the registration form at by August 1.
1st Prize: $100 Macy’s gift card, plus a custom gift basket from Macy’s
Stonewall Kitchen, dinner for four at Columbus Tap at the Fairmont Chicago,
and a two-gallon tin of caramel, cheese, and butter popcorn
2 Runners Up: $50 Macy’s gift card and
a two-gallon tin of popcorn each