There’s so much to do in our region! Here’s a look at upcoming lectures and educational enrichment.
September
Exhibit: 50 Years Inside the Oval Office
Through Jan. 11, Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sun. 1-4:30 p.m. Examples of official presidential photography, from the first shot in 1963 through the present. Lake County Discovery Museum, 27277 Forest Preserve Dr., Wauconda, (847) 968-3400, lakecountydiscoverymuseum.org.
Art, Antique & Vintage Collectibles Auction
Sept. 20, 6 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and silent auction; 7 p.m. live auction. Proceeds benefit the historic Woodstock Opera House. Woodstock Opera House, 121 E. Van Buren St., Woodstock, (815) 338-4212, woodstockopera.com.
The Essential Great Chicago Fire
Sept. 23, 7 p.m. Multimedia storytelling with firsthand accounts from those who lived through the inferno of 1871. Bartlett Public Library, 800 S. Bartlett Road, Bartlett, bartlettlibrary.org. Also Oct. 1 at Geneva Public Library District, 127 James St., Geneva, gpld.org.
October
Abigail Adams
Oct. 2, noon. Reminiscences of this Revolutionary War wife, mother, First Lady and American patriot in a dramatic portrayal. West Chicago Public Library, 118 W. Washington St., West Chicago, westchicago.lib.il.us.
Run & Roll for the Dole Duathlon
Oct. 5, 8 a.m. A 2-mile run, 12.4-mile bike ride and another 2-mile run through Crystal Lake and Lakewood. Benefits Lakeside Legacy Foundation. Dole Mansion, 401 Country Club Road, Crystal Lake, lakesidelegacy.org.
Pumpkin Pedal Bike Tour
Oct. 5, 7:30 a.m. Choice of 10-, 20- or 28-mile routes on the Great Western Trail or 40- or 65-mile road ride. $30. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Illinois. LeRoy Oaks Forest Preserve, 37W700 Dean St., St. Charles, soill.org.
25th Annual Tales Tombstones Tell
Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m. Costumed interpreters of former residents, historic music and song and an evening stroll through West Chicago’s oldest cemetery. Final tour 7:45 p.m. Oakwood Cemetery, Garden & York, West Chicago, (630) 231-3376, westchicago.org.
Read To Rover
Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Dec. 13, 10-11:30 a.m. 15-minute sessions. School-aged kids practice reading aloud to a fully trained and certified therapy dog. Gail Borden Public Library (GBPL), 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, (847) 742-2411, gailborden.info.
The Fabulous Beekman Boys
Oct. 16, 10 a.m. Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, known from their Cooking Channel reality show. Creative Living Series. Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock, (815) 338-5300, woodstockoperahouse.com.
“I Dwell in Possibility”
Oct. 16, 7 p.m. A one-woman dramatic portrayal of Emily Dickinson’s life and poetry. GBPL, Elgin, gailborden.info.
100 Oaks for 100 Years
Oct. 18, 1-4 p.m. Help to plant 100 oak trees to restore the area’s oak savanna as it once was. Glacial Park, Lost Valley Visitor Center, 6316 Harts Road, Ringwood, (815) 479-5779, mccdistrict.org.
Owl-O-Ween
Oct. 18, 6:30 p.m. Meet live owls and hike to search for them in their natural habitat. Pre-registration required. $15. Peck Farm Park, 4038 Kaneville Road, Geneva, (630) 232-4542, genevaparks.org.
Reflections of a Life of Shattered Dreams
Oct. 19, 2 p.m. One-woman dramatization of Mary Todd Lincoln after her husband’s assasination, including the death of her children and her insanity trial. Eastside Community Center, 14 N. Van Buren St., Batavia, bataviaparks.org.
Illinois Ghosts and the Afterlife
Oct. 20, 7-8 p.m. Paranormal investigator Terry Fisk examines his findings at some of the haunted locations in Illinois, with photos, case histories, eyewitness accounts and ghost lore. Free; please register. GBPL, Elgin, gailborden.info.
Haunted Elgin Part ll, The Cemeteries
Oct. 21, 7 p.m. Elgin historian Steve Stroud discusses former cemeteries in Elgin, where some remains weren’t removed, strange characters, mysterious deaths, rumors of hauntings. Elgin Alive. GBPL, Elgin, gailborden.info, elgin-ecn.org.
Domestic Violence 101
Oct. 21, 7 p.m. Domestic violence and its forms; causes; effects on children; warning signs; what to do if you or a loved one is a victim. Bartlett Library, bartlettlibrary.org.
Engineering Success & Failures
Oct. 24, 8 p.m. Dr. Henry Petroski, Duke University, examines historical case studies of ocean liners and suspension bridges from the 1850s through the 1930s. $4. Fermilab, Kirk Road & Pine Street, Batavia, (630) 840-2787, fnal.gov/culture.
November
Panting for Paws 5k Walk/Run
Nov. 2, 8:30 a.m. 1-mile Fun Run; 9 a.m. 5k. flat course on crushed limestone. Proceeds benefit the Fox Valley Helping Paws Animal Welfare Association. Lippold Park, IL Rt. 176, Crystal Lake, (815) 338-4400, pantingforpaws.com.
Life in Japanese-American Internment Camps
Nov. 5, noon. Historian and librarian Sarah Okner, a descendant of Japanese-Americans sent to these remote camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, shares photos and details of daily life in a camp and how internees were affected. Geneva Library, gpld.org.
Natives: A Contemporary Voice
Nov. 5, 7 p.m. National and local Native leader Joseph Podlasek, of Ojibwe and Polish descent, talks about populations, funding, arts and culture, tribal casinos and his perspective on the mascot debate. GBPL, Elgin, gailborden.info.
150th Civil War Anniversary
Nov. 8, noon-2:30 p.m. Local historian and Illinois Civil War Round Table member Bill Lax discusses the decisive role Illinois soldiers played during the battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. At 1 p.m., hear music of the Civil War by Phil Passen. Bring a sack lunch if you wish. Free. Geneva Library, gpld.org.
Harvest Gathering of 1858
Nov. 9, noon-4 p.m. Try your hand at corn shelling, grinding corn into flour, or making a corn husk or yarn doll. See how bread was baked in the wood-burning stove and candles made for the winter. Take farmhouse tours; watch a Cavalry sergeant and his horse demonstrate the weapons of the era. Powers-Walker House, Glacial Park, 6316 Harts Road, Ringwood, (815) 479-5779, mccdistrict.org.