The Alley Art Festival will return to downtown Aurora for its 14th year from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31.
The free festival will bring more than 90 local artists to the area, event organizers said.
The grassroots art festival will be staged on both Water Street Mall and Downer Place between Stolp Avenue and Water Street. This year’s festival is presented by Superjumbo Records and state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, according to organizers.
The festival will feature artists and artisans from noon to 5 p.m. following the Aurora Farmers Market across the street at Water Street Square, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon that morning.
The annual art festival highlights locally made art, jewelry, pottery, handmade goods and more, organizers said.
Live music, belly dancing, children’s activities and food vendors will all be part of the afternoon. Singer-songwriter Matthew Garcia will perform at Mundy Park at noon, Dianella Dance, Magnolia Dance Collective and Thalia Dance will perform at 2 p.m. and mother and daughter duo The L’s will perform at 3 p.m.
Food vendors will include Strawberries BBQ, The Lovely Lemon, Holy Pierogi, Polly Ann Cakes and Snow Ballin Sisters.
For more information on the event, go to alleyartaurora.com.
Event to offer a day at the farm
Visitors can get a taste of what farm life was like in bygone days at Day at the Dickson-Murst Farm in Montgomery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18.
The free event hosted by The Conservation Foundation will feature children’s crafts, activities and play spaces; hayrides and barrel train rides; farm equipment and harvesting demonstrations; face painting and more.
Food will be available from the Country Kitchen, organizers said in a press release about the event. Antique trucks and tractors will be on display and all of the restored historic farm buildings will be open for exploration.
Free parking is available and the event will go on rain or shine at Dickson-Murst Farm, 2550 Dickson Road in Montgomery.
For more information about The Conservation Foundation, go to theconservationfoundation.org.
Chicago’s deadliest fire to be examined
The St. Charles Public Library will present a program called “The Iroquois Theatre Fire: Chicago’s Deadliest Fire” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27, at the library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles.
Over 600 men, women and children were killed and an unknown number were injured in the fire on Dec. 30, 1903.
Executive director of the Iroquois Theatre Fire Historical Society Caron Brennan will share the stories of the victims, survivors and responders at the event, and also discuss the impact the tragedy has had on public safety over the past 120 years.
To register for the program, go to scpld.org or call 630-584-0076.
Outer space focus of Sugar Grove program
An NIU STEM Cafe in Sugar Grove on Monday will explore stargazing, space and missions to the moon, officials with Northern Illinois University said.
The event will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Open Range Southwest Grill, 1 Golf View Road in Sugar Grove.
The family-friendly event is free and open to the public with food and drink available for purchase from Open Range, organizers said.
Expert speakers will discuss NASA’s newest missions to the moon as well as the properties of stars and meteors. Then the audience will head outside to observe the night sky during the Perseid meteor shower, according to organizers.
To register for the program, go to go.niu.edu/stemcafe.
Northern Illinois University STEM Cafes are part of NIU STEAM and are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives, event organizers said. They are offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from additional sponsors and individual supporters.
NAMI DuPage holding ‘Run for the Mind’ fundraiser
“Run for the Mind,” a 5K race, one-mile color run and a diaper dash, will be held Saturday, Sept. 14, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton to raise funds for NAMI DuPage.
The 5K race kicks off at 8 a.m. followed by the diaper dash for children 3 and younger at 9:30 a.m. and the one-mile color run at 10 a.m.
The 5K race will be chip-timed, and awards given to the top man and woman overall and in various age groups, a news release said. Participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt and a post-race breakfast.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness DuPage, which supports those with mental illness and their families, is partnering with Serenity House Counseling Services Inc. and the DuPage Prevention Leadership Team on the event.
Proceeds will help fund the free support groups, programs and classes by NAMI DuPage.
Register to participate at www.namidupage.org/run-for-the-mind.
Edward Hospital seeking more dogs for its therapy program
Endeavor Health is looking for dog owners and their pets to serve in its animal-assisted therapy program at Edward Hospital in Naperville.
Therapy dogs must be able to sit, lie down and stay with one command, walk loosely on a leash without pulling, be friendly with other dogs and perform commands without treats. Additionally, they must be at least 1 year old, up-to-date on vaccines, free of skin problems, enjoy people and not bark or whine.
Animals who meet the program’s requirements will be scheduled for temperament testing Sept. 6 or 7 at the hospital, 801 S. Washington St.
A mandatory training session for those dogs chosen to participate in the program and their handlers will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20 at the hospital.
Therapy dogs help patients feel better by reducing their anxiety and improving their moods, the hospital’s website said. Specially-trained dogs have made more than 250,000 patient visits since 2002.
Applications are available at www.eehealth.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/animal-assisted-therapy.
For more information, call Cynthia Brooks at 630-527-5305 or email cynthia.brooks@eehealth.org.