Children participating in the OZ FESTIVAL parade can disguise themselves as the Scarecrow, the Tin Man or the Lion, or put on red shoes and make-believe they’re Dorothy. Then they can follow characters from Emerald City’s upcoming production of “The Wizard of Oz” and collect a goody bag along the way. On Saturday and Sunday the festival will have performances by the Happiness Club, Joel Frankel (also known as the Partysaurus), musicians from the Old Town School of Folk Music and other entertainers to create happy endings for all.
Oz Festival: Parade, 9:30 a.m. Saturday; Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West. Free. Festival, 6-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, between Cannon Drive and the lagoon, south of Fullerton Avenue and east of Lincoln Park Zoo. $3-$4 adults, $1 children. 773-929-8686.
In the Field Museum’s exhibit called “Place for Wonder,” kids can take a break from the hubbub of the hands-on activities there and listen to a story. This weekend they will hear a tale written and illustrated by Eric Carle about a very busy spider. After hearing the book they will be able to make a more tranquil arachnid out of red construction paper for the body and black yarn for the legs and then glue him to a paper plate to be hung on the wall.
Each of the following weeks, through Sept. 1, will bring a different story and activity including one where children can create a caterpillar out of an egg carton, with pipe cleaners for antennas.
Story Time: Facts, Fables and Fiction, 1 p.m. daily; “The Very Busy Spider,” through Sunday; “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” Monday-Aug. 10; “Cats,” Aug. 11-17; “Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs,” Aug. 18-24; “Rainbow Fish,” Aug. 25-Sept. 1; Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive. Free with museum admission, $7 adults, $4 children. 312-922-9410.
Jamie Wyeth is following in the artistic footsteps of his grandfather, N.C. Wyeth, and his father, Andrew Wyeth. Children can see the tales he tells with his paintbrush in an exhibit called “N.C. Wyeth and His Grandson: A Legacy” at the Terra Museum.
Visitors can see the illustrations he created for a book called “Cabbages and Kings” about a rivalry between a tall, lean stalk of asparagus and a roly-poly cabbage, and how these odd fellows become friends and discover they can both be members of royalty in their own way. Then, in a workshop, the youngsters can depict stories from their imaginations using paint and materials to assemble a collage.
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“Family Fair: Draw a Story,” 1-3 p.m. Sunday, guided tour and workshop for ages 5-12; Terra Museum of American Art, 664 N. Michigan Ave. Free, reservations required. 312-664-3939.
Singer Nelson Gill has reason to celebrate. He received a 1996/1997 Parents Choice Award and a 1997 Director’s Choice Award for his recording “One World, One Light.” So it’s time to loosen up the hips and limber up the body for Gill’s concert at Ravinia because this native of Belize, now transplanted to Chicago, brought his musical baggage with him. He will have members of the audience doing reggae to songs such as “We Gonna Have Some Fun Today” and trying their luck at the limbo as he sings “Everybody Limbo.”
Kraft Kids Concert: Nelson Gill, 11 a.m. Saturday; Ravinia, Lake-Cook and Green Bay Roads, Highland Park. $5. 847-266-5100.