I & M Canal

Macabre Pullman Tour
2025-10-30 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Pullman Exhibit Hall, 11141 S. Cottage Grove, Chicago, 60628, United States
Is Pullman haunted or simply tragic?
Decide for yourself on an evening walk through the historically rich Pullman neighborhood.
Tickets are $20.00 per person.

Karaoke Night
2025-10-30 19:00 - 23:00, 2025-11-06 19:00 - 23:00, 2025-11-13 08:00 - 17:00 | The Twisted Pin, 15610 Joliet Rd., Plainfield, IL, 60544, United States
Get ready to unleash your inner superstar!
Start your weekend on a high note with delicious food, a self-serve beer wall, craft cocktails, and awesome giveaways!
Don’t miss out on the fun – bring your friends and let’s make some unforgettable memories!

Trick-or-Treat Trail at Haunted Trails Joliet
2025-10-31 15:00 - 19:00 | Haunted Trails Amusement Park & Picnic Grove, 1423 N. Broadway St., Joliet, 60435, United States
Enjoy free trick-or-treating in a fun and safe environment! Follow our Trick-or-Treat Trail throughout the park for candy and Halloween fun!
(Candy available while supplies last. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)
Admission: “Trick-or-Treat” Trail FREE; “Pay-As-You-Play” for park games and attractions.

Falconry at the Forge
2025-11-01 10:00 - 13:00 | The Forge: Lemont Quarries, 1001 Main St, Lemont, IL, 60439, United States
Join us for an immersive falconry experience that you will remember for a lifetime!
As part of this class, you’ll learn about the ancient sport of falconry and the biology and history of the many different types of raptors used in the hunt (including hawks, buzzards, falcons and owls). Each participant will learn how to handle a raptor while holding one of our Eurasian Eagle Owls before moving on to the individual flights. You’ll be taught how to properly fly a hawk to and from your gloved hand, one of the Five Skills of the Falconer. We will end the class with a series of interactive free flight demos designed to allow the participants to practice their newly acquired skills.

Whooo's Out There Scavenger Hunt
2025-11-01 10:00 - 2025-11-30 16:00 | Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 419 Trout Farm Road, Bolingbrook, IL, 60440, United States
This ongoing program will be offered from Wednesday, Nov. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 30.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays.
Owls large and small have flown in and are making Hidden Oaks their home throughout November! Whoooo is up for the challenge to find all the species roosting in the trees? Start inside the nature center to pick up your scavenger hunt checklist and then head outside to the play area to see whooo you can find. Bring back your observations and earn a prize. Take the hunt to the next level by coloring an owl of your own to hide in the nature center for others to find!
No registration required.
This activity will take place over uneven, natural terrain of less than a half-mile. Hidden Oaks Nature Center is an accessible facility. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service to participate in this program should mention their request when registering, or submit a request online no later than 48 hours before the program.

Gore Fest Arts & Oddities Expo
2025-11-01 12:00 - 19:00 | Gore Fest, 555 Gore Road, Morris, 60450, United States
Join us for a day of thrills and chills as we celebrate the strange and unknown!
If Halloween is more than just a day to you, but a way of life, then you won’t want to miss this event! On Saturday November 1st, from 12-7pm, head over to 555 Gore Road, Morris, IL 60450 to explore:
– 50+ vendors providing horror, witchy, oddities, and spooky delights
– Haunted and paranormal items to send chills down your spine
– Cosplay performers bringing your darkest fantasies to life
– Live DJ performance to keep the energy dark and pulsing
– Immersive and terrifying spooky decor to transport you to a realm of darkness with decor
– Free entry and parking, because we want to make it easy for you to indulge in the darkness
– Cash bar to quench your thirst for the macabre & food to be purchased!
– Free entry and parking, because we want to make it easy for you to indulge in the darkness
– All ages welcome, because the love of darkness knows no bounds
Awesome flyer created by local artist: @sinisterrex
*Vendors Wanted!* Hosted by @theapothecarycupboard as part of the @magicalmenageriemarket. Message The Apothecary Cupboard & Magical Menagerie Market on FB or Instagram.
*Important:* Be cautious of scams! Only The Apothecary Cupboard and Magical Menagerie Market are authorized to accept vendor applications and fees. Report any suspicious activity!
Hope to see you there, fellow lovers of darkness!

Morning Fresh Air Hike
2025-11-02 08:30 - 09:45 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Take a deep breath of crisp, fall air. Move between colorful trees in the forest, frosted grasses in the prairie and glittering water in the river. This naturalist-led hike will let you experience the beauty of nature on this fall morning.
Registration required by Saturday, Nov. 1: 815-722-9470. Ages 8 or older.
The hike will be up to 2 miles and take place on paved and natural surfaces over uneven terrain.

Utica Veterans' Parade & Air Show
2025-11-02 12:00 - 15:00 | Amerirican Legion Post #731
Veterans Day will be celebrated in prime fashion in Utica.
The 18th Annual Parade/Air Show will take to the Utica roadways and airways on Sunday, Nov. 2 p.m. as opening announcements will begin at noon and the parade and air show will start at 1 p.m.
Not only will there be a parade and air show, but the Utica American Legion Pierce Davis Post #731 will also have a complimentary brunch for all veterans at the downtown community hall from 8 a.m.-noon.
The event will also include the Great Lakes Navy Band, TBM Word War II Torpedo Bombers, T-6 Marine Trainers, military vehicle displays, veteran groups and color guards, Chicago Police bagpipes and drums of the Emerald Society, Legion Riders, Starved Rock A.B.A.T.E. and floats.

Needle Felting Workshop
2025-11-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Open Space Art Gallery & Studios, 223 W. Madison St., Ottawa, 61350, United States
Fiber Artist- Jacqueline JoAnn will be showing you how fun and interesting needle felting is. Needle felting is the process of taking raw fibers with a special barbed needle to sculpt into any desired form. Flat or 3 dimensional. In this class we will be able to make snowmen and Santa’s. This class is good for beginners or experienced. Pre-registration required. Ages: All ages. BYOB permitted to guests over 21. Admission $35.

Wet Felt Workshop
2025-11-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Open Space Art Gallery & Studios, 223 W. Madison St., Ottawa, 61350, United States
Explore the Art of Creating with Wool!Dive into the captivating world of wet felting with our hands-on workshop designed for beginners. In this class, you’ll discover the ancient craft of transforming raw wool fibers into beautiful felted creations using water, soap, and agitation. Led by experienced instructor Jacqueline JoAnn, you’ll learn fundamental wet felting techniques, including laying out fibers, adding embellishments, and shaping your piece. Throughout the session, you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with various colors, textures, and design elements to create a unique vessel. Whether you’re drawn to the tactile nature of wool or simply eager to explore a new creative outlet, this class offers a welcoming environment for all skill levels. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with a newfound appreciation for the versatility of wool and the satisfaction of crafting your own felted masterpiece. You will create a felted vessel. Pre-registration required. All ages welcome. BYOB for ages 21+. Admission $45. All Sales Final

Wonderkids: Nature's Sounds
2025-11-06 10:00 - 11:30 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Calling all families with preschoolers! Join us for a hands-on program designed for your little one.
This program is geared toward children ages 2 to 5 and is complete with tons of facts, singing, story time, table activities and crafts.
Registration required by Tuesday, Nov. 4: 815-722-9301.

BYOB Crafts & Crows
2025-11-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Grab your friends and head to Four Rivers for a crafty evening.
Learn about murders of crows that are gathering outdoors and the long history of trying to scare them off. Celebrate the fall season with a homemade, not-so-scary crow decoration. All crafting materials will be supplied.
BYOB wine and beer only.
Registration required by Tuesday, Nov. 4: 815-722-9470. $5.00 per person.
Ages 21 or older.

Shop, Sip & Sparkle Weekend!
2025-11-07 16:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-08 16:00 - 21:00 | Downtown Ottawa, 223 W. Madison, Ottawa, 61350, United States
Kick off the holiday season in the Middle of Everywhere with a magical weekend full of festive fun!
Happenings All Weekend Long
Downtown Ottawa Christmas Open Houses
Ornament Hunt & Lamp Light Carolers (Friday)
King Carriage Rides (Friday 4-9 PM)
Freshly Baked Cobbler by the Ottawa Boy Scouts (Friday)
Wine & Art Walk at Heritage Harbor (Saturday, Nov. 8, 2–6 PM)
Exploreum’s Sparkle Spectacular Christmas Tree Auction
Shop Local & Win!Bring 5 receipts from any downtown Ottawa businesses you shop at during Shop, Sip & Sparkle Weekend to the Ottawa Visitors Center. Each set of 5 receipts enters you for a chance to win a $250 Downtown Discover Gift Card! Drawing will be held Tuesday, November 26 at noon.
Wine & Art WalkSip, stroll, and shop as you enjoy wine tastings and beautiful works from local artists at Heritage Harbor. Tickets are on sale now—don’t wait!
It’s the perfect way to jumpstart your holiday spirit, find unique gifts, and make magical memories with family and friends.

Frosty on First - Winter Festival
2025-11-07 17:00 - 22:00, 2025-11-08 10:00 - 22:30 | Downtown LaSalle, 1st Street, LaSalle, IL, 61301, United States
Frosty on First is La Salles ultimate winter festival celebration, held downtown on First Street.
This two-day, family-friendly event features live bands, inflatables, an ice skating rink, delicious food trucks, real reindeer, and spectacular fireworks. Bundle up and bring the whole family for nonstop winter fun, festive cheer, and magical memories!
Festival Highlights: Ice rink and kids activities: Glide into the season on our synthetic ice rink or explore the excitement of our inflatable maze, slide, and snowman perfect for kids and kids at heart!
Delicious Culinary Delights: Indulge your taste buds with a mouthwatering array of food vendors. From savory street food to sweet treats, every bite is a new adventure in flavor.
Live Music Entertainment: Groove to the beats of live performances featuring talented bands and musicians. The stage will be alive with music that will get you dancing and singing along all night long. Cap off your evening with a breathtaking fireworks show that lights up the night sky in a dazzling array of colors. It’s the perfect grand finale to an incredible day of festivities.
Bundle up, bring your family and friends, and experience a weekend full of winter magic, local pride, and unforgettable memories. From live entertainment and cozy treats to family activities and holiday surprises, theres something for everyone.

The Red Roses in Concert
2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:30 | Joliet Area History Museum, 204 Ottawa St., Joliet, IL, 60432, United States
The Red Roses band performs live in the Joliet Area Historical Museum’s Auditorium Theater on Friday, Nov. 7th at 7pm (doors open 6:15pm).The Red Roses are a fantastic Chicago-based 5-piece band that plays rock, alternative & indie hits that you know and love! Awesome guitar, buzzy synths, driving beats and soaring vocals played with passion and authenticity. You’ll hear songs by The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Killers, The Black Keys, The Flaming Lips, Coldplay, Beck and more!Beverage bar (beer, mixers, wine, soda, etc.), snack vendor, access to museum galleries & exhibits. Only $13 for Museum Members or $15 for General Public. General seating for all, with reserved highboy tables available for additional fee.Museum located at 204 N. Ottawa St. in downtown Joliet. Register/Info go to www.jolietmuseum.org or call (815) 723-5201.

Migratory Bird Hike
2025-11-08 08:00 - 10:00 | Lake Renwick Preserve, 23113 W. Lockport Street, Plainfield, IL, 60455, United States
Many birds use Lake Renwick to rest and refuel during migration.
Join us for a guided hike in search of amazing waterfowl, soaring eagles and beautiful songbirds.
Registration required by Thursday, Nov. 6: 815-722-9470.
Bring binoculars and dress for the weather.
A limited supply of binoculars will be available for loan.
The group will meet at the visitor center at the Renwick Road entrance.
No dogs or bicycles please.
Participants will hike up to 1.5 miles on natural surfaces across uneven terrain.
Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service to participate in this program should submit a request online no later than 48 hours before the program. Ages 7 or older.

Stories from the Shelf
2025-11-08 10:30 - 12:00 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Do you have an interesting item sitting on your shelf? A fossil? A rock? A rare postcard?
Objects are powerful they’re scientific evidence, they’re story tellers and sometimes they are just curious. Join a naturalist to discover how interesting items, weird collections and curiosity cabinets morphed into the museums we have today. After the presentation, we will learn from each other! Guests are invited to bring their own item to share the objects story or facts and answer questions from the rest of the group. You do not need to bring an object to attend the program.
Registration required by Thursday, Nov. 6: 815-722-9301 Ages 18 and older.

Pumpkin Smash - Ages 18 & Older
2025-11-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 419 Trout Farm Road, Bolingbrook, IL, 60440, United States
Come smash and bash pumpkins in the name of saving the Earth!
Choose how your jack-o-lantern will meet its demise pounded to a pulp, launched over a railing and more. It’s going to be a smashing good time! Work up an appetite smashing your pumpkin then enjoy roasting hotdogs and smores over an open fire. Stay a while and enjoy the rest of the festivities as well. Pumpkin Smash is a regional event spearheaded by SCARCE to promote composting and wise use of resources. By composting your pumpkin, you are keeping waste out of landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a natural fertilizer for soils.

Stories from the Shelf for Kids
2025-11-08 13:00 - 14:00 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Do you have an interesting item sitting on your shelf?
Objects are powerful they’re scientific evidence, they’re story tellers and sometimes they are just curious. Join a naturalist to discover how interesting items and weird collections morphed into the museums we have today. Guests are invited to bring their own item. A pretty rock, a fossil, a seashell, a skull found in the backyard you name it! After the presentation, we will learn from each other! Guests will have time to share their objects story or facts and answer questions from the rest of the group. You do not need to bring an object to attend the program.
Registration required by Thursday, Nov. 6: 815-722-9301.
Ages 6 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Natural Ink Making Workshop
2025-11-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Open Space Art Gallery & Studios, 223 W. Madison St., Ottawa, 61350, United States
Learn the process of making inks and watercolors from plants as well as othermaterials. Take home at least one bottle of ink, recipes and reading suggestions. All ages welcome. BYOB for 21+. Admission $45. All sales final

UpBynOOn
2025-11-08 19:00 - 21:30 | Festival 56, 316 S. Main St., Princeton, IL, 61356, United States
UpByn00n started first as a lifestyle with a mission as simple as its name, to make it out of bed at a time functional adults do (before noon). As we grew, the music has grown with us tackling issues like feeling trapped in your own life and the inability to escape the digital world around us. That being said we hope the common line across the board here is we put out bangers. Admission $15.

Living History Encounter: 18th Century Weaponry
2025-11-09 12:00 - 15:00 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Hear history go BOOM as you learn about weaponry of the 18th century.
During this Living History Encounter, you will see live demonstrations of various weapons from Alexander Hamilton’s New York Provincial Company of Artillery as well as meet voyageurs and settlers who journeyed to this land and made it home.
This is a drop-in program; come anytime between noon and 3 p.m.

The State of Water: Our Most Valuable Resource
2025-11-12 10:00 - 2026-01-07 16:00 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
This ongoing program runs from Wednesday, Nov. 12, to Wednesday, Jan. 7. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays.
Only 0.007% of the planets water is available to fuel and feed its 8 billion people. Brad Temkin’s photography puts visitors face to face with the systems and techniques that deliver our most valuable natural resource. In doing so, the exhibition encourages us to see water conservation as a process we can all get involved in. Water stands as the most important chemical compound used by humans daily, and polling shows many Americans care deeply about water quality. But despite highly visible water crises like the high lead levels in Flint, Mich., and scarcity within the Navajo Nation the quality and safety of drinking water often are taken for granted. It comes out of a faucet or a fountain, initiated by an easy turn of the knob or push of a button. In truth, that water has taken a much longer and complicated journey to reach us, having traveled through a vast network of systems that most of us will never see. In The State of Water: Our Most Valuable Resource, Guggenheim award-winning photographer Brad Temkin continues his longstanding attention to our relationship with nature how we appreciate and accommodate it and how it accommodates us. Temkin’s pictures celebrate ideas in water and wastewater engineering design, showing the inventiveness in architecture and infrastructure necessary to meet our needs and to accommodate nature.
The State of Water exhibition is brought to you through the generous support of The Nature Foundation of Will County(Opens in a new window).

Beginner Stained Glass Workshop
2025-11-14 17:30 - 20:30 | Open Space Art Gallery & Studios, 223 W. Madison St., Ottawa, 61350, United States
Create your own beautiful stained glass art. Learn how to cut & break glass as you create your own project using the copper foil method. The session will deal with type & quality of glass, appropriate tools, cutting techniques and assembling. Each person will leave the class with a completed stained glass piece, you will choose between a selection of 3-4 pieced templates. Holiday templates will be available!Preregistration required.10 seats available.Age 10 and up. $95 per person. *All sales final.

Craft Beer & Beverage Tasting at the Museum
2025-11-14 17:30 - 21:00 | Joliet Area History Museum, 204 Ottawa St., Joliet, IL, 60432, United States
Join us at the Museum’s Indoor Auditorium on Friday, November 14th from 5:30-9pm and sample over 35 hand crafted beers, ciders, seltzers & more!There will be local and regional craft brewers on hand to share their products and knowledge. Attending brewers and brews will be posted soon on facebook!Admission just $28 for general public or $25 for museum members, and includes hot appetizers, unlimited beer/beverage sampling, prizes, raffles, and access to the Museum exhibits & galleries. Phil Angotti will be on hand to play music by The Beatles, Stones, John Lennon, Tom Petty & more!Registration/Info at www.jolietmuseum.org or call 815-723-5201. Museum located at 204 N. Ottawa St. in downtown Joliet. Free parking available across from Museum, and all street parking free after 5pm. Event sponsored by D’Arcy Motors, Kozol Bros., Inc., & Heineken USA.

Let's Talk Turkey!
2025-11-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 419 Trout Farm Road, Bolingbrook, IL, 60440, United States
It’s the holiday season! Chances are good that you’ll feast on turkey sometime soon.
This program will provide you with turkey talking points so you can get through those celebratory meals without having to resort to talking about the weather. You’ll learn natural history, fun facts and what makes a wild turkey different from a farm-raised turkey.
The program will start indoors and end outdoors with an activity and a short hike in search of the perfect wild turkey habitat.
Registration required by Friday, Nov. 14: 815-722-4121. Ages 8 and older.
