Birds with Beans
2025-02-02 08:30 - 09:30 (America/Chicago) | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Birdwatch with hot, fresh-brewed, bird-friendly coffee from the comfort of the Isle a la Cache library.
Chat about the birds that show up at the feeders through the picture windows and enjoy the company of others over morning muffins.
Registration required by Friday, Jan. 31: 815-722-9301.

Six Decades in the Darkroom - Opening Reception
2025-02-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Gallery Seven, 200 W. 8th St., Lockport, IL, 60441, United States
Opening reception for the photography exhibit of Jon W. Balke.

Historic Voices Laura Keyes as Lucy Pettengill Station Operator on the Underground Railroad
2025-02-04 17:30 - 19:00 | Pontiac Public Library, 211 E. Madison St., Ppontiac, IL, 61764, United States
This program finds Lucy Pettengill, resident of Peoria, IL, in March 1857. Learn about the struggles she and her fellow abolitionists encountered, in order to assist freedom seekers on their way north. Hear the accounts of the efforts of the underground railroad activities from someone who was there! Mrs. Pettengill will share with you the details of the abolitionist movements and actions in Western Illinois, and why her work was not only secret, but dangerous. Laura Keyes graduated from UW-Madison with a Master’s Degree in Library Studies, and is a lifetime member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters. Laura received the Excellence in Performing Award from that Association.

Berry Valentini Paint Night
2025-02-04 18:00 - 21:00 | The Twisted Pin, 15610 Joliet Rd., Plainfield, IL, 60544, United States
Celebrate upcoming Valentine’s Day in style with a painting class.
Follow along as we create this fabulous Berry Valentini on canvas.
A template of the martini is provided ensuring fabulous results.
Bring your appetite- full menu and cash bar will be available.
Seating is limited, so book today
Fee: $38 for a 16×20 canvas
Book online: www.paintingpartiesbylucy.com.

Wonder Kids: Smokey Bear!
2025-02-06 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.
Check out “Smokey Bear: The Rudy Wendelin Collection.” Be sure to see all 19 pieces on display across participating nature centers from Jan. 17 to March 2.
Registration required by Tuesday, Feb. 4: 815-722-9301.
We have limited space, so please register everyone attending, including all adults.

Follow Your Art
2025-02-06 17:00 - 21:00 | Downtown Joliet, Downtown Joliet, Joliet, IL, 60432, United States
Bring friends, kids, or your significant other to celebrate the season of love with some arts inspired activities in Downtown Joliet.
Downtown businesses are hosting free entertainment, workshops, and food & beverage specials. Thank you to Old National Bank for sponsoring this event!

Succulent Heart Wreath Workshop
2025-02-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Rejuvenate – Plants & Wellness, 2212 Plainfield Rd., Crest Hill, IL, 60403, United States
Come along to indulge in some self-care and craft a unique heart-shaped succulent wreath!
We’ll use a 12 inch moss form and a variety of succulents to create this work of art. We’ll lead you through the process which is quite easy and therapeutic! All supplies are included in this class: – Heart-Shaped Moss Frame – A variety of succulent cuttings to jazz up and cover your wreath! – You will receive at least 25 cuttings! – Ribbon for a bow or hanger – A great experience! We’ll show you how to create your heart shaped succulent wreath and teach you how to care for it! The best part? When you’re over looking at the heart, remove all the succulents from your form and re-plant them to keep growing! Or keep it up all year round! Either way, it’s cool! Come prepared to create an awesome piece! Work with plants and have a fun night!
Feel free to bring your own drinks of choice and all of your friends!
Want to schedule a private event with your closest pals?
Reach out to us! We’ll be glad to host this as a private class for you!

Karaoke Night
2025-02-06 19:00 - 23:00, 2025-02-13 19:00 - 23:00, 2025-02-20 19:00 - 23:00 | 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!

Drinkin' with Lincoln 2025
2025-02-07 18:30 - 22:00 | Historic Downtown Lemont, Canal & Stephen St, Lemont, IL, 60439, United States
Get a bit of history and raise a glass with Honest Abe, our tour guide, as we visit 8 historic downtown hangouts:

Tom’s Place
Corner Stone Tavern
111 Martini Parlour
Hughie McClafferty’s
Canal Street Pub
Matt’s BBQ
Nick’s Tavern
Main Inn
Note: 6:30 pm, pick up shirts at Smokey Row Antique Shop, 112 Stephen St., Lemont, IL.

DONATION; $30 per person – includes t-shirt, pizza, and a piece of Abe’s birthday cake. Proceeds support the Lemont Quarrymen Vintage Base Ball Club.

NOTE: Payment must be made by January 30, 2025 to guarantee shirts. Drop forms and payment off at Smokey Row Antique Shop, 112 Stephen Street, Lemont, IL.
Hours: M-F 11 am to 8 pm; Saturday 11 am to 6 pm; and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. Or fill out our *Online Form at: https://lemontquarrymen.com/drinkin-with-lincoln. You can also make payment by phone by calling (630) 888-5259.
For more info call: (630) 888-5259.

Face 2 Face - Tribute to Elton John & Billy Joel
2025-02-07 20:00 - 22:00 | Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St., Joliet, 60432, United States
Taking turns at an onstage piano, the dual tribute artists of the Billy Joel/Elton John Face-2-Face Tribute Show conjure the beloved songsters in both sound and image.
Backed by some the best and most sought-after musicians in the business, Levittown NY native MIKE SANTORO’s fingers flash up and down the keys on Angry Young Man before he belts out high-energy Billy Joel classics such as Movin Out, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and more.
Following Santoro’s set, of the roughly three-hour show, RONNIE SMITH dons the iconic sunglasses and bedazzled suits of Elton John as he charts his style from the ’70s to the present. Timeless anthems such as Tiny Dancer and the epic treasure Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding mixed with more whimsical material such as Crocodile Rock and the fictional rock-group narrative Bennie and the Jets.
For the 3rd act, both artists hit the stage for THE grand finale, trading the spotlight with more of the best of Billy Joel and Elton John. For over a decade, this event is not one to be missed!

Valentine Party
2025-02-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Joliet Area History Museum, 204 Ottawa St., Joliet, IL, 60432, United States
Get ready for a day filled with love, laughter, and loads of fun at our Kids’ Valentine’s Party!
Activities Include: Crafts Corner: Let your creativity shine as you make beautiful Valentine’s Day cards and decorations to share with friends and family. Valentine Workshop: Create personalized gifts and learn the art of making heartfelt valentines. DJ Dance Party: Dance the day away to your favorite tunes! Our DJ will be spinning the latest hits and classic favorites to keep everyone on their feet. Games Galore: Enjoy a variety of fun games and activities that will have you laughing and playing all day long. Don’t miss out on this fantastic celebration of friendship and love. Bring your friends and let’s make this Valentine’s Day unforgettable!

Winter Wine Walk - North Utica
2025-02-08 11:00 - 17:00 | Mill & Grove, Utica, Mill & Grove, Utica, 61373, United States
The 2025 Winter Wine Walk! Enjoy wine, food, shopping and fun at locations throughout Utica, including your favorites from August Hill Winery & ISC!
How does the Winter Wine Walk work? Visit all the locations listed on your passport and enjoy wine and food tastings. Walk between the tasting stops or ride the free trolley bus between stops. This is an open-house type format. You can check in at any time that is convenient to you and can visit the locations in any order you would like. Mill Street will be closed during the event where we’ll have 2 fire pits set up for you to enjoy! The event is open 11am-5pm.
Wine & Food Tasting Admission Tickets: $25 per person for advance online purchase. Includes souvenir glass, passport, and 8 tasting tickets. ** This event sells out every year, so don’t wait to get your tickets. ** Tickets are non-refundable.

Folsom Prison Experience
2025-02-08 19:30 - 22:00 | Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St., Joliet, 60432, United States
Step Back in Time for a Drama-Filled Journey with Folsom Prison Experience!
Prepare for a high-intensity recreation of one of Johnny Cash’s most significant days in his musical career – a day that history now looks back on with amazement. While Johnny was going through a tough period, having just ended his first marriage, the band struggled to get him interested in recording in the studio. Their bold solution? Record LIVE in a prison. But what seemed simple turned into a whirlwind of drama!

The Underground Railroad in Livingston County, Illinois by Dale Maley
2025-02-11 17:30 - 19:00 | Pontiac Public Library, 211 E. Madison St., Ppontiac, IL, 61764, United States
Local Author and Historian, Dale Maley will present his research on the progression of the Underground Railroad through Livingston County, IL focusing on stories of the route from west of Fairbury, IL to Ottawa, IL. Dale is the President of the Livingston County Historical Society and Vice-President of the Fairbury Echoes Museum. Dale is an expert on Fairbury, Illinois history and has written over 80- newspaper articles and 18 books about Fairbury history.

Mocktails at the Museum
2025-02-13 17:30 - 20:00 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Grab your sisters, girlfriends or best gal pals and celebrate Galentine’s Day with some botanical inspired mocktails!
During this program, guests will make different mocktails, learn about their connections to the preserves and explore the museum after hours. Light snacks will be provided.
$5 per person – 18 and older.
Registration required by Sunday, Feb. 9: 815-722-9301.

John Primer Concert at the Joliet Museum
2025-02-14 19:00 - 22:00 | Joliet Area History Museum, 204 Ottawa St., Joliet, IL, 60432, United States
John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band live in the Joliet Area Historical Museum’s Indoor Auditorium venue on Friday, February 14th at 7pm
Doors open 6:15pm
John Primer learned the blues at the famous Theresa’s Lounge from all the blues legends, joining the bands of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and Magic Slim and then became his own band leader for his Real Deal Blues Band.
Don’t miss this legend in the making! Beverage bar, snack vendor, access to museum galleries & exhibits.
Only $13 for Museum Members or $15 for General Public.
Register/Info go to www.jolietmuseum.org or call (815) 723-5201.
Walk-ups welcome while tickets last.

English Paper Piecing Workshop with Quilting in the Valley
2025-02-15 09:00 - 14:00 | Hegeler Carus Mansion, 1307 7th St., LaSalle, 61301, United States
Have you ever wondered what to do with all of those scrap fabrics?
We are partnering with Quilting in the Valley on a one-day English Paper Piecing Workshop here in the Family Room of the Hegeler Carus Mansion. What is English Paper Piecing? English Paper Piecing (EPP) is a historical quilting technique (popular in the 18th and 19th centuries) that involves wrapping fabric around paper shapes and then stitching the fabric together. The paper is removed once the shape is complete, leaving the fabric behind. EPP is a great project for using up scraps and showing off fabric prints, while completing complex looking designs with ease. This is a portable, easy to learn technique! What you will learn and what you will need to bring: For this class, we will learn to glue baste the fabric to the papers, whipstitch the pieces together, and make a star shaped candle mat. Precut fabrics and papers will be provided to participants. Each participant will need to bring a pair of sharp scissors with them for this project. For those that need it, a tool kit will be available to purchase for $24.99 during class including a fabric glue pen, high quality #9 sharps needles, and 80 weight cotton thread for invisible piecing.
Purchase Tickets Here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML7ZHXZ6B7FMC/checkout/6JMSWCXPKZNFSWJSAV23637U
Cost: $55 (optional kit available onsite for $24.99) Optional toolkit includes: a glue pen, piecing needles, and a small spool of matching thread.

Model Train Fair & Farm Show
2025-02-15 09:00 - 14:00 | Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W. Peru St., Princeton, IL, 61356, United States
NEW & USED & ANTIQUE TRAINS AND TOYS
Space Available for Train Layouts
Vendors Wanted with all scales of trains – HO, N, O, G, Thomas, Lionel, Marx plus accessories; Farm Toys & Tractors, Die Cast, Trucks, Hot Wheels, Ertl, NASCAR & Racing Collectibles and other types of toys.

LaSalle County History by the Dozen
2025-02-15 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-16 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-17 10:00 - 16:00 | LaSalle County
Visitors to La Salle County, IL will have a unique opportunity to visit twelve area museums, historical societies, historic mansions and a genealogy guild at a special bargain price.
A Passport may be purchased at any of the twelve venues noted below. The Passport price is $1 per person and is valid for three days (February 15-17, 2025). Simply present the Passport at each venue for admission No further admission fees will apply for this event! NOTE: Some locations have varying open hours noted below.
Sites open Saturday (2/15), Sunday (2/16) & Monday (2/17) 10am – 4pm
Earlville Historical Society
LaSalle County Historical Society
Mendota Museum & Historical Society
Norsk Museum
Ottawa Historical & Scouting Heritage Museum
Seneca Historical Guild

Sites Open Saturday (2/15) & Sunday (2/16) 10-4pm unless noted
Reddick Mansion (10-12pm & 2-4pm)
Sheridan Historical Society

Sites Open Saturday (2/15) & Monday (2/17)10-4pm unless noted
Hegeler Carus Mansion (10-3pm)
LaSalle County Genealogy Guild
Streatorland Historical Society
Westclox Museum

Tales from the Hearth
2025-02-15 13:00 - 14:30 | Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL, 60446, United States
Cozy up around a fire in the Trader’s Cabin to listen to stories from Illinois Country: French folktales, Potawatomi stories and more!
Stretch your legs for a short walking break. Can we find any critters featured in the tales? After the storyteller is finished, enjoy the warmth of the flames, the company of others and a tasty treat.
Please dress in layers for the weather and wear appropriate winter walking shoes.
Free! All ages – children must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration required by Thursday, Feb. 13: 815-772-9301

Couples - Paint, Plant & Sip
2025-02-15 17:00 - 19:00 | Rejuvenate – Plants & Wellness, 2212 Plainfield Rd., Crest Hill, IL, 60403, United States
Join us at RejuveNate for a date night that promises to be more fun than trying to assemble IKEA furniture together!
Collaborate on a masterpiece that even your plants will be jealous of, and paint in shifts to create a one-of-a-kind planter for your home—because nothing says love like a slightly lopsided pot!
Here’s the twist: we’ll set a timer for 15 minutes, and you’ll each take turns painting on your planter. It’s like a game of artistic telephone, but with fewer misunderstandings and more paint splatters! You won’t know what your partner is going to paint, so prepare for some delightful surprises—think Picasso meets your toddler’s finger painting!
And don’t forget to bring beverages and snacks to share! Nothing says romance like a sip of wine and a handful of pretzels while you try to decipher your partner’s artistic vision—or lack thereof!

Bloody Valentine
2025-02-16 13:00 - 15:00 | True North, 539 Bedford Rd., Morris, IL, 60450, United States
True North will be serving FREE Bloody Marys to all True North Fan Club members from 1pm-3pm.
Not a member? Ask to join.

Beginner's Lace Making Workshop: No Frills, Just the Basics
2025-02-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Hegeler Carus Mansion, 1307 7th St., LaSalle, 61301, United States
Bring yourself and your desire to learn this lost art form, and well supply the rest.
What is provided: A lacing kit of a 18×20 foam board, bobbins for the project, pins, pincushion, thread, pattern and a handout. Learn the lost art of Bobbin Lacemaking with Donna, a seasoned lace artist that has been working in lace for over 20 years providing demos and classes, and a member of the Lacemakers and Collectors Exchange. In this 3-hour class you will learn the fundamentals of lacemaking while creating a bookmark. At the end of the class, you will have all of the essential supplies needed to lace as well as your class bookmark project.
Purchase Tickets ($65 per person) here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML7ZHXZ6B7FMC/checkout/VHG2PILUFHD6PNLOIAPDBARJ

Pretty in Pink Galentines Cake Class
2025-02-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Hegeler Carus Mansion, 1307 7th St., LaSalle, 61301, United States
Decorate your very own 6-inch round, vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ($5 upcharge) Pretty in Pink cake in the Open Court Editorial Office of the Hegeler Carus Mansion.
All supplies included! Just bring yourself, an apron, and your creativity! This event is a partnership between the Hegeler Carus Mansion and Blue Eyed Rascal Baking Co. Disclaimer- This event is non-refundable. Limited space (16 seats), registration ends on February 11, 2025. Cake selection of Vanilla, Chocolate, or Strawberry ($5 upcharge).Purchase Tickets ($55 per person) Here:https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML7ZHXZ6B7FMC/checkout/WJJC7GS6Z42MD3P4WBWTUM6T

Manhattan Dolls - Dolls Through the Decades - 1910 to 1970s
2025-02-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Festival 56, 316 S. Main St., Princeton, IL, 61356, United States
The Dolls bring dance tunes from Alexander’s Ragtime Band to big band and jukebox hits, songs of war Over There and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and romantic highs and lows from You Made Me Love You to Why Do Fools Fall in Love.
Admission is $25 per person.

Chris Vallillo Meet & Greet
2025-02-22 13:00 - 15:00 | Pontiac Public Library, 211 E. Madison St., Ppontiac, IL, 61764, United States
Come meet folk musician Chris Vallillo ahead of his afternoon performance.
Hear about his research and the details that inspired his musical pieces for this project and see the Journey to Freedom- Illinois’ Underground Railroad while you’re at the library.
Chris Vallillo is a singer/songwriter, and roots musician who makes the people and places of unmetropolitan America come to life in song. Having spent the last 30 years in the rural Midwest, he has a natural affinity for American roots music. A master of finger style and bottleneck slide guitar, Vallillo weaves original, contemporary, and traditional songs and narratives into a compelling and entertaining portrait of the history and lifestyles of the Midwest.
Always a project oriented artist, in the early 2000’s Vallillo began creating one man shows using music as the vehicle to explore a subject or theme. His 2008 project, Abraham Lincoln in Song, received the endorsement of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the accompanying CD of music reached #10 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album Chart. In 2016, his latest recording, Oh Freedom! Songs of the Civil Rights Movement charted at # 6 on the Folk DJ charts. In 2018 he produced Oh Freedom! as a theatrical performance featuring a full band and a 42 voice. That show was videotaped and syndicated on Illinois Public television. In 2021 Chris was awarded an Individual Artist Support Grant from Illinois Arts to record Forgottonia and in 2022, he was awarded a Rural Initiative Grant from the Illinois Humanities Council to develop a new show Forgottonia, featuring original music about rural Illinois combined with images from award winning photographer Tim Schroll.
