The statues of Germanicus Kent, Lewis Lemon and Thatcher Blake continue to pull together at Davis Park, helping commemorate Rockford’s birthplace and its industrial and cultural heritage. (Winnebago Chronicle photo)

Rockford convention and tourism officials are going green on March 13 with a fundraising event for a downtown beautification project.

The Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Paint the (Down)town Green event will be held at Anderson Japanese Gardens, 318 Spring Creek Rd, Rockford, in support of the group’s Forest City Beautiful initiative.

The celebration, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m., includes a light show curated by Luxe Productions, live music by the Firelight Dimmers and food creations by Rockford Country Club’s Chef Brian Jason.
Chicago-based mixologist Carlos Cuarta will create two unique cocktails and perform an interactive cocktail creations show for guests.

The Forest City Beautiful initiative began in 2014 to enhance and beautify Rockford’s downtown core. RACVB leads the initiative with the help of hundreds of volunteers and a partnership with Rockford Sharefest, the City of Rockford and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois.

“This new event will illuminate the importance of creating vibrant community gathering spaces,” said RACVB President and CEO John Groh. “As we highlight and celebrate all that was accomplished in 2014, we will raise funds to continue the transformation of civic spaces in downtown Rockford.”
Tickets are $65 each.

Tickets can be ordered online at www.gorockford.com/green or RSVP to kpeterson@gorockford.com.
For more information, call (815) 963- 8111.