Community Calendar

Join the Without Shoes Modern Dance Company and the Rockford Wind Quintet at the RPL Nordlof Center for a collaborative night filled with live music and dance. The program features a children's production of Peter and the Wolf directed by Maria Castello, narrated by Gaen McClendon, and set to the music of Prokofiev. Additional performances will include the Rockford Dance Company alongside professional adult dancers presenting original choreography to a suite by Rameau, and more!

Thanks to the remarkable talent of nationally acclaimed actress Leslie Goddard, the legacy of Lucille Ball is coming to the Rockford Theatre, 317 Park Ave, Rockford, at 7:30pm on May 2nd!

In the 1950s, Lucille and her husband Desi Arnaz captured the hearts of television audiences across the nation with their ground-breaking “I Love Lucy” collaboration. But what does it mean when a TV star’s on-screen legend clashes with her off-screen reality? Goddard’s historical portrayal pays tribute to both the comic legend and the real woman behind the myth.

In the “I Love Lucy” program, Desi played himself as a Cuban bandleader with the pseudonym “Ricky Ricardo,” and directly after Leslie’s performance, the night of gala entertainment will shift to a “Tropicana” nightclub setting with the Trinadora Rocks band playing Latin favorites from 8:30pm to 11:00pm.

Leslie Goddard is a nationally celebrated Chicago actress and scholar who has been portraying famous women and presenting history lectures for more than ten years. She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University specializing in U.S. history and American Studies as well as master's degrees in both theater and museum studies.

Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are $35 and are available at www.tix.com, at (815) 965-4233, or at the door. Questions: Nancy Whitlock- 815-494-6922

Sex. Drugs. Murder. Clowns. Clown Bar will plunge you into a gritty, darkly hilarious underworld where the gangsters wear greasepaint and every punchline could be your last. This outrageous neo-noir play follows former clown turned cop Happy Mahoney as he’s dragged back to the seedy dive he once called home in order to solve his brother’s murder.

SPEAKEASY TAKEOVER!

Give the password at the door as we transform the WSSR into a speakeasy! The bar will be open starting 1 hour before each performance. Come early to have a drink, mingle with the clowns, and experience a variety of Clown Cabaret acts!

DRESS UP AS A CLOWN!

Audience members who come dressed as clowns get $5 of Clown Cash good toward anything at the bar!

Christ Community Outreach Center is proud to partner with Administer Justice to provide legal counsel to individuals in our community. This program takes place on the first Saturday of every month from 9 AM to 12 PM at our location: 316 N 6th St, DeKalb. To make an appointment, please call 855-818-4554 or visit AdministerJustice.org/GetHelp. Walk-ins are also welcome on a first-come, first-served basis.

Genoa Public Library is hosting a free community shred event on Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 9:00 am until Noon. The shred truck will be located in the parking lot behind the library. Persons wanting to drop off documents to be shred can pull into the alleyway behind the library and drop off directly to the shred truck. There is a 100 pound limit per person. Questions can be directed to the library at (815) 784-2627.

Discover the unique ways that animals build and create structures through storytime and hands-on activities! Be prepared to be outdoors and get our hands dirty while we get creative! This program is geared towards ages 4-6. Registration is required. To register, call 815-547-7935 or email dgrelecki@bccdil.org.

Don't miss the Friends of Rockford Public Library Book Sale! Take advantage of this opportunity to add quality used books, graphic novels, DVDs, and more to your collection. Prices are between $0.50 and $2.00. The sale will be held on the 1st floor near the Friends Book Store.

An introductory wing shooting clinic for beginning shotgun shooters will be held on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 at Shabbona Lake State Park. Registration each day begins at 9:30, classes begin at 10. Lessons on safe firearm handling are taught by certified firearms instructors.

The clinic is "hand-on" and includes extensive live fire at flying clay targets under the supervision of wing shooting instructors certified by the National Sporting Clays Association and the Illinois Department of Natural resources. Auto-loading 28-gauge shotguns and hearing and eye protection are provided.

The clinic is sponsored by the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources, Illinois Conservation Foundation, LaSalle and DeKalb County Pheasants Forever, and the Shabbona Sportsmen Club.

Call early to make a reservation, space is limited to 24 students per day. Classes consist of 4 students per instructor. The $10 registration fee includes all targets, ammunition and lunch.

To make a reservation, call Richard Carlson at 815-757-2949 or email rakcarlson@comcast.net.
To register and pay online go to https://dnr.illinois.gov/recreation/wingshooting.html

Homecoming: In Color celebrates the reopening of Rockford Art Museum after a year-long renovation closure. This exhibition features a selection of popular pieces and hidden gems, showcasing the rich diversity of our revered collection.

Homecoming is organized by Rockford Art Museum Chief Curator, Carrie Johnson. The exhibition is sponsored by Dean Alan Olson Foundation and partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

March 1 – April 30: Lowden Gallery Artist Lucinda Winterfield

My love of nature, the North Woods, and wildlife is evident in my paintings. When not “up north” in mind or body, I spend much of my time painting “en plein air” around Northern Illinois and organizing painting sites for our weekly group, the Eagle’s Nest Plein Air Painters. I also help organize the annual RRVPG plein air contest and workshops sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild.

A talented 4th grade classmate inspired me to begin painting and take a children’s workshop at Burpee Art Museum in Rockford. I then continued on to study fine arts at Northern Illinois University. Since retiring as a graphics specialist, I have become an avid plein air painter and participate in classes and local workshops when available.

My oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings have won several awards at Dixon’s Phidian Art Show and TNPS. You may spot me out painting with my artist friends at local parks, farms, gardens, historic sites, nurseries, and local events. Stop and say "hi" if you see our group. We love visitors and are always looking for new sites to paint.