Community Calendar

Welcome to the first year of Pop-Up @ PAWS Summer Market, a craft market celebrating our beloved companions!!! Free and family-friendly*!! This event will happen on the first Saturday of the month (except for July which is on the 11th) in May through October from 11:00 A.M. - 3 P.M. Lou Is Local 815 (LIL815) is partnering with PAWS Humane Society Rockford for a summer of shopping, sun, and fun!

*No outside pets due to liability. Service dogs are allowed.

Come One, Come All!
Books on First once again is sponsoring "Find Waldo Local" in Dixon, all the month of July. Based on the children's Where's Waldo books in which we seek and find Waldo and friends in various locations around town and the world within the pages, children from anywhere can seek and find Waldo in 25 locations around Dixon, IL, including the Parks District building, the Next Picture Show art gallery, Discover Dixon Main Street Chamber of Commerce HQ and other fun places including of course, Books on First.
We have lots of prizes for those participating, those seeing Waldo in at least 10 spots and those becoming eligible for entry into drawings for Where's Waldo books as well as contributed prizes from There's Fun Inside and more. Get involved in a Dixon-wide search for Waldo and experience the Local Small Businesses all around town. The hunt ends in a "Bye, Waldo" party on Saturday, 1 August!

Come One, Come All!
Books on First once again is sponsoring "Find Waldo Local" in Dixon, all the month of July. Based on the children's Where's Waldo books in which we seek and find Waldo and friends in various locations around town and the world within the pages, children from anywhere can seek and find Waldo in 25 locations around Dixon, IL, including the Parks District building, the Next Picture Show art gallery, Discover Dixon Main Street Chamber of Commerce HQ and other fun places including of course, Books on First.
We have lots of prizes for those participating, those seeing Waldo in at least 10 spots and those becoming eligible for entry into drawings for Where's Waldo books as well as contributed prizes from There's Fun Inside and more. Get involved in a Dixon-wide search for Waldo and experience the Local Small Businesses all around town. The hunt ends in a "Bye, Waldo" party on Saturday, 1 August!

Come One, Come All!
Books on First once again is sponsoring "Find Waldo Local" in Dixon, all the month of July. Based on the children's Where's Waldo books in which we seek and find Waldo and friends in various locations around town and the world within the pages, children from anywhere can seek and find Waldo in 25 locations around Dixon, IL, including the Parks District building, the Next Picture Show art gallery, Discover Dixon Main Street Chamber of Commerce HQ and other fun places including of course, Books on First.
We have lots of prizes for those participating, those seeing Waldo in at least 10 spots and those becoming eligible for entry into drawings for Where's Waldo books as well as contributed prizes from There's Fun Inside and more. Get involved in a Dixon-wide search for Waldo and experience the Local Small Businesses all around town. The hunt ends in a "Bye, Waldo" party on Saturday, 1 August!

The story of America then, told by America now. This filmed production of the original Broadway cast brings Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical to the screen in all its energy and brilliance. Follow the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Alexander Hamilton, immigrant, soldier, writer, and founding father, as he fights to leave his mark on a young nation still finding its footing. Bold, inventive, and endlessly compelling, Hamilton blends hip-hop, jazz, and classic show tunes to tell one of history's most fascinating stories in a way you have never quite seen before. Whether you are a first-time viewer or a longtime fan, this is not a show to miss.
The film runs 2 hours and 40 minutes and rated PG-13. The program is free and open to the public, presented through public performance rights by SWANK.

Drop in to learn how you can contribute to science and document wildlife in our prairie! Open to all ages, participants may monitor our monarch population, check the snake boards, learn to identify plants, and get inspired by the majestic midwest prairie ecosystem.

RSVP online to receive a reminder email and updates on what’s blooming in our prairie.

Mark the nation's 250th anniversary by creating a small but meaningful work of art inspired by America — past, present, or future. Select a creative prompt to guide your piece: Then, Now, Next (a reflection on where America has been and where it is headed), What Freedom Looks Like (your own personal interpretation), My America (what this country means to you today), or A Moment in American Life (an everyday or imagined scene from American experience).

Using a 3 x 3-inch canvas, participants may work in paint, oil pastels, markers, or bring their own materials to create a mixed-media piece that is uniquely their own. Completed artwork may be left on display as part of a community gallery running throughout the month of July. This free program is open to the public and recommended for ages 10 and older.

When most people think of the American Revolution, they think of Boston, Philadelphia, and Valley Forge. But the war was also fought on the Illinois frontier, and the story is every bit as dramatic. Freelance writer and historical researcher, Tom Emery, will present his recent work, Illinois in the Revolutionary War, shining a spotlight on George Rogers Clark, the dominant figure of the Revolutionary War in Illinois. Clark's daring captures of Kaskaskia and Vincennes, including a legendary advance through frigid, chest-deep floodwaters, make for one of the war's most remarkable and overlooked chapters. Emery will also examine Clark's lieutenants, the British officers who opposed them, military engagements across the state, and the role of Illinois's American Indian nations in the conflict. The lasting legacy of the war, felt for decades and still present today, will also receive emphasis. Tom Emery is the author of numerous historical titles and has appeared in more than 150 newspapers nationwide. The recipient of 16 awards from the Illinois State Historical Society, he is a widely respected voice in regional history.

This free program is open to the public. It will be offered in-person at the Granville Branch and virtually through Zoom. To register for Zoom, visit: t.ly/hyHPT

Come One, Come All!
Books on First once again is sponsoring "Find Waldo Local" in Dixon, all the month of July. Based on the children's Where's Waldo books in which we seek and find Waldo and friends in various locations around town and the world within the pages, children from anywhere can seek and find Waldo in 25 locations around Dixon, IL, including the Parks District building, the Next Picture Show art gallery, Discover Dixon Main Street Chamber of Commerce HQ and other fun places including of course, Books on First.
We have lots of prizes for those participating, those seeing Waldo in at least 10 spots and those becoming eligible for entry into drawings for Where's Waldo books as well as contributed prizes from There's Fun Inside and more. Get involved in a Dixon-wide search for Waldo and experience the Local Small Businesses all around town. The hunt ends in a "Bye, Waldo" party on Saturday, 1 August!

Calling all dinosaur lovers! In this hands-on craft workshop, participants will create their own glow in the dark dinosaur lantern, personalized with their favorite colors and dinosaurs to take home and display. Watch your creation come to life when the lights go out! This free program is open to the public and recommended for ages 6 and up. All materials will be provided.