Children's ‘running of the bulls' highlights Hemingway Birthday Weekend in Oak Park

Chicago Tribune

14-07-2025

Three days of readings, a lecture, musical performances and even a children's version of the running of the bulls are planned for the Hemingway Birthday Weekend, July 18-20 in Oak Park.
'Part of our mission is his legacy,' said Keith Strom, executive director of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park, which runs the annual event. 'Him being born in Oak Park in 1899 is part of our institutional programming.'
Strom said in addition to commemorating Hemingway's local connections, the weekend 'also allows us to give voice to the foundation and our mission of not only his legacy but also our work towards supporting artists of today and tomorrow.'
The events also help support the Hemingway Business District financially by bringing in visitors.
This year's Hemingway Birthday Weekend will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1925 publication of 'In Our Time,' a collection of short stories and vignettes which became Hemingway's American debut.
'It was the seminal start of his career,' Strom said.
To introduce people to that work, there will be a tour of the Hemingway Business District on July 18 with stops at three locations for readings from the book.
Reading 1, at 6 p.m. at Yoga Loft, 115 N. Oak Park Ave., will be an interpretive discussion of 'Indian Camp' by Hemingway Foundation volunteer Renee Malknecht, who is a former literature teacher.
Reading 2, at 7 p.m. at Dandelion Bookstore, 139 S. Oak Park Ave. will feature 'Soldier's Home,' with Nancy W. Sindelar, vice chair of the Hemingway Foundation, doing an interpretive discussion.
The series concludes with Reading 3 at 8 p.m. at Scoville Building, 137 N. Oak Park Ave., with an interpretive discussion of 'Big Two-Hearted River' by Hemingway scholar J. Gerald Kennedy.
All three readings are offered free of charge.
The weekend celebration continues from 10 a.m.-noon on July 19 with the 2025 Kids Running of the Bulls, another free event. Children will decorate their own cardboard bull and parade them around Scoville Park at 800 Lake St. The event is produced in collaboration with the Hemingway Business District and the Collaboration for Early Childhood.
'It's been a remarkable success over the years,' Strom reported. 'It's a lot of fun.'
From 3-4:30 p.m. on July 19, educator J. Gerald Kennedy will present the Hemingway Birthday Lecture at Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. in the Veterans Room.
'Professor Kennedy is probably the main scholar around 'In Our Time,' because he was the editor of the Norton Critical Edition of 'In Our Time,'' Strom said. Kennedy is also the author of books about Hemingway called 'Imagining Paris' and 'French Connections,' the latter coedited with Jackson Bryer.
'I was vice president of the Hemingway Foundation for nine years and I have taught Hemingway for my entire academic career,' Kennedy said.
Kennedy praised 'In Our Time' as 'Hemingway's first important work. It was really a huge breakthrough for Hemingway. It was the start of his career. It marked Hemingway as a significant author.'
Kennedy is calling his lecture, 'The Rough Edges of In Our Time.'
'This is a collection of pieces that Hemingway composed over approximately two-and-a-half years,' Kennedy said. 'When he began the process, he had no idea where he was going. He started writing short pieces that appealed to him that in some way represented his own experience or his sense of the modern world after the Great War.'
The process of creating the book was hampered by a series of mishaps, including the traumatizing loss of manuscripts, Kennedy said.
In terms of the 'Rough Edges,' Kennedy explained, 'Even in the final work there are still many elements that you scratch your head at.'
The only weekend event with a charge is the Hemingway Birthday Porch Concert with Local Memory and Lydia Cash, 7-9 p.m. July 19 at the Hemingway Birthplace Museum, 339 N. Oak Park Ave. Admission is $15.
Strom said they chose these newer local groups because, 'It works with what we're trying to do in terms of supporting new artists.
The Chicago-based group Local Memory, which started about a year-and-a-half ago, consists of Amy Myers (songwriter, rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist); Lucas Chamberlain (electric guitar); Matt Ciani (bass guitar); Nico Ciani (drummer); Nicole Murray (keyboards); and Lydia Cash (backup vocalist, viola).
'I feel like we're kind of country-adjacent indie-rock. The alternative is the best I've been able to come up with at this time,' Myers said.
They have performed at Chicago venues including The Empty Bottle, The Hideout and Judson & Moore.
'We perform original music,' said Myers, who writes all of the band's songs. 'Occasionally, we'll throw in a cover or two.' She has been writing songs for a decade.
At the Hemingway Birthday Porch Concert, Myers said, 'We're going to split the bill with our friend Lydia Cash. She's going to perform her original music as well. She's releasing a new record. We split band members.'
The gig means a lot to Local Memory, Myers said. 'We love the opportunity to play outside, especially in such a historic town on such a big day for celebration.'
The weekend celebration concludes with a concert of American roots and country music by Reverie Stone, 6-7:30 p.m. July 20 at Scoville Park, 800 Lake St.
Strom praised the Hemingway Birthday Weekend for 'providing an opportunity for educators to show their talents and their knowledge.'
In addition, Strom indicated that he enjoys acknowledging student scholarship winners at the Porch Concert.
'I get a kick out of that kind of stuff,' he declared.
More information is at hemingwaybirthplace.com.