It’s that time of year again!
Join us for our 5th WonderFest! WonderFest is our free annual social event that takes place over a weekend at Wonderland every October. It is a time to relax, connect and enjoy the land together.
This year we have new and recurring workshops we are very excited to share with you all! Take a look at the weekend’s schedule:
Saturday:
Morning - Painting with wild paints, enjoying making watercolor paintings with paint made from the plants of Wonderland by Natalie. Forager, doula and Wonderlander Natalie harvested plants throughout the summer at Wonderland to make natural paints for the painting with wild paints workshop which will kick off WonderFest on Saturday morning. This is an all ages workshop and all art supplies will be provided.
Early Afternoon - Pakistani Zines, an all ages workshop with Noor & Rehmah. Noor Jahan Sufi Slater is a musician, artist, and researcher who is endlessly fascinated by nature. They are currently in middle school and a voracious reader. Rehmah Sufi was born in Lahore, Pakistan where she was raised on an abundance of flora, fauna, folklore, and fables. She loves to weave them all together in various artforms.
Zines (little booklets usually made of folded paper) are an easy and accessible way to encapsulate ideas you want to share. Or memories you want to keep. They are used by educators, organizers, children, artists, and writers to spread information and showcase creativity. This workshop will be a collective art and memory making process where we will fold paper to make a zine and use the riches of Wonderland, such as leaves, sticks, and flowers, to give shape to what we want to share with others or memorialize for ourselves.
There will be additional materials, such as threads and needles, paints and colors, print materials, péncil shavings, fabric fragments, etc. Whether you've been making them for years or have never made one, we hope you will create something you love, maybe learn a new way to use materials you like, and show us a bit of what you want to share about the world. All materials provided.
Afternoon - Human Portraiting using Needle Felting with Sol. Flaneur, saunterer, distraction facilitator from Chi-México. Polymathmother of a couple of teens. Sol was bestowed three divine gifts: restful deep sleep regardless of situation; creation of parking spaces anywhere and neglecting cringing shame/or/shame. Sometimes taken by a demigod, the rest shriveled as a regular person who likely needs help or company (do offer).
Evening - Woodland dance party with DJ Night Wolf, costumes welcomed and encouraged. Dj Night Wolf is the dance floor alter ego of Chicago painter Brandon Harrod. Harrod also runs punk label Mooster Records and experimental electronic label Chunka Records. He makes noise music under the name bwaack. brandonharrod.com - linktr.ee/brandon.harrod
Sunday:
Early Morning - Games with Sol
Late Morning - Beavers and Bird Migration activity with Nina. I am an Illinois Master Naturalist and a C3 Sustainability Leader with Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. I am also a certified Forest Therapy Guide as well as an avid Nature Journaler(I am almost a Nature Journaling Educator). I organized the first Chicago Beaver Festival in May 2026 and am currently planning the second one. I am a devoted advocate for beavers and birds, all animals and communities and I go where I can be of service. I like to read, express myself through poetry, love gardening and my backyard and enjoy spending time with my family, my cat Ollie and my friends.
What do Beavers and Claude Monet Have In Common? Come learn what our favorite Ecosystem Engineer and Impressionist painter Claude Monet have in common. Learn about ponds and water lilies.
Why Birds Need our Help: Learn about the Mississippi Flyway and how Chicago and surrounding areas can support and protect birds during Fall migration.
Late Afternoon - You’re Nature/Your Nature yoga workshop with Marcelyn. Play with a synergistic combination of accessible poses, moves, breathing ways, and meditation that tap into the powers of nature’s elements within you. You are a force of nature! This practice can be for all ages and will be adapted for whoever shows up.
Marcelyn (Marci/Mar) Cole (she/ they) is a healing-justice focused yoga and workshop facilitator who is also an outdoor early childhood guide and a middle-aged white cis lady. She learns from and shares accessible yoga practices with groups and individuals across spectrums of age, ability, and identity.
We’ll also have a move at your own pace treasure hunt with prizes on Saturday and Sunday. Expect cat butts, weird stuff and cool prizes in this treasure hunt organized by Wonderlanders Nico, Mos and Vanessa, to be completed at your own pace during the whole weekend!
People are welcome to come for the day or camp overnight on Saturday. Please bring your own camping supplies, food, water, bug spray, & chairs. There will be a fire to cook over and a couple of camp stoves.
WonderFest starts Saturday at 10am and goes until Sunday at 4pm. Please RSVP by October 9th so we can send you all the details and let us know if you’ll be up for a day or camping overnight.
Looking forward to spending time together at the land!
