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Downtown Evanston
Events & Specials
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The Downtown Evanston Gift Card Makes the Perfect Gift!
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The Downtown Evanston Gift Card makes the perfect gift for everyone on your shopping list  this holiday season! Accepted at over 150 participating businesses, everyone on your shopping list is sure to find something they'll love with the Downtown Evanston Gift Card! For a complete list of retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues and even more great places the gift card is accepted, visit here! Gift cards purchased online after 5pm on Friday, December 20th will not ship in time for Christmas. The Downtown Evanston Gift Card can be purchased online at www.DowntownEvanston.org or in person at the following locations:  Downtown Evanston Visitor Information Center 820 Davis St., Suite 151 Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm (847) 866-6319  First Bank & Trust820 Church St. Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm Saturday: 8:00am - 1:30pm (847) 733-7400 |
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Holidays in Downtown Evanston
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Check out the party packages and events taking place on New Year's Eve in Downtown Evanston!
Ring in 2014 at the Hilton Orrington NYE Ballroom Party 
Enjoy a welcome cocktail reception, four course plated dinner, four hour premium open bar, wine service during dinner, DJ & dancing! Party favors, balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight. Complimentary valet parking, breakfast buffet and 2pm late check out! for reservations call (847) 556-7901. Complete details here!
First Night Evanston
First Night Evanston, the legendary community-wide New Year's Eve celebration returns! That's  right- after an absence of several years, Evanston's favorite party is back. Start planning which great musical acts and entertainment will make your New Year's Eve the last great event of 2013! Official First Night Evanston buttons can be purchased at the Downtown Evanston Visitor Information Center at 820 Davis St., Suite 151. Purchase your button before 12/26 and save! Adult Buttons (18+) Before 12/26 - $15 12/26 - 12/30 - $18 On 12/31 - $20 Buttons for kids 9 - 17 years old are $10 no matter when they are purchased and children 8 and under are free when accompanied by an individual wearing a button. Tickets can be purchased here and more information can be found on Facebook. Purchase tickets here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-night-evanston-returns-123113-tickets-8938123167 New Year's Eve at 27 Live  1012-1014 Church St. (855) 927-5483 Comedy and music in "Mr. Olsen's New Year's Neighborhood" with Riffmaster and the RockMe Foundation. General admission: $25 in advance, $35 at door. Dinner and the show with reserved seating: $100. Show starts at 8pm. More information and tickets here! La Macchina Cafe 1620 Orrington Ave. (847) 425-1080 Make your reservation today to enjoy our Traditional Italian New Year's Eve Dinner with wine pairings. Dinner starts at 8pm, reservations only. Adults: $140, Children: $50; Children can order from the regular menu. Call today, (847) 425-1080. More here! Bar Louie  1520 Sherman Ave. (847) 733-8300 $45 New Year's Eve package includes open bar from 9pm - 12am, appetizer buffet and champagne toast at Midnight! More here! Celtic Knot Public House  626 Church St. (847) 864-1679 Enjoy delicious food, beer and cocktail specials all day. Free Champagne toast at Midnight and no crazy door price! More here! Live music from 9:30 p.m. - 12.30 a.m. with Jessica Hornsten and The Funk Buddies. In their own words: "You'll hear songs by Aretha Franklin, Adele, Sister Sledge, Fleetwood Mac and much more! Let's dance." World of Beer  1601 Sherman Ave (847) 328-3688 DJ will be Spinning at World of Beer from 9pm-1am. Enjoy New Holiday Martini's and over 500 Beer choices from all over the world, plus a Complimentary Champagne Toast and Appetizers from 11pm-Midnight. Loyalty Member Discounts and no cover! More here! |
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Retail and Restaurant Specials
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Donate Warm Winter Items to those in need! 
 This is a great time to purchase Design Evanston's book "Evanston: 150 Years, 150 Places" as a gift for your clients, family and friends. The book is available for purchase at a number of Evanston locations. The book profiles 150 of Evanston's oldest and newest places. The 9"h x 6"w 185-page book is available in a softbound edition for $15.00 or a hardbound edition for $25.00. You can buy it at the office of the City Clerk, First Bank & Trust, Downtown Evanston, Evanston History Center, Main Street Newsstand.
Ayla's First Men's Night
December 19, 5pm
Guys, you can make a beautiful piece of jewelry for anyone on your list, or just pretend you made a beautiful handmade creation by one of our staff! Come to Ayla's on Thursday, December 19 for FREE refreshments, help selecting your holiday gifts (25% off) or design your own creation!
Pre-Inventory Sale - save up to 75% at Ayla's Originals
December 26 - 31
Don't make us count all these beads. At the pre-inventory sale get 25% off any purchase PLUS bring in a food donation and get another 25% off PLUS get a coupon when you check out for another 25% off! More here.
Toys for Tots at Becky & Me Toys 
Through December 20
Becky and Me Toys is once again collecting toys for Toys for Tots. Help them collect enough toys to fill one of their display windows! Cash donations (which will be matched) are also be collected for donation to Toys For Tots. All toys purchased at Becky & Me Toys for their donation boxes receive 20% off.
Third Thursdays at The Galleria
December 19, 6 - 8pm
Don't Miss It! The Galleria in Evanston will be hosting Third Thursdays each month. Join The Galleria on Thursday, December 19 from 6 - 8pm at 1627 Sherman Ave.
A Home for the Holidays - Holiday Party and JT's Charity Drive 
December 22, 6 - 9pm
JT's Bar & Grill at 1639 Orrington Ave. is hosting a donation drive to help those experiencing homelessness. Bring a donation gift and receive a complimentary drink! Clients who have been placed in permanent housing are still in need of some basic home care supplies such as: bed sheets, pillows, comforters, towels, home decor, rugs, cleaning tools and supplies, Men's & Women's suits, dress shoes and gift cards. Donations support participants of North Side Housing and Supportive Services.
Evanston Art Center's 11th Annual Winter Arts & Crafts Expo
Through December 22nd 
The Evanston Art Center is proud to present the 11th annual Winter Arts & Crafts Expo. Winter Expo features one-of-a-kind pieces of work by over 110 selected artisans. Winter Expo will be held from November 23 to December 22, 2013 at the Evanston Art Center; Mondays - Saturdays from 10am - 4pm (closed Thanksgiving) and Sundays from 12pm - 4pm.
The Arts and crafts offered at the Winter Expo include original, handmade works of jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, painting, photography, mixed media, and more. All proceeds from the Expo will benefit the ongoing exhibition, education, and outreach programs at the Evanston Art Center. The Winter Expo is also the perfect opportunity for families to shop for everyone on their holiday gift list. Check out show times and special events here!
Evanston's Davis Street Fishmarket Celebrates 29 Years of Lobster!
501 Davis St. 
Davis Street Fishmarket celebrates its 29th Annual LobsterFest on January 2, 2014! To start the 6-week dining festival, the first 29 customers on January 2 to ask the question, "Got Butter?" will receive a whole lobster dinner for free. Dinner includes a pound and a quarter whole, live lobster, drawn butter, and garlic mashed potatoes.
The festival continues through February 12 with the signature 1.25 pound live, whole lobster dinner for only $19.95. Additional lobster specials include Lobster Fritters, Lobster Deviled Eggs, Lobster Scampi, Lobster Diablo, Lobster Jambalaya, Lobster Thermidor, Lobster Mac-n-Cheese, Lobster Rolls and more! Executive Chef Jeffery Perin will teach an lobstercooking class on Wednesday, January 15. The three-course lobster class with tastings is $49. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 847-869-3474.
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Community News
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Free Holiday Parking in Downtown Garages
The City of Evanston will be offering free parking again in downtown Evanston just in time for the holiday season. The garages at Sherman Plaza, Maple Avenue and Church Street, as well as Lot 60, located at 1234 Chicago Avenue, will observe free holiday parking Thursday, November 28, 2013 through Saturday, January 4, 2014.
For a map and listing of parking facilities, click here.
Hours of free parking for the self-park garages are weekdays from 5 p.m. to midnight and all day on Saturdays. City Lot #60, located at 1234 Chicago Avenue, will provide two hours of free parking between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays and after 5 p.m. on weekdays. Sunday parking is always free in the parking garages and lots.
The free holiday parking is to encourage residents and visitors to patronize the downtown and Dempster/Chicago business areas and use the convenient parking in the garages for shopping, fine dining and entertainment during the holiday season. Check out www.downtownevanston.org for a listing of shops and restaurants or to learn about the Downtown Evanston Gift Card.
The Evanston Art Center launches it's first Artist-In-Residence program - "The Living Studio"
The Evanston Art Center is pleased to announce an energetic new program called The Living Studio. The Living Studio is a community-based artist-in-residence program that provides a meaningful platform for local and national artists to transparently make and share knowledge about their artistic practices and processes and at the same time offer an opportunity for our various audiences to interact with a practicing artist in the act of making work. 
The Evanston Art Center welcomes artist Ben Whitehouse to the Living Studio work space from January 6 - April 13, 2014! The Living Studio will be an ongoing residency program with a second artist to be selected in the spring of 2014 for a late summer / fall engagement period. Interested individuals are encouraged to join us for the following Sunday afternoon open Living Studio sessions: Sundays, January 12 and February 9 from 1 to 4pm, when you can stop in and see what Ben is working on. On Sunday, April 6 Ben will give a more formal gallery talk. All of these sessions are free and open to the public. Additionally, Ben will be conducting a workshop on Saturday, March 22 from noon to 4pm. Please watch EAC's web site for further details on this special workshop: www.evanstonartcenter.org.
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Who's Hiring?
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Hot Mama, 1608 Sherman Ave. 
Part Time Stylist
Love to play dress up? Passionate about helping moms feel beautiful? Hot Mama is looking for a PT Stylist to help them empower, inspire + style moms at their Evanston location. Stylists are the frontlines. The product pioneers. The rock stars. They bring the Hot Mama customer experience to life every time they're on the floor. They have a fabulous personal sense of style + strong, positive communication skills. They are the reason our moms walk out the door feeling beautiful.
To apply, send resume and application to Breanne at breanne@hotmamaonline.com. Download + complete application at http://www.shopmama.com/careers.cfm.
Country Financial, 1015 Davis St.
Country Financial is an established and growing insurance and financial services company
interested in individuals who reside in the North Shore and surrounding areas! Click here to learn more about an exciting job opportunity and then visit their website to apply online!
World of Beer - Evanston, 1601 Sherman Ave.
Have a passion for Craft Beer? Dedicated to hospitality? Ready to pair awesome food with great beer? World of Beer- Evanston is looking for a few good people! Now hiring talented and enthusiast individuals to spread WOB Culture one beer at a time! Please visit http://wobusa.com/Locations/Evanston/Employment.aspx and stop by WOB- Evanston with your completed application and resume Monday through Thursday between 1:00PM - 4:00PM. We are looking forward to building our team! |
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Awesome Deals on the Downtown Evanston Mobile App!
| Click to download the Passport to Downtown Evanston App! The Passport to Downtown Evanston App is a great way to take advantage of all that downtown Evanston has to offer.  With over 90 participating businesses, there is sure to be something for everyone. Enjoy exciting discounts and special offers from local businesses for FREE! All you have to do is download the Passport to Downtown Evanston App to your iPhone or Android powered mobile phone.
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Downtown Evanston Visitor Information Center
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Make Downtown Evanston your one stop shop for visitor information. Whether it's information for out-of-town guests, or a long time resident, Downtown Evanston has all of the answers. While your there be sure to pick up a Downtown Evanston Gift Card now available at over 120 participating shopping, dining, and service businesses. Visit Downtown Evanston at 820 Davis St, Suite 151 |
Who is Downtown Evanston?
Downtown Evanston provides marketing and management services to the downtown Evanston Illinois district and is a 501(c) (6) non-profit corporation. The district that Downtown Evanston is responsible for is the Special Service Area 4 (SSA4), Illinois' equivalent of a Business Improvement District (BID). Established in 1987, Downtown Evanston is governed by a Board of Directors and works in partnership with the city of Evanston. |
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