Community Calendar

Spring is here and NIAAA is having our 2nd photo contest. We hope to have all nine counties we serve represented. We are looking for an iconic photo to represent each county: it should be something easily recognizable, a hidden treasure or notable view.

Please remember, this contest is open to everyone so please feel free to submit your own entries.

The Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques & Americana presents Around the Farm, juried art show that celebrates farm life and farming and highlights the importance of agriculture in our area in original works in a wide variety of media, Jun. 6-Jul. 12.

This annual competition is open to artists living in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Freeport Art Museum's annual Regional Juried Exhibition (RJE) mission is to offer established and emerging artists the opportunity to debut work created in the last two years. Opening on Saturday, May 10, 2025, the show runs through July 19, 2025. As FAM has gained a distinguished reputation for displaying a wide range of contemporary art, this exhibition has become a visitor's favorite.

Each year, FAM invites a new juror to select approximately 50 artworks for inclusion, and to give awards for first, second, third place, and honorable mention. This year's juror is Rodrick Whetstone, an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design teaching in the Department of Art and Design at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Award winners are announced at the opening reception.

The museum is open 10-5 Tuesday-Friday; 12-5 Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday

Raue Center’s 6×6 PROJECT fundraiser and online art auction/exhibition celebrates another year of supporting arts with Art! All proceeds benefit Raue Center’s fine arts education programs, Mission Imagination and Raue Center School For The Arts, which have been enriching the lives of over 20,000 kids a year in the local community since 2001.

Artists of all ages and abilities are invited to participate by creating original works of art, in a variety of mediums, on 6×6” canvases. Since our inaugural event in 2019, 6×6 Project has raised over $80,000 for MI and RCSA with canvases coming from around the nation!

All artwork submitted to the 6×6 PROJECT will be available for viewing and bidding online at Auctria.com starting June 1, 2025. Artists and the public are cordially invited to our Reception on June 14, 2025, from 5:30-8 pm to mix, mingle and bid on your favorite pieces! Learn more at https://www.rauecenter.org/6×6-artist-call/

Based on the Paramount/RSO Film and the story by Nik Cohn
Adapted for the stage by Robert Stigwood in collaboration with Bill Oakes
North American version written by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti
Featuring songs by The Bee Gees
Arrangements and orchestrations by David Abbinanti

Put on your Boogie Shoes with Saturday Night Fever and groove to the disco beats of the 1970s! Get ready to experience the electrifying hits of The Bee Gees with a dance-filled journey based on the iconic film.

Saturday Night Fever The Musical is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Global. (www.broadwaylicensing.com)

Grease
June 11-14 & July 16-20
Suggested audience: Pre-teen and up

Welcome to Rydell High, class of 1959! The stage sizzles with the swagger of the “T-Birds” and the sass of the “Pink Ladies” in Grease, the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll musical. Head greaser Danny Zuko and sweet newcomer Sandy Dumbrowski attempt to rekindle their “Summer Nights” romance while the gang revs up the fun with unforgettable hits like “Greased Lightnin’,” “It’s Raining on Prom Night,” and “Alone at the Drive-In Movie.”Channeling the iconic sounds of Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley, Grease is a celebration of the 1950s that has captured hearts on Broadway and beyond. Join us this summer for nights of bobby socks, leather jackets, and pure nostalgia—because summer nights never felt so good.

Spring is here and NIAAA is having our 2nd photo contest. We hope to have all nine counties we serve represented. We are looking for an iconic photo to represent each county: it should be something easily recognizable, a hidden treasure or notable view.

Please remember, this contest is open to everyone so please feel free to submit your own entries.

To coincide with the 10th anniversary of the historic Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, PFLAG Sauk Valley is sponsoring a photo exhibit titled Wedding Album. The exhibit honors a decade of marriage equality by featuring photos of couples with connections to the Sauk Valley area. Each photo offers a window into lives shaped by courage and love. More than just images, the exhibit weaves in text that recounts the journey toward equality and the legal triumph that changed countless lives. Running from June 4 - July 2, 2025 (Wednesdays - Saturdays) at The Next Picture Show in Dixon, Illinois, the exhibit is free and open to all, including Saturday, June 14, which coincides with Dixon’s Pride Festival–two great events in one location!

https://www.boonecountyarts.com/concerts-in-the-park/
2025 Concerts in the Park at Baltic Mill Stage 920 W Lincoln Ave, Belvidere, IL 61008 at 6:30pm unless otherwise stated
Free to the public. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket
Rain site: Community Building at 111 W 1st St, Belvidere, except June 28, July 13 & July 20

June 1: Trinadora Rocks – Blues Latin, Rock and ore - Baltic Mill Stage in Belvidere Park at 6:30 PM
June 8: Tavern Hill Liars – Folk music from all over the world - Baltic Mill Stage in rk at 6:30 PM
June 15: Always Late Country Band – Classic Country - Baltic Mill Stage in Belvidere Park at 6:30 PM
June 22: The Tom Mac Group – Rock Folk, Reggae, and Jazz - Baltic Mill Stage in Belvidere Park at 6:30 PM
June 28: Dale Rhode and the Crossroads Band- Contemporary Countyr – Boone County Fairgrounds – 7:00 PM before Belvidere Heritage Days Fireworks – Rainout date is June 29
July 6: Rockford Wind Ensemble – Patriotic and American Music - Baltic Mill Stage in Belvidere Park at 6:30 PM
July 13: Stages – Adult Contempory – Poplar Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum – 6:30 PM
July 20: The Beaux Band – Classic Rock – Candlewick Lake Recreation Center – 6:30 PM

We are pleased to thank all of our sponsors this season: Byron Bank, Candlewick Lake Association, Sue Flott, Heritage Woods of Belvidere, Gary and Joan Ollmann, and Savant Wealth Management. We would also like to thank the Belvidere Park District, Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum, and the Community Building Complex Committee of Boone County. The BCAC acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Visit us at www.boonecountyarts.com and @boonecountyartscouncil on Instagram and on Facebook or by phone at (815)544-6242 for more information on all of these wonderful events!

Spring is here and NIAAA is having our 2nd photo contest. We hope to have all nine counties we serve represented. We are looking for an iconic photo to represent each county: it should be something easily recognizable, a hidden treasure or notable view.

Please remember, this contest is open to everyone so please feel free to submit your own entries.