The Chicago History Museum collaborates with local community leaders, artists, and youth to set the stage every summer for Civic Season in partnership with Made By Us. Instead of a single commemorative event on Independence Day, our programming starts Juneteenth and continues with Civic Saturdays all leading toward our final program on Independence Day.

Included with general admission, which is FREE for Illinois residents on this day.

11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. – League of Women Voters

Want to learn more about voting in Chicago? Need to register to vote in Illinois? Come speak with the amazing volunteers from League of Women Voters to talk more about the importance of voting and civic life and register to vote on-site! 2nd floor, Jo Baskin Minow Balcony Gallery

11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. – Hands-On History – Arts Activation with Chava Mancera

Come make your own art with teaching artist Chava Mancera to celebrate civic action and the nation’s Latino/a/e communities! Share your creations with other visitors or take it home to impress your friends and family. 1st floor, Holleb Learning Center

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. – Arts and Crafts for Social Change

Chicago has a long history of protest and civic action. Come contribute to this history by making your own art to let the public know what matters to you. There will be button making, protest sign making, and even a chance to write letters to local, state, and even federal elected officials! 1st floor, Guild Conference Room

1:00–2:30 p.m. – | “Corridos of the Semiquincentennial: Voice of Courage and Hope”

This musical storytelling project developed by Sones de México Ensemble honors eight national heroes through the creation and performance of eight new traditional Mexican corridos. Corridos are epic ballads and heroic tales that date back to the 1840s. They narrate stories and celebrate remarkable acts of courage and defiance from a folk perspective.

Join us for a family-friendly presentation of these and other corridos, narrated in Spanish and English by Juan Díes and members of the ensemble, that combines live music, storytelling, projected visuals, and audience interaction.

This program is sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts | America 250.

11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. – Capstone Clique & West Side Love Map

A Westside-based collaborative of local artists and community advocates, Capstone Clique focuses on historic preservation of the West Side and the production of public-facing and interactive art, building awareness and spreading appreciation for the Westside. In partnership with local organizations and CHM, Capstone Clique developed monthly programs featuring the screening of their documentary Love Letter to the Westside, the “West Side Love Map,” an interactive mapping project to collect residents’ memories of key West Side places and spaces, and an unfurling of West Side-focused materials from CHM’s collection.

Join us to see the amazing work this group has co-created with community members and engage in your own hands-on arts activities, too! 1st floor, Guild Conference Room

In addition to this day’s full slate of programming, CHM is excited to partner with Illinois Humanities, the Illinois America 250 Commission, and StoryCorps Studios to host the “Illinois Voices 240 Community Recording Day.” Come to CHM and record a time-capsule conversation with other Illinoisans. Let future generations know who you are, what you care about, and what you think is important about this moment in our country’s history. Recorded conversations will be archived at the Library of Congress!

For more information about this program, visit this link.