Participants will learn how to tap a maple tree and enjoy pure, local syrup during Maple Sugaring Days on March 2 and 3 at Creek Bend Nature Center in St. Charles.
At the event, which will run from noon to 3 p.m., Kane County Forest Preserve District naturalists will demonstrate how to tap a maple tree and those attending will have the opportunity to try drilling and setting a tap themselves, district officials said.
Then, participants will simmer sap over an open fire and watch as it thickens, according to a press release about the event.
There will be ice cream, courtesy of Culver’s in St. Charles, that can be drizzled with maple syrup, as well as hot chocolate available for purchase. There will also be doughnuts courtesy of Original Country Donuts in Elgin.
At the Maple Cafe, participants can taste pure syrup, and syrup will be available for purchase while supplies last.
No registration is required for the program and admission is free. Creek Bend Nature Center is located at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve at 37W700 Dean St. in St. Charles.
For more information on Maple Sugaring Days, call 630-444-3190, go to www.kaneforest.com, or find the Kane County Forest Preserve District on social media by searching @forestpreserve.
Yorkville Sons of American Legion to hold breakfast
The Yorkville Sons of The American Legion will host its monthly breakfast fundraiser from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, at the Yorkville American Legion, 9054 E. Veterans Parkway in Yorkville.
The buffet will consist of biscuits and gravy, omelets, pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, tomato juice, orange juice, milk and coffee, organizers said.
The cost of the event, which is open to the public, is $12 for adults 18 to 54 years old, $10 for those 55 years old and older, and $8 for those 6 to 17 years old.
North Central College planning several events for Black History Month
North Central College has planned several events in February for Black History Month.
The college’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, the city of Naperville and the Naperville Public Library will present “1619: Journey of a People, The Musical” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave.
The musical features singers, actors, spoken word artists and dancers who reflect on the past while tackling contemporary social issues, according to the college’s website.
The event is free, but tickets are required. There will be a question-and-answer session after the performance.
Voices of Praise 36th annual gospel extravaganza will be presented at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Wentz Concert Hall. The event features the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir, local college choirs, spoken word artists and other performers who will share African-American culture.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for children, college students and staff.
The Drifters, the first African-American vocal group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Pfeiffer Hall, 810 E. Benton Ave.
Tickets range from $35 to $45.
Social media star and Chicago South Sider Shermann “Dilla” Thomas will present “Everything Dope about America Comes from Chicago,” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at Wentz Concert Hall.
Thomas’s 60-second history videos on Chicago have been viewed over eight million times, and he has been featured nationally on “The Today Show” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
For tickets and more information, go to Black History Month | North Central College.