I & M Canal

Karaoke Night
2025-02-27 19:00 - 23:00, 2025-03-06 19:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago) | The Twisted Pin, 15610 Joliet Rd., Plainfield, IL, 60544, United States
Join us for Karaoke with Host Joe Son!
Start your weekend on a high note – Food, Fun, Self Serve Beer Wall, Craft Cocktails & Giveaways!

Mammal Madness
2025-03-01 11:00 - 15:00 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Get your paws and whiskers ready for March Mammal Madness at Four Rivers! This day is a celebration of our furry friends in the fields and forests. The festivities include two 45-minute live animal presentations by Big Run Wolf Ranch featuring a wolf. Throughout the event, enjoy mammal-themed activities that are fun for the whole family. Match fantastic feats of warm-blood marvels, create magnificent mammal crafts and more!
Fee: Free! Age: All ages. No registration required.
This is an inclusive event, welcoming individuals of all abilities. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service to participate in this program should submit a request online (https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/…/request…/) no later than 48 hours before the program.

History of Farming on the I&M Canal
2025-03-01 13:30 - 14:30 | Grundy County Historical Society Museum, 510 W. Illinois Ave., Morris, United States
The evolution of nineteenth-century agriculture in northern Illinois.
The first wave of settlers transplanted the time-honored extensive agricultural methodologies to the Midwest. But with a market-oriented base of farmers migrating to the northern counties from other northern states, this antiquated methodology was replaced with intensive agriculture which set the stage for commercial and monocultural agricultural processes. Find out what these various farming methodologies are and how they transformed the lives of farmers throughout northern Illinois.

Please register by calling 815-220-1848, extensions 1 or 2 or at the I&M Canal Visitors Center ~ Lock 16 Café.
Or, online https://trytn.com/en/CanalCorridorAssociation/details/90f9cc8c-d434-421d-9238-105c1a5a4625?typeofproduct=activity

Utica's Mardi Gras Celebration
2025-03-01 16:00 - 20:00 | Mill & Grove, Utica, Mill & Grove, Utica, 61373, United States
IT’S BACK! Join the Utica Business Association for a fun filled night celebrating Mardi Gras!
Parade starts at 4pm at the south end of town and concludes downtown. Check back for more details about Mardi Gras Specials, entertainment and deals!

A Gnome & A Leprechaun Walk Into a Bar
2025-03-01 20:00 - 22:00 | Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre, 201 W Jefferson Street, Joliet, IL, 60432, United States
Can’t gnomes & leprechauns get along? The saga continues in this live sketch comedy!
Follow the gnomes and leprechauns down to their favorite watering hole. There they butt heads and try to determine who’s got dips on the most gold, who’s got the slickest rhymes told, who’s got the oldest lore and who’s got the best known . . . well, it’s rated R, due to language & subject matter. Lobby opens at 7:00 pm. Visit Tavern on the Bricks cash bar, Shamrock Schack concessions, Wee Treasures silly gift shop.
Admission: $5.00

CSA: Spring Member Exhibition
2025-03-02 12:00 - 15:00 | Gallery Seven, 200 W. 8th St., Lockport, IL, 60441, United States
An exclusive art exhibition featuring artwork from members of the Chicago Society of Artists. The CSA is a non-profit organization started in 1887. Now well into its second century, CSA is the oldest continuing artist association in the United States. Since its incorporation in 1889, the primary objective of CSA has been the advancement of art.
The Exhibit runs from March 2 to March 30.
Gallery Hours: Thursday, Friday, Saturday 12 – 5; Sunday 12 – 3.
Admission is free.

REMEMBER THE LADIES Series
2025-03-02 13:00 - 15:00 | I&M Canal Visitors Center, 754 First Street, LaSalle, IL, 61301, United States
“Nellie Bly: Adventures of a ‘Mad’ Woman”
Tricia brings to life one of Victorian America’s true mavericks, New York journalist Nellie Bly. In addition to her famous trip around the world, Bly also took on the role of an inmate at Blackwell’s Asylum, writing of the horrors she witnessed. This one hour, first person presentation is sure to enlighten and entertain. Presented by Tricia Kelly, first person interpreter and famed storyteller.
REMEMBER THE LADIES Series Sundays at 1PM during the Month of March
Hosted at the I&M Canal Visitors Center 754 First St., LaSalle, IL 61301

Wellness Workshop: Taking in the Great Outdoors
2025-03-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Sugar Creek Administration Center, 17540 W. Laraway Rd., Joliet, 60433, United States
Join our recreation coordinator for our 2025 Wellness Series featuring workshops on themes of wellness and connection to nature. Workshops will be offered on the first Tuesday of the month through April at the Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet. Come for one or come for all. Our March program will feature a presentation from The Conservation Foundation on the Nature Rx initiative highlighting medical research from around the world documenting the benefits of time spent in nature followed by discussion of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors right here in Will County forest preserves.
Fee: Free! Age: All ages. Registration required by Tuesday, March 4, by calling 815-727-8700 or online.
Sugar Creek Administration Center is an accessible facility. 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.

Princeton Restaurant Weekend
2025-03-06 09:00 - 2025-03-09 21:00 | Downtown Princeton, 2 Main St., Princeton, IL, 61356, United States
Princeton restaurants invite you to Princeton Restaurant Weekend, a four-day celebration of our local culinary scene!
March 6th-9th, experience creative specials, and hometown hospitality as our restaurants showcase the best of what they have to offer. Whether you’re craving comfort food, innovative chef creations, or sweet treats, this is your chance to experience the unique tastes that make Princeton a dining destination. Gather your friends and family, explore local menus, and support our local favorites!

Murder at the Masquerade - A Murder Mystery
2025-03-06 11:15 - 14:00 | Jacob Henry Mansion, 20 S. Eastern, Joliet, IL, 60433, United States
Attend the Billionaires’ Club Annual Masquerade Ball, and reveal the partygoer who killer their unsuspecting victim.
With a mystery under each feathery facade, unmasking the killer may be quite a challenge. Come be a part of this exclusive gala!
Lunch Entree: Jake’s Cordon Bleu: Grilled chicken breast served open with ham, cheese, and bearnaise sauce, complimented with chef’s choice starch and vegetable.
Price: $60 per guest

Sh!tty Pretzel Party
2025-03-06 17:00 - 19:00 | True North, 539 Bedford Rd., Morris, IL, 60450, United States
You can come if you want. If not, whatever. You’d probably have a sh!tty time anyway. Free Sh!tty crafts. Next Page Book Store Grand Opening. Crappy Beer. More unexciting activities.The biggest excitement of the evening will be the opening of Next Page- an independent book store @ True North but you probably dont read books, so up to you.(Please come so the staff wont be there all by themselves.)

Lunch & Learn: Women in the Woods (Zoom)
2025-03-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Mother Earth isn’t the only woman in the woods. Explore the positive impacts determined women have had on nature throughout history and learn who is making an impact in the field now. Discover how our daughters and granddaughters can become the most emboldened and wild generations yet. This virtual program occurs annually and covers different women each year. Find out who is inspiring us in 2025! Fee: Free! Age: All ages.
Registration required by Friday, March 7:
https://zoom.us/web…/register/WN_8d2FzG95RPygvwVWuoKQLw…
The meeting ID and password for the Zoom session will be sent via email after registration.

Spiked! - Joliet Railroad Museum
2025-03-07 19:00 - 22:00 | Joliet Railroad Museum, 90 E. Jefferson St., Joliet, IL, 60432, United States
ALL ABOARD for an evening of food, drinks and dueling pianos at Joliet’s newest museum!
The Joliet Railroad Museum, a repurposed switching tower that has stood at one of the busiest rail intersections on the continent for over a century, will open for a special evening event on Friday, March 7th from 7-10 pm. The Railroad Museum, dedicated in 2024, is located inside the former Union Depot Tower, which was preserved as part of the City of Joliet’s Gateway Transportation Center complex. The Railroad Museum, operated by the Joliet Area History Museums (JAHM), celebrates the City’s past, present and future as an international transportation hub. The Museum is also an ideal vantage point for the internationally popular pastime of railfanning, or train-watching, and has preserved the UD Towers original mechanical and electric controls that coordinated the movement of trains through this critical intersection decades before computers took over.
What’s included with your admission:- Entertainment – Dueling Pianos by Greg Woods Music- Entry into the Railroad Museum & Train Viewing Area- Heavy Appetizers & Cash Bar- Free Parking in the surrounding parking lots –
www.joliet.gov/parking
Register & Info: Admission is $30 for JAHM Members & $40 for General Public, and you can register at www.jolietmuseum.org
The Joliet Railroad Museum is located in the Joliet Gateway Transportation Center at 90 E. Jefferson St. in Joliet. This is an age 21+ event.

GMO's - What Are They and Why Are They Necessary to Feed the World?
2025-03-08 01:30 - 14:30 | Grundy County Historical Society Museum, 510 W. Illinois Ave., Morris, United States
Learn about the current day plants that are being grown and how they are benefiting the world.
Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s have been around since the early 1990’s.
Understanding how they are created and why they are used in modern day agriculture will be the focus of this modern-day agricultural development. This presentation is designed to give you updates on how this type of plant hybridization is used in our world. Presented by Brianna Gibson.

Please register by calling 815-220-1848, extensions 1 or 2 or at the I&M Canal Visitors Center ~ Lock 16 Café.

Illinois Valley Sport Card & Collectibles Show
2025-03-08 10:00 - 15:00 | Peru Mall, 3940 State Rt. 251, Peru, IL, 61354, United States
Illinois Valley Sports card and Collectibles Show –
80+ Tables – Free Admission – Special Autograph Guest TBA –
Email: ridgecards@yahoo.com

Lemont St. Patrick's Day Parade & Fest
2025-03-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Historic Downtown Lemont, Canal & Stephen St, Lemont, IL, 60439, United States
Join The Village of Lemont for their 33rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Fest will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Historic Downtown Lemont.
Details are subject to change but preview the event below.
The parade begins at 1:00 p.m. The route begins on south Stephen Street, and heads west on Main Street.

Watch the crowning of the St. Patrick’s Day Queen and King at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Stephen Street near the I&M Canal Bridge.
The Fest begins at 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and includes West Main Street, Legion Park (111 Main Street) and the VFW.
Stockyard Kilty Band will open the fest and Irish Dancers perform at the Legion Park gazebo. (VFW if inclement weather.)
Live DJ
Food Vendors — including the famous corned beef sandwich served up at the VFW!

Festival 56 Presents The Banjo Buddies Dixieland Band
2025-03-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Grace Theatre, 316 Main St., Princeton, 61356, United States
Ann Stewart, the vocalist, banjoist, and leader of Chicago’s premier Dixieland show band, is considered to be among a very small group at the top of the jazz banjo world. Her percussive, swinging style along with her energy and enthusiasm fuels the band’s exclusive arrangements of classic Dixieland jazz as well as swing, blues, novelty tunes and more.

Yoga & Hike
2025-03-09 09:00 - 10:30 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Start the day off right with yoga and a hike!
This program includes a 35- to 45-minute all-levels yoga session and a 35- to 45-minute hike along our scenic trails.
Registration required by Saturday, March 8: 815-722-9470.
With the cold weather, yoga will take place in the Grand Hall. Please bring a yoga mat, water and warm layers for the winter weather. Use caution as snow and ice may be present on the trails and parking lots.

Seated Yoga & Seasonal Sights
2025-03-09 11:00 - 12:00 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Enjoy an invigorating morning by taking time for yourself and discovering the wonders of the natural world.
This program includes a 30- to 35-minute all-levels seated yoga session and 25- to 30-minute natural world exploration. Both sessions will take place in the Grand Hall.
Fee: Free! Age: Ages 12 or older. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration required by Saturday, March 8, by calling 815-722-9470 or online.
Please bring water and wear comfortable clothing. Please use caution as snow and ice may be present on the trails and parking lots. This is an inclusive program, welcoming individuals of all abilities. 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.

Living History Encounters: Tallow
2025-03-09 12:00 - 15:00 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Wondering what tallow is?
Come out to Isle a la Cache to learn what it is, how it was made and what it was used for during the 18th century. During Living History Encounters, you may find cooks, seamstresses, voyageurs, soldiers or craftsmen sharing their talents.
Fee: Free! Age: All ages. No registration required.
Depending on the weather, this program is offered indoors or outside. Isle a la Cache is an accessible facility; outdoor activities may take place on 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.

The Civil War & LaSalle County
2025-03-09 12:00 - 16:00 | LaSalle County Historical Museum, 101 E Canal St, Utica, 61373, United States
The LaSalle County Historical Society presents a special exhibit entitled The Civil War and LaSalle County being displayed from March 9, 2025 to October 3, 2025.
This exhibit features special regional and local Civil War memorabilia including flags, currency, local soldier stories and much more. The exhibit will take up one whole floor of our Heritage Center and can be seen during open museum hours (Friday through Sunday 12-4pm) or by appointment by contacting office@lasallecountyhistoricalsociety.org.

REMEMBER THE LADIES Series
2025-03-09 13:00 - 15:00 | I&M Canal Visitors Center, 754 First Street, LaSalle, IL, 61301, United States
Interview with a Victorian
Ever wonder what it would be like to live in another time? Wish you could travel back to the ‘good old days’ of the late 19th century? Think you were born in the wrong era? Well, think again! Historian Tricia Kelly dons a dress (or two) to bring you an exclusive interview as a Victorian gal and answers your questions about all things Victorian: childhood, relationships, money, housekeeping, fashion, social functions, motherhood, mourning, death, and everything in-between. It could well change your mind about the ‘Gilded’ Age! Presented by Tricia Kelly, first person interpreter and famed storyteller.
REMEMBER THE LADIES Series Sundays at 1PM during the Month of March
Hosted at the I&M Canal Visitors Center 754 First St., LaSalle, IL 61301

Nature Play After Hours: Magnificent Mammals
2025-03-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, 27064 Dutton Rd., Beecher, 60401, United States
March is all about mammals! What are mammals and what makes them special? Let’s find out what makes them truly magnificent!
Join us for this nature-themed program series for 3- to 5-year-olds and their caregivers.
Fee: Free! Age: Ages 3-5. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.
Registration required by Sunday, March 9, by calling 708-946-2216 or online.
Be prepared for indoor and outdoor activities, including a story, a hike, games and crafts. We encourage experiencing the outdoors in all weather, so please dress accordingly. Outdoor activities may take place on natural surfaces across uneven terrain. Plum Creek Nature Center is an accessible facility. 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.

Homeschool Day at Four Rivers: Forest Invaders
2025-03-13 10:00 - 11:30 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Welcome all homeschool families!
Join other middle and high school-aged homeschoolers to experience a naturalist-led field trip at McKinley Woods – Kerry Sheridan Grove.
Talk about hands-on! This award-winning program brings students into a forest preserve to participate in an active restoration project. Students learn how non-native species are introduced and what allows them to outcompete native species. Key ecological principles of diversity, competition and endangered species are part of the discussion. Possible restoration work includes seed collecting, non-native species removal and planting of native plants.
Fee: Free! Age: Ages 12-18. Participants must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration by phone required by Thursday, March 6: 815-722-9470.
Please note this is not a drop-off program; adults or chaperones do not need to register but must be present for the program. This is an inclusive field trip, welcoming individuals of all abilities. Four Rivers Environmental Education Center is an accessible facility. Hikes will be up to 2 miles over paved and natural surface 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.

Homeschool Day at Four Rivers: A is for Adaption
2025-03-13 12:00 - 13:30 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Welcome all homeschool families!
Join other elementary school-aged homeschoolers to experience a naturalist-led field trip at McKinley Woods – Kerry Sheridan Grove. Adaptations are like superpowers that help a living thing survive in its habitat. A bat using echolocation to hunt, a hummingbird using its long beak and tongue to drink nectar, and a human using thumbs to hold a fork are all examples of adaptations.
During this field trip, your homeschooler will explore the special adaptations of our local species. All birds have beaks, but look at the different shapes and sizes! Discover the diversity of frogs that live in our preserve, then collect insects and draw conclusions about why they look like they do.
Fee: Free! Age: Ages 5-11. Participants must be accompanied by an adult. Registration by phone required by Thursday, March 6: 815-722-9470.
Please note this is not a drop-off program: adults or chaperones do not need to register but must be present for the program.
This is an inclusive field trip, welcoming individuals of all abilities. Four Rivers Environmental Education Center is an accessible facility. Hikes will be up to 2 miles over paved and natural surface 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.

Homeschool Day at Four Rivers: Flowering Plants
2025-03-13 12:00 - 13:30 | Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, 25055 S Walnut Ln., Channahon, IL, 60410, United States
Welcome all homeschool families!
Join other middle and high school-aged homeschoolers to experience a naturalist-led field trip at McKinley Woods – Kerry Sheridan Grove. Students will take a look at the beautiful diversity of spring wildflowers during this seasonal offering. They will review the plant life cycle and examine flower anatomy. Students will be introduced to various ways humans use plants and practice identifying native species in the field.
Fee: Free! Age: Ages 12-18. Participants must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration by phone required by Thursday, March 6: 815-722-9470.
Please note this is not a drop-off program; adults or chaperones do not need to register but must be present for the program. This is an inclusive field trip, welcoming individuals of all abilities. Four Rivers Environmental Education Center is an accessible facility. Hikes will be up to 2 miles over paved and natural surface 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.

Women of the Fur Trade
2025-03-13 18:30 - 19:30 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
March is Women’s History Month!
Let’s celebrate all the boss women from the 17th to 19th century fur trade — the smugglers and traders, the translators and economic powerhouses, the guides and providers who were so much more than the nagging wife portrayed by later historians.
Fee: Free! Age: Ages 16 or older. Registration required by Tuesday, March 11, by calling 815-722-9301 or online.
Isle a la Cache Museum is an accessible facility. 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.

Woodcock Walk: Hickory Creek
2025-03-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Hickory Creek Preserve, 10537 W. LaPorte Rd., Mokena, IL, 60448, United States
Spring is breeding season, and the normally timid and elusive woodcock throws off all his inhibitions in an attempt to attract a mate. Waiting for just the right conditions, he moves to the edge of the forest to prepare for his extraordinary courtship sky dance. Join a naturalist to learn all about this shy showoff and what makes him the star of the show. Then head to the trail for a short hike to see this amazing avian performance.
Fee: Free! Age: Ages 7 and older. Registration required by Wednesday, March 12, by calling 815-722-4121 or online.
Be sure to dress for the weather as we will be standing in place often as we listen and look for woodcocks. Meet at Hickory Hollow Shelter. The hike will be less than 1 mile on both paved and natural surface trails over 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.

Think & Drink: Democracy in America - A Social Gathering with Jane Adams
2025-03-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Gaylord Building, Lockport, 200 W. 8th Street, Lockport, IL, 60441, United States
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Lockport Woman’s Club and the Gaylord Building are proud to present a one-of-a-kind living history experience. Actress Betsey Means will bring Jane Addams to life in Democracy in America, an engaging performance based on Addams’ own words.
Jane Addams (1860–1935) was a tireless advocate for social justice, dedicating her life to improving the lives of the underprivileged, advancing women’s rights, and pioneering modern social work. She co-founded Chicago’s Hull House, one of the most influential settlement houses in America, and in 1931, she became the first American woman awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Through this immersive performance, attendees will step back in time to 1910, experiencing Hull House through the eyes of Addams herself.
Adapted from Addams’ own writings, this 50-minute performance by Betsey Means of WomanLore will be followed by an engaging Q&A session.
Cost: Free!

Registration: Recommended (includes Public Landing Restaurant discount – details below)

Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating one of America’s most influential women!
About your presenter:
Betsey Means is a professional actress who has performed with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare on the Green, Blue Rider Theatre, and Chicago Children’s Theatre, among other groups. She is the co-founder, along with actress Eileen Vorbach, of WomanLore, which offers educational and entertaining performances adapted directly from the journals, autobiographies, and personal writings of influential and powerful women.
Public Landing Restaurant Discount: When you register, you will receive a confirmation email with a discount code good for 20% off your full meal purchase the night of the event. Just tell your server the discount code when you sit down to order. This discount is valid only on the night of the talk, so be sure to come early (the restaurant recommends no later than 5:30pm).

Dine in Only. Discount is valid only with a meal purchase and cannot be used just for beverages. May not be combined with any other promotion or discount. We’d like to thank the Public Landing Restaurant for providing this discount to our guests.
