Trivia is not trivial

Celebrate Juneteenth and the 4th

Juneteenth

First off, in honor of Juneteenth, there’s an article in the Herald that lists a bunch of activities, but there are two they missed.

On Juneteenth itself, there is a celebration at Promontory Point featuring a Hyde Park Classic, the drummers.

And in celebration of Juneteenth but happening on the weekend, there is a free talk sponsored by HPKCC featuring Shermann “Dilla” Thomas who has turned his love of history, shared on Tik Tok, into a career. As he says, everything dope comes from Chicago! This is a great opportunity to hear him live. It’s in the Museum of Science and Industry this Saturday June 21. Just tell the guard when you enter the museum that you are there for the HPKCC event. Do register ahead of time.

Hyde Park Trivia (Smart People/Stupid Games)

Second of all, I was invited a while ago to help out the Nichols Park Advisory Council, which runs amazing programs for the community. Next up is the 4th on 53rd Parade. It used to be a little ad hoc affair. Though it’s kept some of that flavor—like the kid’s Bike Brigade of decorated bikes—it’s gotten more elaborate every year. Floats! Marching bands! Even Hollywood! It’s still a great community event though the costs have doubled in the last few years. They also put on a Sunday evening concert series that’s lovely on a summer evening. There’s Shakespeare in the park—by two groups this year!

So when they asked if I’d help them pick up some money for the park by curating a Trivia Contest at Jimmy’s (a Hyde Park institution since the 1940s), I said sure. How hard could it be? Turns out it’s hard!

I had no problem coming up with questions of all kinds, but I had no experience of trivia nights so I had to start thinking. The questions had to have one definitive and demonstrable answer. There had to be some easy questions but not too easy so all the teams have some success. There had to be hard questions to separate out the teams. I had to think a lot about what a normal person might know! That meant the answers had to be knowable if around the neighborhood—especially someone who reads historic markers, etc. Or deducible from multiple choice options. It does help if someone has been reading my Herald articles. I figured with my name in lights on the poster, people would take the hint. But I made sure the answers were out there in other forms if someone was reading a lot about Hyde Park. And then there are the tie breaker questions. You really have to know your stuff. I should add that some of the questions are by others so take an angle I wouldn’t have thought of. Most of all, I’m hoping the questions are fun!

In double checking things, I’ve come across fun facts—trivia even I didn’t know—but if I brought them up, it would be a clue as to what questions I was working on. That’s made me quite silent! I can say that there will be 10 questions in 3 categories:
People, Places, Events; 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition; Hyde “Parks.”

Do come to Jimmy’s Thursday evening June 26. Teams donate $20 to get a card. A team can be anywhere from 1 to 4 people. If nothing else, come to see whether the hard work pays off in fun and give a donation to one of the great parks of Hyde Park. Or you can help out with a donation here:

https://4thon53rdparade.com/donate%2Fsponsor

Celebrate the 4th of July

Thirdly, for me, the reason Hyde Park is worth writing about is twofold. It’s a microcosm of the great sweep of American history and, when it came out of the destruction of urban renewal, there was a determined effort to create a real community. It’s eroding after fifty years, but there are still reminders that Hyde Park isn’t just a collection of urban buildings. One of the great reminders is the 4th on 53rd Parade itself. Do plan to come! Or you can sign up to volunteer. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0A4BACAD22AAFD0-57304625-4thon53rd#/

Or if you have a group, sign up to march https://4thon53rdparade.com/march

Twenty years ago I blogged about the parade when it was still a small affair. It still has all that but now it has 8 floats including one advertising Superman the movie—Hollywood!—and very intense high school marching bands. It’s a for-real parade! When I’m not marching, I prefer the shade of Hyde Park Boulevard to the big crowds and full sun of 53rd Street.

My favorite part of the parade every year is the Broken Arrow Riding Club:

And after the parade, there’s a great free festival in the park.

Be a part of community! Celebrate “We the People”