Community Calendar

DeKalb County Health Department is hosting a Household Hazardous Waste Drive on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 8am-3pm at the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport located at 2200 Pleasant Street in DeKalb, IL (enter from the east at County Farm Rd). Registration Required: https://dekalbcountyhealthdeptrecycling.as.me/schedule/356431a9?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The DeKalb and Sycamore Townships invite residents to protect themselves from identity theft and clear out household clutter at a convenient drive-thru Shred and Recycle Event on Saturday, May 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The event will take place in the parking lot of the Kishwaukee Family YMCA, located at 2500 Bethany Road in Sycamore. Volunteers will be on-site to unload items directly from participants’ vehicles, making the event quick, easy, and convenient for residents.

Participants may bring up to two banker-sized boxes or paper bags of personal documents and/or CD-Rs for secure shredding. Staples do not need to be removed from paper materials. In addition to paper shredding, the event will also collect a variety of recyclable and reusable items, including new or used tennis shoes and sneakers, eyeglasses, hearing aids, keys and key fobs, inkjet cartridges, aluminum can tabs, cell phones and chargers, tablets/iPads and chargers, and domestic or international prepaid calling cards. Items collected during the event will be donated to the Lions of Illinois Foundation.

This event is open to residents of DeKalb and Sycamore Townships only. Participants should bring a valid ID as proof of residency. For more information, please contact Kimberly at DeKalb Township at (815) 758-8282.

Join TLC for the Spring Native Plant Sale! We will have the largest-ever selection of native plants, trees and shrubs, as well as locally grown vegetable and herb plants. You can help our local environment while also helping TLC, as proceeds help preserve land for life in McHenry County!

Noelle of Bare Soul Healing leads this free sound healing session designed to ease the nervous system and quiet the mind. Soothing vibrations from therapeutic instruments such as crystal singing bowls, Koshi chimes, drums and more create a peaceful space for grounding, relaxation, and renewal.

A gentle & peaceful sound bath offered in honor of Mother's Day. An invitation to slow down, soften, be held & simply receive.

Please bring a yoga mat or towel if you wish. A limited number of chairs will also be available. You may also wish to bring a small blanket, as the temperature of the room can vary.

Due to the nature of this event, we will be closing the doors when the program begins at 11:00 a.m., so please arrive on time if you wish to be admitted.

This event does not require registration. It is first come, first served, and is limited to ages 12 and up.

Noelle is a healing practitioner in Sycamore and has a passion for sharing the benefits of sound healing with the public. Bare Soul Healing is a nature-rooted practice integrating sound healing, yoga, meditation, astrology, and other methods dedicated to supporting emotional well-being and inner peace.

For additional information, please contact Chelsea at chelsear@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 1700.

The explosion at Port Chicago in July 1944 killed 320 people and injured around 400 others, most of them young African American sailors who had been assigned dangerous munitions-loading work with little training. When survivors refused to return to the same unsafe conditions, 50 of them, including, Cyril O. Sheppard, were charged with mutiny in what became one of the most consequential civil rights cases of the WWII era. Their resistance helped expose systemic racism in the Navy and contributed to the eventual desegregation of the U.S. military.

Carol Cherry, daughter of Cyril O. Sheppard, presents a tale of great significance to American history that occurred long before the civil rights movement. The history of Port Chicago is not only significant; it’s foundational to understanding the racial inequities Black servicemen faced during WWII and the courage it took for the Port Chicago 50 to stand up against unsafe, discriminatory conditions.

On July 17, 2024—the 80th anniversary of the Port Chicago explosion—the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro issued a full exoneration to all 256 men charged with mutiny for refusing an illegal and unsafe order, highlighting how profoundly overdue this acknowledgment truly was.

This program is free and open to teens and adults. No registration is required.

For additional information, please contact Chelsea at chelsear@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1700.

Wild Re-enchantment hosts a retreat May 15-17 at the Goose Island Cabin.

Jazz in Progress joins us for an after-hours concert that will feature different styles of big band and modern jazz music in the library’s main lobby!

Jazz in Progress (JIP) organized in 2012 to encourage local musicians to play jazz in support of its mission of musical, charitable, and educational purposes to advance the appreciation, performance, and history of jazz music and its related genres. Its membership includes a variety of talented musicians from the DeKalb County area. The ensemble also honors the practice of inviting local high school and college jazz musicians to sit in with the band, giving young musicians an opportunity to gain more experience in playing jazz music.

JIP is an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that puts funds raised back into local community music programs. Past recipients of JIP donations include the DeKalb, Genoa-Kingston, Hinckley-Big Rock, Indian Creek and Sycamore music booster organizations, as well as St. Mary’s-DeKalb and the DeKalb County Community Foundation.

JIP has performed at benefit and fund raising events and venues around the area including the St. Mary’s Lancer Legacy Ball, Sycamore Natural History Museum’s Rockin’ for the Reptiles, Stage Coach Theatre, Sycamore Farmers Market, Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, Artigras, The House Café, and Oak Crest Senior Proms. The band also has performed with the Celebration Chorale and at many other community and charity events.

This concert is free and open to all. No registration is required. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and music will begin at 6:30 p.m.

For additional information, please contact Chelsea at chelsear@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1700.

Wild Re-enchantment hosts a retreat May 15-17 at the Goose Island Cabin.

New France once stretched from the St. Lawrence River of Canada to New Orleans, and within its territory lived a vast population of French colonists almost as diverse as they were strong. With the coming of new borders and the formation of new countries like Canada and The United States, these French founders would find themselves divided and even isolated. But their cultures have remained, still existing after two centuries of isolation.

This program will take audiences on a journey of discovery where they will hear the history of their arrival, the French dialects they still speak, and the unique music they still perform. And most important, through story and song, played on “Creole Fiddle,” audiences will have fun learning how the French of “The Illinois Country” serve almost as a time capsule for their cousins to the north and south. With a “dash” of Cajun and a “pinch” of Quebecois this program will show how Illinois Creole culture bridges the continental expanse from Canada to Louisiana.

DeKalb Township, in partnership with Prairie State Legal Services, RAMP, and HOPE Fair Housing Center, will host a free community training focused on Fair Housing and Disability Discrimination Awareness on May 20th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 2323 S. 4th St., DeKalb, IL 60115. This educational event is designed for landlords, property managers, tenants, caregivers, and community members seeking a better understanding of fair housing rights, responsibilities, and protections for individuals living with disabilities.

This training will offer practical guidance on some of the most commonly misunderstood areas of fair housing law. Topics will include service and support animals, reasonable accommodations and property modifications, live-in caregivers, and source of income protections, including housing vouchers.

Attendees will gain valuable information about what is legally required under fair housing laws, what practices may constitute discrimination, and how to respond appropriately when disability-related housing concerns arise. Landlords and property managers will leave with a clearer understanding of their obligations under the law, while tenants, caregivers, and individuals living with disabilities will learn more about their rights, available protections, and where to seek assistance if discrimination occurs.

The event will offer both in-person and virtual attendance options to ensure broad community access. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees who register in advance. To reserve a seat for in-person attendance, please contact DeKalb Township at 815-758-8282. Individuals interested in attending virtually may contact the Township to request a Zoom link.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information or questions, please contact DeKalb Township at 815-758-8282.