It’s both our annual gala AND a family-friendly, interactive festival!
Celebrate the creativity of Chicago’s youth!
Silent Auction!
Games!
Food + Drinks!
Open Bar for adult guests!
360 Photo Booth!
And of course, LIVE performances of stories written by our students for the 2023/24 School Year!
Carly Ciarrocchi is an Emmy-nominated performer, writer, musician, and producer. She has spent most of her career in children’s media, hosting TV shows like Sunny Side Up (Sprout), Snug’s House and The Big Fun Crafty Show (Universal Kids), and Weird But True (Disney+). All four shows earned Daytime Emmy nominations. As a producer and writer, she’s worked with Nick Jr, Amazon Kids, PBS Kids, and Sesame Workshop. She’s written music for Sprout/Universal Kids and is a vocalist/songwriter on two Grammy Award-winning children’s albums. Carly hosts multiple kids’ podcasts including Tinkercasts’ Who When Wow: Mystery Edition and Pinna’s Hey Story Go! She also serves as co-creator/producer on the latter. Carly is also a speaker and emcee, working often with the LEGO Foundation and other organizations that advocate for creativity and play. Whether she’s talking to preschoolers or policymakers, her work invites all ages to create, imagine, explore, fail, connect, bounce, wonder, feel and play more - together.
Attire: Fancy Schmancy where you can come Fancy – dressed to the nines in your best attire. Or you can come Schmancy – with a silly hat or funny outfit that expresses YOU!
You can bid on our amazing Silent Auction Prizes at the event, or remotely from anywhere!
Silent Auction items include: A Trip to Mexico with Vidanta Resorts, An At-Home Dungeons & Dragons Session With a Professional D.M., Dining Packages, Theatre tickets, and MORE! Stay tuned for a preview and get those bids ready!
By Imani G., 4th Grade, South Loop School
Poems
Songs
Monkeys Come Alive
Podcasts
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
I wear a metal mask just in case. Just in case I fall on my face. I just don’t like to taste ground in my face. I may being walking down the street. And trip on my feet. Those memories I don’t wanna keep. So just in case. I wear a mask of metal on my face.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Desirae V., Loyola Park After School Program
Songs
Monkeys Come Alive
Podcasts
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
One day I was playing video games. I went to the moon with my friends. My friends came to my grammother house. My favorite color is pink. I like to eat chicken. Moon dance Oh baby? Oh baby I like to eat McDonalds My favorite thing is the color orange I like to exercise I drink root beer I like to watch T.V.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Jannel C., 5th Grade, Harold Washington Elementary
Songs
Monkeys Come Alive
That's Weird, Grandma
The Knowheres were lived in the middle of knowhere. The Knowhere were a family of 15 teen 5 daughters, 5 sons, 3 grandparents plus the parents. The children were very bad. They screamed and hollard and threw things at each other but then were smart and obediant Elawiese was the first daughter but she always hopes and dreams. So the other kids always laugh at her but did not care. So she decided to go to America and no to surprise she was asked where she live and she said no where. So they bought her a house so she lived happily in America.