RSVP FOR ILLINI FEST | FACEBOOK EVENT

CHICAGO – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is strengthening its outreach to Chicago with its first-ever downtown festival. Illini Fest, planned for Thursday, July 18 from 3-6 p.m. in the Park Grill Plaza of Millennium Park, aims to bring the university experience to the more than 150,000 Fighting Illini alumni living in Chicagoland. The free event is open to the public. Food and drink will be provided while supplies last, and the first 1,000 Illini Fest guests to enter will receive a free full-size "Block I" Illinois flag.

Fighting Illini Athletics will be out in full force on Chicago's Millennium Park on Thursday. Illinois football coach Lovie Smith and Director of Athletics Josh Whitman will speak at 5 pm and 5:05 pm, respectively. Illinois men's basketball sophomore Giorgi Bezhanishvili will be teaching salsa dancing lessons at 4 pm. Smith will join Illinois football players Reggie Corbin, Nate Hobbs and Alex Palczewski at 5:15 to sign autographs.