Celebrate Flappers, Gangsters & the World’s Fairat the Seventh Annual “History in the Headlines” Dinner
The Mount Prospect Historical Society will hold the “Guys and Dolls Speakeasy Soirée,” its seventh annual History in the Headlines dinner, on Saturday, April 21, at Rob Roy Country Club, 505 E. Camp McDonald Rd., Prospect Heights.
This year the Mount Prospect Historical Society will re-imagine the atmosphere enjoyed in area speakeasies during Prohibition.
The Roaring Twenties was a time of sustained economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the United States and Western Europe, but particularly in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Jazz music blossomed, the “flapper” redefined the modern look for women in the United States and Britain, and Art Deco peaked.
The spirit of the time was marked by a general feeling of novelty associated with modernity and a break with traditions. Everything seemed to be feasible through modern technology and jazz, and dancing rose in popularity in opposition to the mood of World War I.
Unlike the Society’s six previous History in the Headlines dinners, only one meal will be offered this year. All guests will enjoy a prime rib carving station, along with salad, vegetables, bread and, of course, dessert for $50 per person. Call the office with other dietary needs.
There will also be a cash bar for everyone with signature cocktails of the era offered.
Partygoers are welcome to dress casually or elegantly and even to wear clothing of the 1920s or 1930s. After dinner they will be entertained by Bill Hazelgrove, author of “Al Capone and the 1933 World’s Fair.”
He will talk about Capone’s gangster life and how worried World’s Fair organizers got him out of the picture during the event.
There will also be a challenging 1920s and 1930s trivia competition, inserted during Mr. Hazelgrove’s intermission, and a raffle.
All of the proceeds from this event will benefit the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s many educational projects and help pay for upkeep on the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum and the 1896 one-room Central Schoolhouse.