blue sky inn

UPCOMING EVENTS | PAST EVENTS

SINGLES dinnerPARTY | february 13 & 14
There are lots of things that Blue Sky Bakery is good at; minding our own business is not one of them. We have not been able to help noticing how many dazzling single customers we have, so we're officially butting in. This is the plan:

On Saturday, February 13th and Sunday, February 14th at 7 pm, we will be hosting dinner parties just for single folks. Eight men and eight women at each party, and the guests will be paired up with a partner to help prepare one of the courses of the Cupidmeal. You will have an opportunity to show off your cooking skills or learn a few new tricks while becoming acquainted with someone new.

Registration is $30 per person, and includes a four-course meal, complimentary wine pairings and the benefits of our heretofore unproven matchmaking skills. If you are ready to let us interfere in your personal life and want to reserve a spot, please send your name, age, and whether you have a preference for Saturday the 13th or Sunday the 14th to lisa@blueskyinn.org or call 773-478-CAFE.

one-stop valentine's day shopping | february 13 & 14
Stop by the bakery on Saturday, February 13 or Sunday, February 14th to pick up a mix & match box of sweets for your sweetie. Choose from red velvet cupcakes, cheesecake brownies, raspberry linzer heart cookies, dark chocolate hazelnut truffles, and lots more. You pick your favorites and we'll help you assemble a decorative box on the spot. We'll also have materials available for you to make a Valentine card to accompany your gift. The cards & wrapping will be available for no extra charge, and the pastries are priced individually. Can you feel the love?

dinnerPARTY | february 24
In honor of the Olympics, we're exploring the cuisine of our neighbors to the north, Canada! Their hearty, French-influenced fare provides great inspiration for this cold weather. $30, three courses, complimentary wine pairings selected and poured by Time Out Chicago's Food and Wine Editor, David Tamarkin.

dinnerPARTY | october 15
Each month, we host a freewheelin', family-style, three-course dinner party at the cafe. Since the last dinner sold out so quickly, we thought we would announce two at once. If you would like to reserve a spot, please indicate which dinner you are selecting (or both.)

* Thursday, October 15th: Fall Comfort Foods (sorry, will not be vegetarian-friendly)

$30 per guest includes three courses and cocktails and/or wine paired with each course. Dinners take place at the cafe from 7-9 pm. RSVP to reserve your seat today!

a taste of success | fall fundraiser 2009
I hope you'll join us for our signature fundraising event, A Taste of Success, on Friday, November 13th from 6-9 pm. The event will feature hors d'oeuvres and desserts created by the youth working at Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe, a silent auction, a display of artwork created by youth in our eXpressions program, and custom cocktails created and served by expert mixologists from the Illinois Bartenders Guild. We are excited to again have Southern Wine & Spirits as our generous sponsor.

The event will take place in the heart of downtown Chicago at Marwen's Berkowitz Gallery @ 833 N. Orleans. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online here (please write Nov. 13 on designation line,) or by sending a check to:

Blue Sky Inn | 3056 W. Sunnyside Ave., #3 | Chicago, IL 60625

In addition to this being a fun way to wrap up the week and a good excuse to see if you can get away with sequins under your jacket at work (we say Yes,) these events are great chances to celebrate with our many supporters: our Board of Directors, our arts program volunteers, our cafe and Farmers Market customers, and everyone else who makes our work possible and successful. We hope to see you there.

pie TASTING | 21 & 22 november 2009
Back by popular demand, Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe will once again host a pie tasting on Saturday, November 21st and Sunday, November 22nd from 10 am - 3 pm. $5 will get you a sample of three of our signature pies and your choice of coffee, hot tea or apple cider. Reservations are not required.

Whole pies are available for Thanksgiving (or any other time) and can be picked up until Wednesday, November 25th. Pumpkin pies are $14, dutch apple and chocolate pecan pies are $20 each, and our pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust is $24. Email or call to place your order.

Vantage Points
Although you may have become familiar with Blue Sky Inn because of our job training program, we also maintain a creative arts program called eXpressions. Through this program, youth are given opportunities to explore photography, creative writing, painting, drawing, and collage. For the month of June, our youths' artwork was on display at the ARC Gallery (832 W. Superior St. #204.) The opening night reception was Friday, June 6 from 6-9 pm. We hope you were able to join us to see the unique perspective of youth who have been homeless, grown up in the housing projects of Chicago, and/or have been incarcerated.

Custom House Fundraiser
On October 13th 2007, blue sky inn was pleased to welcome their guests to Custom House, acclaimed chef Shawn McClain’s newest restaurant. The evening featured passed seasonal hors d'oeuvres, signature cocktails by Master Mixologist Bridget Albert and members of the U.S. Bartenders Guild, and a silent auction. The auction included opportunities to bid on your 'dream job,' including food critic, chef, museum critic, and many more.

The Sky's the Limit
In conjunction with their 100th anniversary, the law firm of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal generously hosted an art exhibit and auction of youth artwork at their Sears Tower offices on October 26th, 2006. Guests had the opportunity to enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres while they placed bids in a silent and live auction, hosted by WGN News' Fred Shropshire. Twenty-four youth participants also attended the event, giving them an opportunity to meet the individuals admiring and purchasing their artwork.

Summer Resolutions Party
Guests gathered at Nick's Beer Garden (1551 N. Milwaukee) on Saturday, July 15th to wash away their sins from the first half of the year and kick-start their good intentions for the rest of the year. The silent auction featured original artwork from the Bird Machine, gift certificates for writing classes, sneak previews of independent films, fine dining, theatre tickets, and lots more.

This City is Our Home
Photographs, Paintings and Essays by Homeless Youth in Chicago.We are grateful to our friends at 826CHI for hosting our first public exhibit of artwork created by the youth in our weekly programs. Fifteen homeless men and women ranging in ages from 17 to 24 contributed essays, paintings and photographs depicting their lives on the streets of Chicago.

Copies of any of the photos displayed in our gallery are available for $25. Please contact Lisa Thompson at (773) 710-7346 or lisa@blueskyinn.org to order a print.

SAVOR: A tasting fundraiser
On February 22, 2006, 185 guests gathered at Grotto on State in support of blue sky inn and our friends at Free Street. Our sponsors Tanqueray and Ciroc mixed specialty martinis all night, and Grotto served an incredible array of passed hors d'oeuvres. A raffle added to the excitement and provided blue sky inn with an additional $500 in contributions. Thanks to everyone who made this event such a fun success!
(no additional photos available for this event)

Skylight 2005
On September 23, 2005, blue sky inn hosted its first public fundraising event for over 100 supporters at the ARC Gallery (734 N. Milwaukee Avenue.) Refreshments were provided by our sponsors Stella Artois, Becks Premier Light and Lindemans Wines. Guests enjoyed bidding on the silent auction, with items generously donated by Wilco, McSweeney's, Art & Science Salon, Chestnut Grill & Wine Bar, moto, The Chopping Block, and many more. In addition to the gallery's extensive international exhibits, artwork created by youth participating in blue sky inn programming was also on display.