One more night of music before the year ends.

On the eve of New Year’s Eve, we’re gathering at Lakeside Inn to celebrate a year of bringing music to our community and raise a glass to the year ahead. Join the School of American Music on Wednesday, December 30, for Eve of the Eve, an intimate evening of music, delicious food and an elegant array of savory bites and small plates.

The evening.

Put on your evening best and join us for a special night of music and celebration. We’ll start with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres before settling in for an intimate performance by Heidi Kettenring, singing the music of Karen Carpenter. Heidi has spent more than 25 years on Chicago stages, including three years as Nessarose in Wicked, a national tour as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and performances at Ravinia and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

For Eve of the Eve, she brings her own beautiful voice to songs so many of us have known for years.

The music. The place.

There’s something about Karen Carpenter’s music that feels right for a night like this. It’s warm and familiar, sometimes a little nostalgic, and full of songs that can take you right back to a person, a place or a moment in your life.

That’s one of the wonderful things about music. It stays with us. Years later, a few familiar notes can bring an entire moment back. It’s also a big part of why the School of American Music exists: to give more people the chance to discover music, make it their own and carry it with them.

And we can’t imagine a better place to celebrate that.

Lakeside Inn has been welcoming people for more than a century. Its history includes evenings of live music and Chicago orchestras playing in its ballroom. On a winter night along Lake Michigan, we get to add another evening of music to that story.

December 30, 2026 · 6–9:00 PM

Lakeside Inn · Lakeside, Michigan
$200 per guest · Open bar + heavy appetizers
Elegant cocktail attire

A celebration with a purpose.

Eve of the Eve is a chance to get dressed up, spend an evening together and celebrate what music has brought to our community this year.

It’s also a fundraiser for the School of American Music. Every ticket helps support our mission to change lives by making music accessible, including music education, scholarships and opportunities for people of all ages to make music part of their lives. We hope you’ll join us for a beautiful night with friends and neighbors, in a place that means something to this community.

One more night of music before the year ends.

Eve of the Eve

An intimate evening of music and giving on the eve of New Year’s Eve.