Ravinia Festival, North America's longest-running outdoor music festival, will open its renovated pavilion on Saturday, July 11, capping a $75 million campus overhaul backed in part by a Lake Forest family whose roots in the community stretch back to elementary school.
The Hunter Pavilion is named for Thomas Benton Hunter III, who died December 4, 2022, at age 93, and Maxine Morrison Hunter, who died November 30, 2025, at age 94. The couple were lifelong Lake Forest civic leaders who founded the Hunter Family Foundation in 1993 and supported institutions including Ravinia, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and Lake Forest Open Lands Association.
Tom Hunter met Maxine in sixth grade at what is now the Gorton Community Center. The couple was married 70 years. Their son Willard (Bill) Hunter told the Boca Beacon that his father "didn't contribute to causes for any accolades he might receive as a result. For the most part, he liked to fly below the radar and shun the spotlight."
The Hunter Family Foundation pledged $10 million to Ravinia in 2025, adding to earlier grants totaling roughly $3 million, according to grant records. Ravinia announced the $75 million campaign and the pavilion naming on February 13, 2025, according to the foundation's website.
What's new inside
Ravinia President and CEO Jeff Haydon said the renovation replaced all of the pavilion's 70-year-old wooden chairs with wider, cushioned seats and expanded legroom. The stage extends seven feet deeper, accommodating a broader range of classical and pop productions. A new acoustic shell and sound system were installed; Ravinia said James Taylor praised the acoustics after a recent performance, calling it one of the best venues he has played in a long time.
New boxes on the sides and rear of the pavilion seat small groups, and upgraded lighting supports pop concerts. Haydon said the renovation aims to serve Ravinia's more than 400,000 annual visitors.
Opening night and beyond
The July 11 program begins at 6 p.m. with soprano Janai Brugger inaugurating the stage, singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" in an arrangement by former CSO music director Frederick Stock. Pianist Yunchan Lim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop in her final engagement as Ravinia's chief conductor, headline the evening. Lizzo appears as a special guest.
Pavilion tickets for opening night range from $35 to $144 (pavilion seats) at ravinia.org. The venue is at 201 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park.
The 2026 season features more than 90 concerts and 50-plus artist debuts, including two August appearances by incoming CSO music director Klaus Mäkelä on Thursday, August 6, and Friday, August 7, with tickets from $17 to $124.
