Transportation & Parking
Q: Where am I going?A: The Loyola web site offers directions to campus.
By taxi or Airport Express, your goal is Loyola University, Loyola University, Regis Hall, 6340 North Winthrop Avenue, Chicago, IL 60626. Registration is here, in the building on the southwest corner of Sheridan Road and North Winthrop Avenue.
By elevated train, you'll exit the Red Line train at the Loyola stop. Walk south on Sheridan Road to Devon Ave, then east on Devon to North Winthrop Avenue. Registration is in Regis Hall, 6340 North Winthrop Avenue, Chicago, IL 60626. Registration is here, in the building on the southwest corner of Sheridan Road and North Winthrop Avenue.
By car, your goal is the Loyola University parking garage, on the northwest corner of Sheridan Road and Winthrop Avenue. Entry to the parking garage is available only by turning north onto North Kenmore Avenue from Sheridan Road and following the driveway around a couple of buildings to the parking garage entrance on Winthrop. Golf carts will be available to assist those who need help getting luggage across the street to the dorms. DO NOT PARK ON WINTHROP, EVEN TO DROP OFF LUGGAGE.
Q: How do I get from the airport to Loyola Lakeshore Campus?
A: Three choices:
* Airport Express serves the Loyola Lakeshore campus from both O'Hare and Midway. For rates and info, check out their web site: http://www.airportexpress.com.
* Cab service is available from both airport. Go to the taxi stand at the airport.
* Elevated trains (called the L) serve both airports.
Train from O'Hare: Follow CTA ground transportation signs to the lower level of O'Hare to board the Blue Line train to downtown. Purchase a CTA transit card ($2.25 per ride) at the kiosks before boarding. Transfer to the Red Line at Jackson St free of charge. Go down the stairs from the Blue Line platform, and walk through the tunnel to the Red Line platform. Look for the signs indicating "Northbound to Howard," and take the train to the Loyola stop.
Train from Midway: Follow the CTA signs to exit the airport and proceed across the footbridge spanning Cicero Avenue to the Orange Line Midway station. Purchase a CTA transit card ($2.25 per ride) at the kiosks. Take the Orange Line train labeled "Loop" towards downtown. Transfer to the Red Line subway at the Roosevelt station. Go downstairs through a walkway to the Red Line platform. Board the the northbound train labeled "Howard," and travel to the Loyola stop.
Q: How do I get to from Union Station to Loyola Lakeshore Campus?
A: Start by going to the Metra ticket sales area and buying a CTA farecard for at least $2.25 from the vending machine. You want to do this because you can't buy a transfer with your bus fare with cash on the bus. Then exit Union Station onto Canal Street and Jackson Boulevard. Take a CTA bus # 1, 7, 60, 126 or 151 eastbound to State Street. Exit the bus at State Street, and look for the Red Line subway entrance. Use the farecard to pass through the turnstile in the subway station, descend the stairs, and board the train on the "Northbound to Howard" platform. Take the train to the Loyola stop.
Q: Where can I park and how much does it cost?
A: The Loyola University Parking Garage is on the northwest corner of Sheridan Road and Winthrop Avenue. Parking is pay as you exit, so when you get to the garage, just take a ticket and pull in.
Entry to the parking garage is available only by turning north onto North Kenmore Avenue from Sheridan Road and following the driveway around a couple of buildings to the parking garage entrance on Winthrop. There will be golf carts available to assist those who need help getting luggage across the street to the dorms. DO NOT PARK ON WINTHROP, EVEN TO DROP OFF LUGGAGE.
It is possible to find street parking around Loyola, but you have to hunt for it. For most people, we recommend parking in the Loyola parking garage. Covered parking costs $7 per day.
If you've purchased your parking in advance, your parking pass includes in-and-out privileges.
* If you are staying in university housing, your parking will be included on your room key ('prox card').
* If you are staying off campus, you'll get your parking pass at Festival Registration. Note that parking passes MUST BE RETURNED TO HOUSING DESK before you leave campus. If you do not return the parking pass, you will be charged $50.
Remember that Loyola defines the parking day as 7am to 7am, so if you're staying overnight and leaving after 7am, you need to count both days. For example, if you arrive Thursday afternoon at 4pm and leave Monday morning at 9am, you need parking for 5 days--Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
If you have not paid for parking in advance, the parking will NOT include in-and-out privileges, and you can use the machines to pay at the parking garage.
Q: I notice there's a lot of construction on campus. What's the best way to get around campus?
A: For nearly all of the festival events, the way to go is on foot, mostly along Sheridan Road and on the path by the lake.
Q: I'm not able to walk between buildings. How do I get a golf cart to shuttle me?
A: For those who need assistance, festival transportation via golf cart will be available on-call during the following hours:
Wednesday
7:00am to 11:00pm
Thursday
7:00am to 11:00pm
Friday
7:00am to 11:00pm
Saturday 7:00am to 11:00pm
Sunday
7:00am to 12:30am (Monday)
Monday 7:00am to 3:00pm
To request a golf cart from Regis Hall or Simpson Center, go to the At Your Service Desk. For other buildings, call the desk at 773-508-6050 to request a pickup.
Golf carts will also run between Regis, Simpson, and Mundelein Auditorium 30 minutes before and after each concert.
Registration
Q: Where is Registration Check-in?A: Festival Registration, your first stop, is in Regis Hall, 6340 North Winthrop Avenue,--the building on the southwest corner of Sheridan Road and North Winthrop Avenue. SSN volunteers will check you in, give you a festival binder of materials, concert program, name badge (your entry into festival events), and--if you've purchased them--meal card, parking card, companion concert tickets, festival t-shirts, and double-decker bus tour tickets. The SSN volunteers will let you know to which dorm you are assigned (Regis Hall or Simpson Living-Learning Center, across Winthrop, where the dining hall is located), and you'll check in at the Loyola Housing desk in your dorm.
Q: When is the Festival Registration and Information Station open?
A:
Wednesday
3:30pm to 7:00pm PLUS 9:30pm to 10:30pm
Thursday
8:30am to 7:00pm
Friday
8:30am to 3:00pm PLUS 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Saturday 8:30am to
3:00pm PLUS 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Sunday
8:30am to 3:00pm PLUS 5:30pm to 7:00pm
A: Yes. You can Substitute one person for another using the online registration process. To do that, the person who registered originally must log in to online registration as if she were going to make any other change--using the email address and password she used when she registered. On the screen you see after you enter your password, at the far right, in the Actions column, you see a Substitute button. Click that button and a new page will come up where you can enter the personal details about the replacement person. After you've done that, you'll have a choice to View Registration Details, so you can print the registration.
Q: What are the refund policies?
A: For chorus registration: Chorus registrations are nonrefundable after November 14, 2009, as noted on the Chorus Registration form.
For individual registration: Refunds are available until April 30, 2010, for full amount minus a $25 handling charge. Sister Singers Network membership is not refundable. No refunds after April 30, 2010.
Housing
Q: What are the Loyola lodging check-in times?A: Loyola Lodging Check-In Hours are 3:30pm to 7:30pm. More staff will be available to assist with check-in during those hours. The Loyola Housing desks will be staffed 24x7, so if you arrive late, you will be able to check in.
For housing, if SSN Festival Registration is not open when you arrive, please go to the Regis Housing desk and they will direct you to your room.
If you arrive before 3:30pm and your room is ready, you'll be able to check in to it; otherwise, you can leave luggage in storage and return to check in after 3:30pm.
Q: What are the Loyola lodging check-out times?
A: Loyola Lodging Check-Out Hours are 7:30am to 10:30am. If you will be on campus later than 10:30am the day of your departure, Loyola has a secure place where you can leave things between check-out and the time you leave the campus.
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT ON TIME and RETURN YOUR KEY: You must return your room key when you check out: otherwise, you will be charged $250.00. Also, you must be officially checked out of your residence hall room by 10:30am on your day of departure or be charged an additional $100.
Q: I want to spend some time in Chicago touring the city. Can I check in early at Loyola or keep staying there after the festival?
A: Loyola would be happy to house individuals who want to arrive early and/or leave late. If you would like to arrive before Wednesday June 30 or leave after Monday July 5, please check out the details provided on their information sheet and contact Loyola University Chicago Conference Services for more information.
Loyola University Chicago Conference Services
Phone: 773-508-8090
Fax: 773-508-3181
Email: atyourservicedesk@luc.edu.
Q: What's included with my dorm room?
A: Lodging is in a campus residence hall that offers comfortable, air-conditioned, carpeted, single- and double-rooms with private or semi-private bathrooms. Pillow, sheets, blanket, towel, washcloth, soap, shampoo, and lotion are provided. Single rooms have one twin bed. Double rooms have two twin beds. Only two people will be assigned per double room. Room rates are per person.
Our housing will be in the Simpson Living Learning Center (where the dining hall is located) or in Regis Hall (across the street). We will make every effort to assign chorus members to the same dorm (and where possible the same floor) together.
Q: Can I smoke in my dorm room?
A: No smoking is allowed in any Loyola University building at any time (including dorm rooms). Please be aware of the Chicago Clean Indoor Air Ordinance: Smoking is prohibited within 15 feet of every building entrance, including building canopies and coverings.
Q: Is there WiFi?
A: Yes. There is free WiFi available on campus. Please make sure your anti-virus and operating systems updates are current.
Q: Is an exercise facility available?
A: For a $10 daily fee, you will be able to use the university Halas Sports Center athletic facilities. Ask the Loyola Housing Desk staff about this option. You'll need to bring your own lock and towel.
Q: Can I rent a refrigerator?
A: Yes. Cost is $25 per day. Check at the Loyola Housing desk.
Q: Will all registrants from our chorus be housed in the same dorm?
A: Registrants from the same chorus have been assigned rooms together as much as possible, based on the room type choices the individuals made. All festival campus housing is in Regis Hall or Simpson Learning Center; these buildings are across Winthrop Ave from each other.
Neighborhood
Q: What is the neighborhood like around the Loyola campus?A: Take a look and see for yourself. You can get a bit of a feel for the area and the restaurants via Google maps, using the address: 1032 W Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660 (Loyola University Chicago) and doing a Search Near. In Chicago, on Google maps, if you choose a location (like the Loyola one), you can actually pick Street View and use the mouse to pan around the area and do a virtual walk down the street--it's kind of fun in a techie way. When you first click in on the street view using that address, you're facing East, so that big sky ahead of you is where Lake Michigan is. If you zoom in on that area of the map, where it says Welcome Center is the parking ramp. Regis Hall and Simpson Living Learning Center are the two residence halls we know we'll be in, and Mundelein Center is where the Auditorium and most of the workshop rooms are.
Q: What's public transportation like around Loyola?
A: We're happy to report that it's excellent, particularly if you're planning to visit downtown Chicago or Evanston (home of Northwestern University and a lovely little suburb just north of the city.) The Loyola station for the Red Line elevated train is located just across the street from the campus. You could be in downtown Chicago in 30 minutes and in Evanston in 20. You can buy farecards in the lobby of the train station. There are also buses that travel north and south on Sheridan Road and, if you're up for something a little more exotic, west on Devon Avenue to the thriving Indian neighborhood (the biggest in the United States) just a few miles west of Loyola.
To plan travel around Chicago via public transit or on foot, take advantage of Google Transit. If you're going to take many buses, you'll want to load the CTA Bus Tracker on your mobile phone browser: it will tell you when the next bus will arrive at your corner.
Q: What about taxi cabs?
A: Like New York, Chicago is also a city of taxicabs. If you're sharing a cab with one or two others and not going terribly far, this is a fairly economical way to travel.
You can even schedule a cab to pick you up. Flash Cab headquarters is nearby, and they're a reliable outfit. You can reach them by phone at 773-561-4444. You can order a cab via the Internet at www.flashcab.com. Even more fun, if you're phone-tech-oriented, is using TaxiMagic to order, track, and pay for a cab. You can set this up on your phone in advance (like today!) and use it while you're in Chicago.
Q: Is it safe to walk around campus?
A: A number of us have walked around Loyola at all hours, one of us lives within a block of campus, and it seems very safe. Loyola is a lovely university, situated right on Lake Michigan. It is compact and easy to navigate--as long as you avoid the construction. (Luckily, the construction should not affect the Festival. It seems to be mostly situated in other parts of the campus.)
Q: How safe is the area around the University?
A: It's a pretty safe area, but you should remember that Loyola is situated in Chicago and that Chicago is a BIG city and, like all big cities, it can look a little dirty and a little scary if you're not used to urban areas. Though there will be lots of people around, many of them college students, there will also be "street" people and people of different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Enjoy the vitality and diversity that is often the most interesting part of a big city, but remain cautious and alert (as opposed to paranoid and hypersensitive!).
Do we feel safe walking alone in the Loyola area at night? Yes, definitely, but we are city girls and used to all the good and bad that a big city has to offer.
Here's a few tips from a long-time Chicago resident:
* Don't pull out money on the street.
* Don't walk around wearing expensive jewelry.
* Try and keep your money and ID in a pocket rather than a purse.
* If you're approached for money, be pleasant but brief and businesslike; do not in engage in conversation.
* Don't pull out maps on the street unless there are a lot of people around.
* Be aware of the people around you, but don't look at them directly.
* Walk in well-lit areas and be aware of your surroundings.
* If you're alone, try to be back on campus by 10:00.
* If it's after dark and you're worried, take a cab--they're easy to find and worth the cost if you're nervous.
* If you're sightseeing by yourself, let someone know where you're going and take a mobile phone along.
By and large, Chicago is a clean, safe, friendly city with excellent architecture and fabulous pizza. Chicagoans love their city and they are immensely proud of it. However, it is not a perfect place even if Mayor Daley would have you think otherwise. Be careful but have fun!
Dining
Q: What is the campus dining like?A: Our dining hall is in the Simpson Living Learning Center across the street from Mundelein Center. Meal service is in an all-you-care-to-eat dining hall with several different food stations and a wide variety of special diet accommodations available. It is our only on-campus dining option. You can pay cash at the door if you want to eat there and have no pre-purchased meals.
Q: I have special food needs. Will there be food for me?
A: The dining hall has a wide variety of foods, including vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and halal. Ingredients will be posted by the food stations. We are reported to the Loyola dining hall managers the number of people who indicated to us the various food needs and preferences that you told us about on the registration form.
Q: What about nearby food?
A: In the area around Sheridan and Broadway, in the blocks just west of Regis Hall, there are a number of places like Popeye's Fried Chicken and Subway. The nearest Starbucks (there are two) and Dunkin' Donuts are 5-7 blocks. You'll find some ethnic restaurants (several Thai, some African, and plenty of pizza) within a moderate walk. A public bus ride across Devon 10 minutes is well worth the trip if you like Indian food: you'll find dozens of authentic Indian restaurants amidst a thriving Indian community. Just a half-mile west of campus is Uncommon Ground, an interesting breakfast spot, with nighttime live music, bar, excellent food, and a rooftop farm.
All of that is interesting, yet if you're really focusing on the music and the festival, the Loyola cafeteria is the place to be, because it's nearly right across the street from the Auditorium building, just down the hall from the mass chorus rehearsal room, in the same building with many dorm rooms and across the street from most of the others. So for the dinner break between the afternoon chorus concerts and the evening concerts, it's your best bet.
SSN Festival Hotline 773-850-0SSN (773-850-0776)
Q: Where do I call for help?A: During the festival, if you call 773-850-0776, someone will answer and direct your call to the appropriate person for help. During Festival Registration hours, you can also go to the Registration & Information Station in Regis Hall. If they are not able to assist you directly, someone there will have a radio to contact the appropriate person for help.
Mass Chorus
Q: How many mass chorus rehearsals do I have to attend if I want to perform with a mass chorus?A: Mass chorus singers are requested to attend as many of the 4 scheduled rehearsals as possible, with a minimum of 2.
Q: What do I need to wear for the mass chorus performance?
A: Mass chorus singers are requested wear either all black or your own chorus concert attire.
Q: Can I use music for the mass chorus performance?
A: There is no expectation that mass chorus music be memorized. Please do bring your music in a black folder (with your name in it) to use for performance.
Q: I'm an Independent Singer attending the festival. Can I sing with a mass chorus?
A: With only a few exceptions, independent singers who want to be in mass chorus have been assigned to the Wind Chorus.
Concert Tickets
Q: How do we buy concert tickets?A: If you are attending as a Companion and are not paying the festival registration fee, you may purchase concert tickets with your own housing/meals registration, or the person you are accompanying can purchase them for you when s\he registers. (Note: Concert tickets are needed only for Companions or local concert-goers who are not registered for the festival. Festival Registration includes all concerts, workshops and other events for Registrants.)
There are two kinds of tickets:
Companion Concert Ticket: $10 each. These tickets can be used for any single concert other than the mass chorus concert. One ticket required per concert. (If you want to attend all regular chorus concerts and the small ensemble concert, buy 6 tickets.)
Companion Mass Chorus Ticket: $15. This ticket is for the Sunday evening Mass Chorus Concert and Reception/Dance following.
Q: Can my companion, friend, or relative buy concert tickets at the door?
A: Possibly. However, we know that there will be very few tickets available at the door, due to the large number of festival registrants and companions.
Performing
Q: When will my chorus be performing?A: See the Chorus Block chart for a rough idea of when your chorus will be performing. Afternoon concerts are 3:30-5:30. Evening concerts start at 7:30, except Sunday which starts at 7:00.
Q: When will my chorus tech rehearsal be?
A: Your chorus has an assigned rehearsal time (immediately before or after your tech rehearsal time) and tech rehearsal time (20 minutes in the auditorium, from taking the stage to leaving the stage) in the morning or very early afternoon on the day of your chorus performance. Check with your chorus festival contact person for details about this.
Q: How much time will we have for our set?
A: Individual chorus set times are scheduled for 25 minutes maximum, including intros, taking the stage, performance, any internal speaking, and exiting the stage. If you are having a hard time deciding whether your set is the right length, please lean toward the briefer time.
Q: What if we need more rehearsal time?
A: There will be rooms available for extra rehearsals in the morning and very early afternoon, with a piano or keyboard, and with no additional charge. Sign-up for rehearsal rooms will be on-site.
View Location - Cost - Schedule Information
We look forward to hearing you there for Our Kind of Sound !!!
We will post new information on an irregular basis, so
please check back to see what's new.
Last update: June 29,
2010
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