Whether it’s music event or a Thanksgiving parade, Chicago is home to many annual festivals. The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) thrives on the sharing of intellectual ideas and stories beyond one’s individual experience. Filling the stages of venues all over the city of Chicago, the festival presented for the eighth straight year renowned speakers and writers to the community from October 29 to November 12.

Since 2008, Parker’s David B. Heller Auditorium has hosted speakers from all around the world sharing ideas at the Chicago Humanities Festival. From Trevor Noah, a comedian, to visual art series and dance performances, there’s is a wide variety of topics presented. Every year there’s a central theme that ties together all the events, and this year the theme was speed.

From November 3 to November 9, Parker hosted seven events: Art Spiegelman on Si Lewen’s “The Parade,” How to Write Fast-and Why, Presto!: An Evening with Penn Jillette, Prince/Bowie: We Can Be Heroes, Fighting for the Planet: Bill McKibben, and The Politics of Pot.

CHF’s mission is to create opportunities for people to hear from intellectuals, scholars, artists and social critics who contribute to the richness of the world’s cultures through their contributions to the humanities. In CHF programs, the presenters all emphasize unity and the sharing of a positive experience.

Past CHF events hosted by Parker include: A Night at the Tonys with former Broadway stars and choreographers, Bambi’s Jewish Roots, and a Live Dancing Archive starring choreographer Jennifer Morrison.

Members of the Parker community have attended programs hosted by Parker, along with events presented in the past. Annette Lesak, Middle and Upper school Librarian, has seen a number of CHF events in the past and was planning to attend more this year. “A couple years ago I attended a program with Judy Bloom, and last year, Jacqueline Woodson,” Lesak said. “Next weekend, I’m seeing Lindy West and Jessica Valenti in their program entitled ‘Loud Women Speak.’ ”

There was a large selection to choose from. “I decided to purchase tickets for next week’s program because I heard Lindy West on ‘This American Life’ over the summer,” Lesak said. “I was profoundly impacted by her story and her unapologetic pride and confidence in herself.” Many of the presenters offered a book signings following their programs.

Senior Eliza Fischer attended her first two programs of the Chicago Humanities Festival this fall.  “‘Art Spiegelman on Si Lewen’s “The Parade,”’ was at Parker,” Fisher said, “so I went because I have read some of Spiegelman’s books, and the event was close to my house.”

Others who joined the event along with Fisher shared similar reasons for attending. Executive director of the festival Phillip Bahar said, “People still want to get together in a room with their friends and other people who are inspired by the things they care about.”