Community Calendar

Join us Friday mornings this fall for an informal crafting get-together at the Pick Museum. Try the week’s featured activity, bring your own project, or use the supplies provided to do your own thing. Drop in and leave as you need.

This is a great time to meet other crafters, try something new, and decompress before the weekend.

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram (@pickmuseumniu) for a preview of the week's featured activity.

ELGIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2025 | 8:00 PM

Tickets start at $63, Members save 30%
(All-in pricing includes $4 Box Office Fee. An $8 Order fee will be applied at checkout to the entire order)
Enjoy Christmas favorites and seasonal music at this annual Yuletide concert at Raue Center For The Arts!

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra returns with conductor and music director Chad Goodman and the Elgin Master Chorale for an unmatched evening of holiday music. ESO brings world-class, big-city entertainment without the hassles of the big city. Celebrate the holidays this year with the Elgin Symphony Holiday Spectacular at Raue Center For The Arts!

Recommended: ALL AGES

This performance is sponsored by Home State Bank.

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Don’t forget to become a RaueNOW Member to save 30%!

*Prices vary according to zone. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Box Office Fee – A $4 per ticket charge to support the ticketing software.

Order Fee – A $8 per order charge that helps operate and invest back in our historic venue.

Premium Seat Fee – $6 Premium seat fee is based on location/additional leg room and indicated with a light blue color on the seating chart.

Patron Code of Conduct: Be courteous. Inform staff if you feel or observe any harassment. We reserve the right to remove any guest at any time. For more information, please visit rauecenter.org.

Questions? Contact our Box Office at 815-356-9212; boxoffice@rauecenter.org
Raue Center For The Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts.

Classical Blast’s
“Dark Side of the Yule”
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025 | 7:00 PM

Tickets start at $39, Members save 30%
(All-in pricing includes $4 Box Office Fee. An $8 Order fee will be applied at checkout to the entire order)
Christmas Meets Classic Rock in this unique take on the holidays, combining rock hits from Metallica to Pink Floyd to Moody Blues to Evanesence and more with traditional carols, popular classical, holiday standards and beyond. Classical Blast has created one of the most unusual and enjoyable holiday shows around. It’s eye and ear candy the Sugarplum Fairy herself would be proud of. The show features music from the bands 2 holiday albums, “Dark Side of the Yule” and “Whiter Shade of Winter.”
Recommended: 12+

——
Don’t forget to become a RaueNOW Member to save 30%!

*Prices vary according to zone. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Box Office Fee – A $4 per ticket charge to support the ticketing software.

Order Fee – A $8 per order charge that helps operate and invest back in our historic venue.

Premium Seat Fee – $6 Premium seat fee is based on location/additional leg room and indicated with a light blue color on the seating chart.

Patron Code of Conduct: Be courteous. Inform staff if you feel or observe any harassment. We reserve the right to remove any guest at any time. For more information, please visit rauecenter.org.

Questions? Contact our Box Office at 815-356-9212; boxoffice@rauecenter.org
Raue Center For The Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts.

Share the joy of the season at this year’s CMS Christmas concerts, “O Radiant Dawn.” Accompanied by strings and piano, the chorus will sing lush pieces that will illuminate even the longest, darkest nights. Familiar carols such as O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Bring a Torch Jeannette Isabella, and Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, plus choral favorites and our popular sing-along will provide a magical experience that is sure to get you in the holiday mood. Perfect for families and friends, these concerts are an annual tradition you don’t want to miss. Music Director John C. Hughes conducts.

Share the joy of the season at this year’s CMS Christmas concerts, “O Radiant Dawn.” Accompanied by strings and piano, the chorus will sing lush pieces that will illuminate even the longest, darkest nights. Familiar carols such as O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Bring a Torch Jeannette Isabella, and Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, plus choral favorites and our popular sing-along will provide a magical experience that is sure to get you in the holiday mood. Perfect for families and friends, these concerts are an annual tradition you don’t want to miss. Music Director John C. Hughes conducts.

The Galena History Symposium will be held in Galena, IL May 15-17, 2026 as a part of the Galena Bicentennial celebrations. Professional and avocational historians, archeologists, and preservationists will present papers, panels, and performances about the history of Galena, Illinois.

Galena history includes the stories of pre-historic mound builders; Native nations and struggles for autonomy and land rights; the booming lead mining trade; the illegal enslavement of Black workers; the busy Mississippi River port; the work of women leaders including Sarah Coates Harris; and Congressman Elihu Washburne and his most favored military man, General Ulysses S. Grant.

As Galena settled into small town life in the late 1800s, many families left Galena for better opportunities. The 19th century commercial buildings and homes were barely maintained. Today, with over 100 years of preservation efforts, Galena, a city of 3,250 people, is the third most visited tourist destination in the state of Illinois after Chicago and Springfield, with a remarkable assortment of historic buildings and homes on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Symposium will be held at the DeSoto House Hotel on May 15-17, 2026, with registration opening in December 2025. For more information, see galenahistory.org and click on the Symposium tab. For questions, email Tracey Lee Roberts, coordinator at galenahistorysymposium@gmail.com See our Facebook page: Galena History Symposium at https://www.facebook.com/groups/609040911815246

An annual tradition, Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Spectacular returns for three performances Dec. 14, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 15, at 2:30 p.m. The program includes favorite carols, new spins on modern favorites, and an appearance by Santa Claus.

Winter Sowing is a term for a specific method of starting seeds outdoors in an enclosed container. Gardeners plant seeds in recycled containers such as milk jugs then set the jugs outside for the winter. It’s that simple. Bring a clean plastic gallon milk or water jug and enjoy a hands-on workshop on starting your garden plants the easy way. All other supplies provided. The workshop will be led by Master Gardeners from the University of Illinois Extension Office.

Improve your knowledge of English and become more comfortable speaking in everyday situations. Practice basic English grammar concepts in conversation, learning how to ask and answer questions, expanding your vocabulary, and learning to understand the sounds of spoken English.

This class is intended for adult participants at a low intermediate level of speaking English or higher, but all are welcome to attend.

On September 2 this class will be held in the Bilder Family Meeting Room.

This program requires registration. There will be limited seats for unregistered patrons.

For more information or to register, please contact Britta at brittak@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2100.

Join us Friday mornings this fall for an informal crafting get-together at the Pick Museum. Try the week’s featured activity, bring your own project, or use the supplies provided to do your own thing. Drop in and leave as you need.

This is a great time to meet other crafters, try something new, and decompress before the weekend.

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram (@pickmuseumniu) for a preview of the week's featured activity.