Nearly 4,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities gathered at Maggie Daley Park and Butler Field in Chicago on Wednesday for the city’s inaugural All-Star Fest, an inclusive event hosted by the Chicago Park District. The festival aimed to celebrate participants in the park district’s Inclusive Community Sports programs, which are supported by Special Children’s Charities.

Among the attendees were high school students from Percy Julian High School, accompanied by their speech pathologist and supervisor, Emily Elzen. The group enjoyed a variety of activities, including bouncing in an Iron Man-themed inflatable and watching a Chicago Police Department helicopter fly low overhead. Elzen noted that the students’ smiles and evident joy from the event underscored the importance of such gatherings. “You see the smiles that you’ve never seen before, and it makes you feel so good and realize that everybody deserves to be happy,” she said.

The All-Star Fest featured a wide array of attractions designed to engage participants with diverse interests and abilities. A petting zoo showcased animals such as turtles, baby chickens, a chinchilla, an armadillo, and notably a 7-foot python named Buttercup, who proved a popular draw as attendees took turns holding the snake. Twenty-five-year-old participant Ania Wisneski described the experience of handling the python as the highlight of the day. “I’m having tons of fun,” Wisneski said. “It means a lot, because I’ve been in a special rec world for as long as I can remember.”

Additional activities included wrestling matches, mini-golf, arts and crafts, bingo, a photo booth, rock climbing, adaptive bike riding, dancing, and bubble blowing. The event brought together about 1,700 volunteers, teachers, coaches, and support staff to help facilitate activities and ensure a positive experience for all involved.

Amy Taylor, Executive Director of Special Children’s Charities, emphasized the inclusive nature of the event, noting that it expanded beyond the traditional athletic focus seen in similar gatherings. “The biggest piece is just joy when walking through the parks seeing how excited and happy everyone is,” she said. Eileen Guinane, an administrator with Special Olympics for the park district, noted that the event was intended as a year-end celebration of participants’ accomplishments and dedication throughout the school year. Both Taylor and Guinane expressed hopes to make the All-Star Fest an annual tradition.

As the event wound down around 1 p.m., participants waved goodbye to police department horses before boarding approximately 180 buses. Elzen expressed enthusiasm about future events, stating, “We will be here again and again and again if we can.”