By Grace Tucker | Bugle Staff
Continuing its mission of being a community hub The Promenade Bolingbrook is expanding itsLive 360° offerings for 2018.
The community driven initiative seeks to transform the shopping center into a gathering place filled with events surrounding art, culture, fashion, food, fitness and more.
“Live 360° has experiences, events and activities all curated from a combination of The Promenade Bolingbrook stores and the Bolingbrook area’s diverse community organizations,” said The Promenade Bolingbrook General Manager Tom Castagnoli.
“We brought the community together last year and did focus groups asking them what they would like to see here. From there we were able to add in four additional concerts as well as our three Friday night concerts in June, July and August. The community told us they loved the outdoor music,” said Kris Kuchler, Director of Marketing & Partnerships for The Promenade Bolingbrook.
“People love the concerts,” she said. “They love meeting and gathering with their friends here.
“We want to be the place to meet,” she said. “We love that we can do this for the community.”
Kuchler wants area groups to view the shopping center in a different light. The center already holds bi-monthly blood drives.
“We can host little club meetings, we have space opportunities,” she said.
“We have a chess club coming this year; [they] wants to teach people to play.
“We recently partnered with the village; we just did a severe weather class,” she said
There is definitely an education aspect to [some of our offerings].”
Kuchler said she is currently in talks with a local nonprofit basketball team. “They are thinking about practicing here,” she said.
“You have a club, you have a sports team, let’s see how we can help you, how we can bring that to us.”
The Promenade Bolingbrook seeks to not just be a community hub but a community partner.
For the upcoming Terra Cotta Chime Contest, that starts May 12, the center is partnering with the Bolingbrook Arts Council Commission to get the streets of the shopping center decorated with terra cotta chimes. The Promenade will provide the pot and a means to hang it. They are counting on the creativity of residents and area groups to really make the chimes ring out. To sweeten the pot, the chimes will up for online voting until mid-June with $200 and $100 gift cards awarded in various age categories to the top vote getters. The Promenade and the Arts Council promise even more events later in the summer.
“We’re very excited by this partnership,” said Phyllis Erickson, chairperson of the Arts Council.
On May 12, in honor of Mother’s Day, the Illinois Tollway Authority will also be at The Promenade doing kid’s seat safety check. It is also the grand opening of the new kids playground, Kuchler said.
“With some of our events we ask for a small fee and we donate that fee to a local agency and then become partners with them,” Kuchler said. “It’s a great way to be give back to the community.”
For the upcoming June 29 Pet Parade the small parade entry fee is donated to local nonprofit animal groups.
Kuchler said they are working on more than just summer events seeking year-round programming.
“In the winter we try to find the stores that we can do indoor events,” she said.
“This past winter Asian Kitchen partnered with Macy’s to do different cosmetic classes.
“We want, need more people coming to us with their ideas,” she said. “People don’t think of us like that yet but bring your club here; we have tables and chairs. It’s an opportunity for the club to get out and be seen as well.”
To find out more about upcoming events at The Promenade visit www.shoppingpromenade.com/events/ or www.facebook.com/bbartscouncil/