The Mix: Cool things to do in Chicago June 18-24

There’s a whole lot of local entertainment options to enjoy online in the week ahead.

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Dennis DeYoung will perform during the FEED Chicago Virtual Summer Fest.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Music for a cause

The usual street fests are a no-go this summer, but that doesn’t mean all is lost. The FEED Chicago Virtual Summer Fest featuring Dennis DeYoung (of Styx) and Jim Peterik (of Survivor) will stream live at 7 p.m. June 18 to benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Also performing are Omar Sanchez Omi, Sixteen Candles, Michael McDermott, Wedding Banned and Boy Band Review. Viewers are encouraged to make donations (starting at $5) before or during the event. To register, go to feedchicagofest.eventbrite.com.

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Brian Selznick directs a puppet show.

Brian Selznick

Fun fest for kids

Chicago Children’s Theatre’s summer festival Boing! goes online for some imaginative, free fun at home. Featured is the debut of the puppet show “Doll Face Has a Party!” directed by writer-illustrator Brian Selznick (“The Invention of Hugo Cabret”). Also, GQ of the Q Brothers performs a new Javid Music Party solo song, illustrator Christian Robinson (“Last Stop on Market Street”) leads a craft activity, actors from the musical “Frederick” perform a song from the show and kids can learn new dance moves, help solve a mysterious puzzle and take part in a sing-along with Nick Davio. The fun begins at 10 a.m. June 20. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

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Visitors celebrate the 2019 summer solstice at Stonehenge.

Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

Ancient summer ritual

Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, usually hosts one of the world’s most popular celebrations of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, to watch the sun rise behind the Heel Stone. This year, in hopes that people will stay away, the English Heritage organization will for the first time offer live streams of the sunset at 3:26 p.m. June 20 (Chicago time) and the sunrise at 10:52 p.m. on its social media sites. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/englishheritage.

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Ed Jones (from left), Ryan Oates, David Cerda and Grant Drager play characters from “The Golden Girls.”

Rick Aguilar Studios

Fab four return

Hell in a Handbag Productions streams “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 4 — Lockdown!,” its first online production. In this next installment of the series inspired by the beloved television sitcom, Blanche returns from SantaCom with souvenirs, wild tales and possible Legionnaires disease, which forces the ladies into a 30-day quarantine. Written by David Cerda and directed by Spenser Davis, “Lockdown!” stars Cerda (as Dorothy), Grant Drager (Blanche), Ed Jones (Rose) and Ryan Oates (Sophia). Streams from June 25-Aug. 15. Tickets: $20. Visit handbagproductions.org.

Celebrate Juneteenth

Black Culture Week, a celebration of the achievements of African Americans, kicks off with the debut of the Juneteenth Holiday City-Wide Caravan beginning at noon June 19 with a panel discussion titled “What’s So Special about June 19?” (Juneteenth is a cultural holiday celebrating the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people were emancipated in the United States.) The caravan then travels through historic Chicago neighborhoods and sites. On the way there’s a food giveaway and a Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Garfield Park plus a spoken-word concert at the final destination, the A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum on the South Side. For more information or to stream, go to facebook.com/BlackCultureWeek or blackcultureweek.com.

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Patrick Donley performs at the Driehaus Museum.

Driehaus Museum

Museum music

From the stunning interiors of the Driehaus Museum comes Live from the Drawing Room, a streamed concert with pianist Patrick Donley and vocalist Ana Everling. From Schubert to Joplin, Donley’s joyful piano playing and Everling’s accomplished vocals are a perfect pairing. There’s also a cocktail demonstration and a curator offers thoughts on aspects of the museum’s collection. Streams free at 8 p.m. June 18 on the museum’s social media channels. Visit driehausmuseum.org.

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Have virtual breakfast with a Lincoln Park Zoo tree frog.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Zoo life

You can stay in touch with your animal pals via a variety of streaming experiences offered by the Lincoln Park Zoo. “Amazing Animals & Human Senses” (6 p.m. June 18) is a magic workshop with illusionist Jeanette Andrews that explores hidden sensory abilities in both animal and humans. She takes participants through sensory illusions and teaches a magic trick using only a sheet of paper and a pencil. Curator Dan Boehm hosts the “Virtual Breakfast with the Animals” (10 a.m. June 21) with a visit to the inhabitants of the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House and a discussion of why amphibian populations have been declining. Tickets are $15 per event. Visit lpzoo.org/events.

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Clem Snide

Crackerfarm

On the road at home

Clem Snide (AKA Eef Barzelay) should be on the road touring behind his fine new ablum “Forever Just Beyond,” his first effort in five years. Instead, like many, he’s gone virtual, including a performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Home Concert.” Performing with the album’s producer, Scott Avett, he offers a sampling of new songs including the haunting “Roger Ebert,” inspired by the reported final words of the Sun-Times critic: “It’s all an elaborate hoax.” During the performance, the duo maintain social distancing as evidenced by the tape measure at the forefront of the screen, and one plucky rooster tries to join in the singing. Stream at npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/

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