There’s so much to do in our neck of the Old Northwest Territory! Here’s a sampling of some upcoming events.
July
Healthy Living with Chronic Illness
July 20-Aug. 24, Fri. 1-3:30 p.m. This six-week program teaches skills to manage day-to-day treatment of chronic illnesses with diet and increasing daily activities. Rockford Public Library (RPL), Montague Branch. Age 18 and over.
Historic Walking Tour
July 20-Sept. 30, Thurs. 6 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Tour Galena’s historic Main Street on this one-hour walk, rain or shine. DeSoto House Hotel, 230 S. Main St., Galena, (563) 580-1797, visitgalena.org.
Night Sky Watch & Storytelling
July 21, Aug. 25, Sept. 15, 8 p.m. Native American folklore around a campfire followed by observations of constellations. Some telescopes provided; bring your own if possible. Weather permitting. Apple River Fort Historic Site, 311 E. Myrtle St., Elizabeth, Ill., (815) 858-2028, visitgalena.org.
Birding Field Trip
July 21-Sept. 29, Sat. 9-11:30 a.m. View birds in a variety of wooded and open habitats. Participants provide their own transportation. $10; $15 couple. Reservations req. (815) 777-0621. Meet at Old Train Depot, 101 Bouthillier St., Galena, visitgalena.org.
Diggin’ Dinos
July 27, 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. In Discovery Center’s outdoor dinosaur quarry, touch real dinosaur bones, assemble a skeleton, talk to a paleontologist and more. Pizza by the slice sold beginning at 11:30. Discovery Center, Rockford, discoverycentermuseum.org.
Heritage Garden Day
July 28, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tours, presentations, recipes, crafts and plant sales, all centered on historic gardens and landscapes. Also local vendors. $8. Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, midwayvillage.com.
Native American Prairie Day
July 28, 1-4 p.m. Thousands of prairie wildflowers in full bloom; guided tours of the buried Indian village and ceremonial mound; ancient weapon demonstrations; display of ancient stone tools, arrowheads, pottery, fossils; Native American flute player; food samples. Wapello Land & Water Reserve, 8642 Ill. Rte. 84 S., Hanover, Ill., (815) 858-9100, jdcf.org.
The Place In-Between
July 31, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tour privately owned Wilson Prairie, a remnant prairie with at least nine species of grasses and over 50 species of forbs. As the sun sets and the moon rises on the prairie ridge – the “place in-between” – poet Christine Swanberg reads selections from her new book, Alleluia Tree. Call for meeting place and reservations, (815) 335-2915.
August
Finding Grants for Nonprofit Organizations
Aug. 2, 2-3:30 p.m. Learn to search the Foundation Directory Online to find grants for nonprofit organizations. NOT for businesses or individuals. Phone number or email req. Must be Internet savvy. RPL Main Branch, 215 N. Wyman St., Rockford, (815) 965-7606, rockfordpubliclibrary.org.
Dinner at the Dells; Concert in the Woods
Aug. 4, 5-9:30 p.m. A multi-course dinner of local and foraged foods prepared by Chef Michelle Princer of Toni’s of Winnebago, served on the screened porch overlooking the butterfly garden. Vegetarian options; beer & wine available. Music by Curt Carter. Reservations req. $50 per person, (815) 986-4357, web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw. Concert only: $5/BYOB. Severson Dells Nature Center, 8502 Montague Road, Winnebago, Ill.
Leopold Education Project
Aug. 4, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Presented by Curt Carter, director of Land for Learning Institute in Southern Illinois. A curriculum enhancement program that guides learning through direct observation of the natural world using Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. Illinois teachers earn CPDUs; good for scout and youth leaders. $25. Registration due by July 31, (815) 335-2915. Severson Dells Nature Center, Winnebago.
1859 Belden School Open House Aug 4, 18, Sept. 1, 15, 1-4 p.m. Normally open by appointment only. Visitors to Belden School, a restored one-room schoolhouse, are welcomed by docents who share the building’s history from 1859-1943. Free. Belden School, 52 Heatherdowns, Galena Territory, (815) 858-3544, visitgalena.org.
Historic Tours of the Old Stockade
Aug 4-Sept. 29, Sat. 1-4 p.m. Visit this Galena landmark from the 1820s, used as a refuge for women and children during the Civil War, and hear the history of five women instrumental to this building’s 180-year history. Old Stockade, 208 Perry St., Galena, visitgalena.org.
Art in the Garden
Aug. 11, 6 p.m. Open-air dining; moonlight dancing. Proceeds support Rockford Art Museum exhibitions and education programs. Info: (815) 978-2787. Event: La Paloma Gardens, Brookview Road, Rockford.
Annual Book Sale
Aug. 11-12, Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Friends of the Lake Geneva Public Library annual fundraiser. Held at east entrance on Wrigley Drive. Lake Geneva Library, Lake Geneva, lakegeneva.lib.wi.us.
Fossil Find at Vulcan Quarry
Aug. 11, Sept. 29, 9:30-11 a.m. Learn about fossils and mining and then head into the field to find your own fossils. Space limited. Vulcan Materials Quarry, Sycamore. Register with Midwest Museum of Natural History (MMNH), 425 W. State St., Sycamore, Ill., (815) 895-9777, mmnh.org.
Bats!
Aug. 16, begins at dusk. Kathy Martinez, Severson Dells Educator, shows the wonderful world of bats, including a trip outside at just the right time to look for some of the bats that call Klehm Arboretum home. $15 family/members $10. Klehm Arboretum, Rockford, klehm.org.
PNC Mobile Learning Adventure
Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. “Learning is All Around Me!” This traveling exhibit provides an opportunity for parents and caregivers to learn about the importance of early childhood education while they engage in fun activities with their children. Discovery Center, Rockford, discoverycentermuseum.org.
Rotary Corn Roast & Mud Volleyball
Aug. 18, 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Janesville’s Rotary Club fundraiser. Food/beverage vendors, free sweet corn, children’s activities, Making the Grade awards presentation. Tickets: $2 at gate/$1 advance. (608) 774-8660. Traxler Park, 600 N. Main St., Janesville.
Stage One Rocks the ’80s
Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m. An ’80s-themed party and concert to raise money for Stage One Theatre Co. Costume contest, raffle, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, ’80s concert. $14. Janesville Performing Arts Center (JPAC), 408 S. Main St., Janesville. (608) 758-0297, janesvillepac.org.
September
Monarchs
Sept. 8, 10:30 am-noon. Janie Grillo from Monarch Watch brings in Monarchs in all stages of life: eggs, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult for an indoor presentation, followed by an outdoor butterfly release, weather permitting. $4 plus museum admission. MMNH, Sycamore, (815) 895-9777, mmnh.org.
Bark, Berries & Nuts
Sept. 8, 1-2:30 p.m. Learn to identify the trees of Jo Daviess County by leaves, bank, and fruit, and the importance of preserving our native forests for the future, during this easy hike through JDCF’s 56-acre upland forest. Schurmeier Teaching Forest, 147 E. Reusch Road, Elizabeth, Ill., (815) 858-9100, jdcf.org.
Twilight in the Garden
Sept. 8, 6-10 p.m. Formerly Trees of Klehm, the theme for this fourth annual party, held in the beauty of Klehm’s Fountain Garden, is Best of the West, so wear your best cowboy boots and jeans. Includes cocktails and dinner. Live entertainment by Smokin’ Gunz. $75 per person. Klehm Arboretum, 2715 S. Main St., Rockford, (815) 965-8146, klehm.org.
“Settings II: Unique Tablescapes for Your Home”
Sept. 10, 10 a.m. Unique table arrangements by local individuals and businesses, and artisan vendors offering silk arrangements, paintings, jewelry, wearables and more. Raffle; 50/50 drawing. Luncheon at noon. Annual fundraiser for Rockford Women’s Club. $45. Tickets: (815) 637-1220. Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford.
Lifescape’s Senior EXPO
Sept. 13-14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. All the latest in programs, products and services to benefit the older adult. Free. Indoor Sports Center, 8800 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park, Ill., lifescapeservices.org.
Walk to Remember
Sept. 15, 7:30 a.m. registration; 8:50 a.m. Life Celebration Ceremony; 9:15 a.m. 2-mile walk. Individuals, families, teams, pets welcome. Wheelchair-friendly course. All funds benefit individuals in the community affected by Alzheimer’s disease & related dementias. (608) 314-8500, alzheimerssupportcenter.org. Beloit Riverside Park, Hwy. 51, Beloit.
Wild Wild West Hoedown
Sept. 27, 5-9 p.m. No black tie: boots and jeans required. Great food, silent auctions, raffle, live music and dancing, all to benefit more than 288 children and adults with developmental disabilities. Kutter Harley Davidson Pavilion, 3223 N. Pontiac Dr., Janesville, (608) 754-5552, wildwildwesthoedown.com.
5th Annual Lake Geneva Hope Walk
Sept. 29, 7-9 a.m. Non-competitive 14-mile walk along the Geneva Lake shore path begun in 2008 by a Lake Geneva book club after several members were diagnosed with breast cancer. Up to Sept. 10, $30; then $35. Registration: lakegenevahopewalk.com. On-site registration 7-9 a.m. Proceeds go to Aurora Healthcare Breast Treatment Assistance Program, which helps to defray medical expenses for underinsured women with breast cancer. Library Park, 626 Geneva St., Lake Geneva.
45th Tour of Historic Homes
Sept. 29-30, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. This annual event features privately owned residences open to the public. Costumed guides escort groups through the houses, telling the history of the home. Tour tickets include admission to museum. Presented by Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society & Museum, 211 S. Bench St., Galena, (815) 777-9129, galenahistorymuseum.org.