There’s so much to do in our region! Here’s a look at upcoming lectures and educational enrichment.
October
Night Sounds
Oct. 23, 6-8:30 p.m. Trick-or-Treat your way through Burpee Museum of Natural History wearing a costume. Ages three and up. Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 965-3443.
Horrors!
Oct. 28, 6 p.m. Join Paul Dale Anderson, Rockford’s very own creep-tastic author, as he talks about his writing followed by a screening of the movie “Psycho.” Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 965-7606, rockfordpubliclibrary.org.
Spooky Science
Oct. 30, 6-9 p.m. Come in costume for this non-scary night of Halloween fun. Trick-or-treat in exhibit spaces, concoct glowing slime, experiment under black light and make monstrous crafts. $3 members/$9 public. Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 963-6769, discoverycentermuseum.org.
Spirits of Rock County
Oct. 30, 7-8:30 p.m. The Paranormal Research Group answers questions about life after death, lingering energy and whether some spirits remain on Earth. $10 adults/$5 members/children under 10 free. Helen Jeffris Wood Museum Center, 426 N. Jackson St., Janesville, Wis., (608) 756-4509.
November
Day of the Dead Workshop
Nov. 1, 2-4 p.m. Enjoy a free workshop involving face painting, skull painting and flower altar decorating. Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St., Rockford, (815) 962-7402, ethnicheritagemuseum.org.
Day of the Dead Ceremony and Program
Nov. 2, 5-7 p.m. Bring photos of deceased loved ones, along with their favorite items, and food for the community altar. Ethnic Heritage Museum, (815) 962-7402, ethnicheritagemuseum.org.
Appalachian Trial Presentation
Nov. 5, 6:30 p. m. Willie DiFabio will speak about the natural beauty of the trail, his motivations for hiking it and what it’s like to live in the woods for six months. A viewing of DiFabio’s movie “Appalachian Trail, An American Legacy” will air afterwards. Cash bar of wine and beer. $6. Nordlof Center, Rockford, (815) 965-7606, rockfordpubliclibrary.org.
Smashing Pumpkins
Nov. 8, 1-4 p.m. Watch as a giant trebuchet transforms pumpkins into a parking lot projectile. Join the fun and create a catapult, celebrate the harvest and have a smashing good time. Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, (815) 963-6769, discoverycentermuseum.org.
“A Team of Their Own” Movie Premiere!
Nov. 8, 3:30 & 6 p.m. Enjoy a documentary film honoring the achievements of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League 1943-1954. $10 public/$8 members. Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, (815) 397-9112, mmnh.org.
AJG November Lecture
Nov. 12, 7-8 p.m. Join Anderson Japanese Gardens Head of Horticulture and Garden Curator Tim Gruner as he discusses the many factors that influenced the Garden over the last year. $5/members free. Anderson Japanese Gardens, 318 Spring Creek Road, Rockford, (815) 229-9390.
Hometown Heroes: Rockford’s Vietnam Veterans
Nov. 14-15. Local Vietnam War veterans will share displays of photographs and artifacts and be available to talk with visitors about their experiences. $7 adults/$5 children. Midway Village Museum, Rockford, (815) 397-9112, mmnh.org.
Paranormal Investigation
Nov. 14, 7 p.m. Listen to scintillating tales from paranormal experts and enjoy a tour with the chance to have your own paranormal encounter. $40. Tinker Swiss Cottage, 411 Kent St., Rockford, (815) 964-2424, tinercottage.com.
Kinetic King
Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Witness Newton’s Laws of motion go bananas with the assemblage and launch of a room-sized cascading cartwheeling sculpture formed from gazillions of popsicle sticks, plastic cups and assorted odds and ends. Discovery Center Museum, (815) 963-6769, discoverycentermuseum.org.
Italian All Saints Day Celebration
Nov. 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Create your own All Saints Day memento and learn more about Italian immigration to Rockford. Midway Village Museum, Rockford, (815) 397-9112, mmnh.org.
Science Cornucopia
Nov. 27-28, 11:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Turn cranberries into chemistry, engage in fruitcake physics and find out what happens to whipped cream when it’s dropped in liquid nitrogen. Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, (815) 963-6769, discoverycentermuseum.org.
Make a Memory Day
Nov. 28, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Take a family or group photo in the beautiful Victorian Village. Sessions $15-25. Midway Village Museum, Rockford, (815) 397-9112, mmnh.org.
December
Christmas in the Trenches
Dec. 5, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Experience a re-enactment of the 1914 WWI Christmas truce. Sing carols with the soldiers, take part in the gift exchange, sip hot chocolate and even play football. $10. Midway Village Museum, Rockford, (815) 397-9112, mmnh.org.
Holiday Tea Event
Dec. 5, 2-4 p.m. Enjoy sweets, savories and scones along with pots of tea, served by costumed staff members. $35 adults/$30 members/$15 child. Midway Village Museum, Rockford, (815) 397-9112, mmnh.org.
Minecraft Unplugged
Dec. 6, 1-4 p.m. Assemble cubelets, construct a village out of newspaper, get your hands on real rocks and minerals, make a torch that lights up, blow away zombies and dabble in pixel art. Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, (815) 963-6769, discoverycentermuseum.org.
Christmas with the Tallmans
Dec. 6, 7-9 p.m. Kick off your holiday season with an evening tour of the Lincoln-Tallman House. Interact with guests from the Tallman period while enjoying holiday refreshments. Listen to carolers, view Victorian holiday décor and be immersed in bygone era of holiday cheer. The Lincoln-Tallman House, 426 N. Jackson St., Janesville, Wis., (608) 756-4509.