This July 4, the Obama Presidential Center will launch a new series of free, family-friendly events and activities called “You Are America.”
This eight-week series honors the inclusive spirit of America and aims to welcome neighbors across Chicago and the world to the center’s campus to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The series will kick off with a free July 4 celebration called “The People’s Fourth,” featuring live music with Melody Angel, Mucca Pazza and DJ Hot Rod; self-guided tours; and family-friendly activities across the campus.
The “You Are America” series will run through August and will include talks, films and community events marking this historic milestone.
Live sets on the John Lewis Plaza by legendary DJs, DJ Lady D and Jesse De La Pena, will celebrate Chicago House Music on July 10.
On July 17, the center will host a symposium in the Forum Building and the Elie Wiesel Auditorium, co-curated with Eric Williams as part of The Silver Room’s Sound System Block Party Weekend.
The symposium will focus on America through the lens of community, art and culture. The events are designed to engage a broad audience from Chicago, the Midwest, and across the country — uniting community members, cultural practitioners and scholars in a dialogue that connects civic involvement with history and the arts.
Subsequent festival activities will be held at various other Chicago locations. Talent and tickets will be announced soon.
Garden Gatherings will be hosted in the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden every other week from July 12 to Sept. 20, in partnership with Urban Growers Collective.
These free open-house style gatherings feature live music from local DJs, hands-on gardening activities in the garden classroom, and a culinary outpost featuring seasonal bites from BAMJoy, the center’s restaurant and catering partner.
For its first Movies on the Plaza experience on July 21, the center will feature a sing-along screening of “Hamilton,” the filmed Broadway production that reimagines the founding era through a contemporary lens blending hip-hop, R&B and traditional musical theater to tell the story of America’s revolutionary beginnings.
The second movie, “Encanto,” will be screened on Aug. 11.
A special performance on July 27 by the Chicago Philharmonic brings Side by Side, its flagship community program, to the John Lewis Plaza. This outdoor tradition brings together community musicians with those of the Chicago Philharmonic for an exciting summer evening concert led by Artistic Director Scott Speck.
The program honors trailblazing artists including Florence Price, John Williams, Carlos Simon, and William Grant Still — with a performance by musicians of all ages that is rooted in collaboration, connection and the spirit of “we.”
On Aug. 4, community members and visitors are invited to join a karaoke celebration in honor of President Obama’s birthday on the John Lewis Plaza, singing classics from soul, R&B and contemporary music.
A celebration of Chicago’s diverse food culture is set for Aug. 22 with a panel, in the Elie Wiesel Auditorium, to explore how culinary arts narrate the rich and complex story of American history and shape identity, place and community. The panel will feature American chefs Matthew Raiford, Maya-Camille Broussard, Cliff Rome, and award-winning author Adrian Miller. After the talk, guests can try dishes prepared by chefs from across Chicago, in partnership with Chicago Chefs Cook.
The phrase “You Are America” also refers to the words emblazoned on the exterior of the museum building at the center, a quote about the power and promise of America that draws a meaningful line between the history that made the Obamas’ story possible, the narrative in the museum, and the ongoing work of The Obama Foundation.
