Okay - It's 4am, so I've got to kick this out quickly because I have so much To-Do!!!  You ought to know that this Labor Day Weekend, the African Festival of the Arts celebrates its 20th Anniversary at Washington Park!  It is always a favorite and highly-anticipated way to end the summer and this year will be no exception!  Enjoy vendors with a variety of fabulous merchandise:  art, photography, clothing, accessories, body products, jewelry and so much more; delicious food; and, fantastic musical acts, including The Ohio Players, Booker T. Jones, Ahmad Jamal, George Clinton and many more national and local artists, fashion shows and dance.  Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and spend the whole day with plenty to keep you occupied and plenty of room to spread out, relax and regroup, and then continue to check out the vendors in the African Marketplace! 

And don't forget about the Pavilions where you will find activities to suit every taste!  At the Children's Pavilion youth of all ages can learn and enjoy games, music, dance, storytelling, theater, arts and crafts all day long! Contributors include: Hyde Park Arts Center, the Field Museum and other family-focused institutions that offer fun, educational and interactive programs. Many social service agencies will be represented in the pavilion to provide answers to family, parental and children's questions.

The ICE Theaters Film Pavilion presents daily screenings of short and full-length films that interpret the culture and experiences of peoples living in all parts of the African Diaspora.  They'll also feature a showcase of films produced mainly by black filmmakers from around the world, including a section of works produced for and/or by black youth. Enjoy free popcorn, get free movie posters and learn more about Black World Cinema, an independent film series available only at your neighborhood ICE Theaters.

The Festival is world renowned for its assembly of artists from around the Diaspora featuring original paintings, sculptures limited editions, prints, photographs, and ceramics. This year, the Fine Arts Pavilion will include artists such as Stacey Brown (festival artist of the year), Emerson Williams, Uwa Hunwick, Bayo Iribhogbe, Frank Frasier, Melvin King, Rondell, Nii-Oti, Akosuah Bandele, Marvin Sims, Ousmane Gueye, Dana Easter, Dimali, Isodor Howard, Samuel Akainyah, and Dayo Layoe.

But wait - there's more To-Do!!!  That's right - be sure to visit the "All Chill Zone" at the Soleil's To-Dos booth.  (I don't have the booth number or location yet, but you'll find it at www.so-LAZE.com, on the Facebook Page, through our Twitter Feed or by calling (773) 268 To-Do (8636).)  We'll be stone cold chillin' and giving you the perfect spot to catch up with friends, sit and eat, slap a few cards, wax poetic and groove to the beats - including live music!  Yes, thanks to Sam Martin, the Idea Doctor, you can expect some special guests to stop through and grace us with some mini-performances.  BYOChair, or cop a squat in one of ours, if available, and chill for a while!  We'll also be doing some special giveaways including theater; concert tickets; dinners; and, for one lucky woman, a one-hour photo shoot with Lee Bey Photography!

It's going to be a beautiful Labor Day weekend and there's so much more To-Do!  Normally, I'm more than happy to spoon-feed you information (such as Esperanza Spalding on Friday at 4pm as part of the 31st Annual Jazz Festival and the Richmond Group's Sippin' On Sunday, Bash on Wabash, Backyard BBQ, and, please don't forget the closing week of Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement 1956-1968) - but, not this week!  This time you've got To-Do it on your own, and all that takes is a quick visit to www.so-LAZE.com!

Whatever you decide To-Do, please make it a fabulous holiday weekend and I'll be looking for you at the African Festival of the Arts!