Even as Barrington Hills native and resident Hank Paulson struggles to get his bailout package approved by Congressional leaders–ostensibly to save the United States economy from ruin, a new lifestyle center, one of the grandest such shopping centers in the region opens in nearby South Barrington today. You can go ahead and enjoy it as a reprieve from doom and gloom.

It may sound like a pikerly budget compared to what was spent in Beijing this summer, but Jaffe Companies, the owner of this shopping center, dubbed The Arboretum, is spending a cool million on the grand opening (pdf of schedule). Events are all free of course, and include performances by Chris Isaak and appearances by the cast of Disney’s Camp Rock–the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato excepted (sorry kids).

The Arboretum, at 600,000 square feet, is 30% larger than Geneva Commons, which was also developed by Jaffe Companies. True to its name, the Arboretum has 2,700 trees and 30,000 shrubs and flowers. Located at the intersection of Routes 59 and 72, the shopping center is just outside the borders of Elgin and is likely to become the preferred shopping center for residents on the east side and residents of Hoffman Estates. The “giant sucking sound” you hear is that of sales tax dollars being lost to South Barrington.

Summary of the scheduled events for the Arboretum grand opening:

Friday, September 26

9:30am–2:30pm Puppet People
10am Grand Opening Ceremony
10am–5pm Sandcastle Artisan
10am–9pm JDRF at The Arboretum
12:30 & 2pm Aerialists and Pole Performers
1pm & 2:15pm Local Variety Singers
7pm Blooze Brothers in Concert
Saturday, September 27

10am–2pm Face Painters
10am–4pm Kohls Children’s Museum StoryBus
10am–4pm Balloon Twisters
10am–5pm Sandcastle Artisan; Puppet People
10am–9pm JDRF at The Arboretum
10:30am–12:30pm Meet & Greet characters from “Madagascar Escape 2 Africa™”
11am–12noon Storytime with Mother Nature
12:30–6pm Characters from “Madagascar Escape 2 Africa™” roam The Arboretum for impromptu visits
1–5pm Caricature Artists
1:30–2:30pm Radio Disney Road Crew
2:30–4:30pm Meet & Greet stars from Disney’s “Camp Rock”
7pm Chris Isaak in Concert*

Concert Parking ~ Parking for the Chris Isaak concert is available at the Sears Centre Arena, with continuous shuttle service to the Arboretum from 3–10pm.
*Arrive early for best viewing. Space is limited.
Sunday, September 28

10am–2pm Face Painters
10am–4pm Kohls Children’s Museum StoryBus
10am–4pm Balloon Twisters
10am–5pm Sandcastle Artisan
10am–4pm Characters from “Madagascar Escape 2 Africa™” roam The Arboretum for impromptu visits
12noon–1pm Gospel Choir
12noon–5pm JDRF at The Arboretum
1–2pm Storytime with Mother Nature
1–5pm Caricature Artist
2:30–3:45pm The Ides of March in Concert
4:30–5:30pm Babagage in Concert
6:30–7:45pm The Buckinghams in Concert
7:45–8pm Fireworks Finale

All events are free and open to the public. Concerts take place on The Plaza Stage. Feel free to bring a chair for your viewing comfort.

More on Hank Paulson, bailouts and Elgin real estate later (hopefully)…

Filed under: business, events.
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