Community Calendar

Join us for Conversational Café every 3rd Saturday from 1:00 to 2:30 PM at the Christ Community Outreach Center, located at 316 N 6th St in DeKalb. This is a great opportunity to practice your English in a welcoming atmosphere. Everyone is welcome, and walk-ins are accepted! For more information, visit ccclife.org/dekalboutreachcenter.

Lift the winter blues and embrace spring through this comprehensive organic garden workshop. This class will take you through the entire lifecycle of the garden – from starting seeds, creating healthy soil to final harvest. Designed for both first-time and experienced gardeners, this class emphasizes regenerative, chemical-free methods for producing high quality food.

Randy Mermel has nearly two decades of experience working as an educator and organic gardener at Farmers Rising. By sharing the garden as a living classroom with people of all ages and backgrounds, he aims to connect people with the soil and foster participation in healthy, local food systems that are good for people and the planet. He lives with his family in a geodesic dome in Roscoe, and loves to travel and explore the natural world.

This workshop is best suited for ages 13 and up. Please register in advance. Participation fee is $25/person.

The Prairie Arts Council hosts an exhibit of paintings by Princeton native Brian Taylor during the month of March in the Prairie Arts Center Gallery.

Brian Taylor says about his works, "The art presented is a reflection of doodles and patterns practiced over many years. As time evolved, the practice was refined into its own colorful and unique style, evoking influences of various concepts from surrealism, abstract and indigenous art. The natural world is also an influence through travel, time working in arboriculture and landscape design.”

The gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays, March 7 - 29 from 1:00-3:00 PM.

www.PrairieArts.org
Facebook.com/prairiearts

Pop music comes and goes, but some songs from over 100 years ago are just as fresh in the mind as the day they were written. The Entertainer, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, St. Louis Blues, and Ballin’ the Jack are still familiar, but even when they first hit the scene, these songs were recognized as having something special.

We’ll look at some of the songs that captivated the public and how their popularity continued into the present, and we’ll also share some songs and rags that were hits back in their day. So to quote Irving Berlin, “come on along” for a great hour of ragtime and some early jazz and blues!

“Cherry & Jerry” is Isaac Cherry on percussion and Jerry Rabushka on piano. Based in St. Louis, the duo is also part of the larger “Ragged Blade Band,” and has toured music of the ragtime era throughout a several state area. They’ve found this music is great for good times – brewpubs, wineries, markets, festivals, and more! They’ve appeared in the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, MO, the Oddities and Curiosities Expo in Chicago and Tulsa, the RAGBRAI bicycle event in Iowa, and the St. Louis World’s Fare in their hometown.

This free event is open to all. No registration is required. It is sponsored by Gretchen and Charles Moore.

This event is part of the America 250 initiative; celebrating our nation throughout the year.

For more information, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.

Embark on an exciting journey following the transformation of rocks and minerals into dazzling gemstones! This new series lets participants travel alongside a material’s formation in the earth, through the mining and production processes, and showcases how rough stones are formed, extracted, and transformed into sparkling gems. With real samples to examine and expert demonstrations, this program offers a fascinating look at the life cycle of a gem, highlighting the process that turns a simple rock into a stunning piece of nature’s art. The first program will focus on Jade.

Music on Pearl is excited to host an afternoon concert with local singer/songwriter
favorite Marques Morel and friend Simon Cropp on Saturday, March 21st at 2pm. The
show will be held in the “acoustically wonderful” sanctuary of the historic UU Church of Stockton at 219 North Pearl. Tickets are $15 and are available at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/marques-morel-with-simon-cropp, or at the door.

Marques, with five CDs to his name, is well known in the area – but rarely does an
audience have an opportunity to see him on stage where they can really immerse
themselves in his music, connecting with his lyrics and energy.

Originally from Illinois corn country, he has performed just about anywhere that anyone
would listen: big city street corners around the world, county fairs, folk festivals, hole in
the wall taverns, theaters and campfires.
His voice has been described as reminiscent of country outlaws, like Johnny Cash and
Waylon Jennings, low with lots of vibrato. One reviewer said of his voice that it’s “like
country singers that are actually from the country”.

Simon Cropp is newer to recording and recently released his first CD. Also a Midwest
native, his songwriting has drawn comparisons to his biggest inspiration, John Prine. Simon appreciates those everyday stories that make lives meaningful. We are excited to hear him perform.

There is plenty of street parking for the show and the venue is wheelchair accessible.
Snacks and drinks will be available for donation.

CALIFORNIA is EXTENDED through March 21st!

A family road trip takes an unexpected turn when, in the dark of night, on the plains of eastern Oregon. . . reality splits.

WSSR takes another left turn with "California," a play that takes place entirely inside a car. Join us for this unique immersive experience that blends a quirky family comedy with the eerie darkness surrounding a long abandoned nuclear facility.

Directed by Claire Dahlhauser, this intimate production explores the humor and power of family bonds in a world where the map keeps rewriting itself. Claire's credits include Legally Blonde, The Wedding Singer (Starlight Theatre) and Macbeth (Starlight Shakes) and she recently served as assistant director for last season's production of POTUS at WSSR.

Buckle up for what the New York Times called “A timely boxing match of a history play.”

In 1950, Margaret Chase Smith was the junior Senator from Maine and the only woman in the Senate. A staunch Republican, she nevertheless bucked her party and the prevailing winds of politics when she took to the floor of the Senate to denounce Senator Joseph McCarthy in a speech she called, “a declaration of conscience.”

The Rockford DanceMakers Festival (RDMF) celebrates professional choreographers in the Stateline area by producing their work in annual showcases that entertain, challenge, move, and inspire.

For its debut, the RDMF will present two public performances on Friday, March 20 at 7 pm and Saturday, March 21 at 6 pm at the RPL Nordlof Center’s J.R. Sullivan Theater, offering Rockford audiences a rich and varied experience of concert dance. Following the opening-night performance, there will be a Q&A with the choreographers on stage.

The inaugural program will feature original works by ten professional choreographers from the Rockford area and surrounding region, along with special guest Winifred Haun & Dancers. An award-winning choreographer and dancer based in Chicago and Oak Park, Winifred Haun will also host a master class on Saturday, March 21 at 1 pm at Rockford Dance Company.

Rockford DanceMakers Festival 2026 Lineup:
Baylor Twins Move (Caitlyn Baylor & Meghan Baylor)
Ella Lakey
Eona Carey*
Faith Minneyfield
Gina T'ai
Jenny Vause
Maria E. Castello
Michelle R. Stolberg
Penna Broman
Without Shoes Modern Dance Company
*Winifred Haun & Dancers

REVELATOR- A Tribute to Tedeschi Trucks Band
SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2026 | 7:00 PM

Tickets start at $43, Members save 30%
(All-in pricing includes $4 Box Office Fee. An $8 Order fee will be applied at checkout to the entire order)
Since 2010, the Tedeschi Trucks Band has become one of the most eclectic groups of its kind. Led by the Grammy Award winning duo, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, TTB’s vision for modern Roots/Blues music has led them to stages all across the globe.

Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks already had successful careers when they joined up to become even bigger than the sum of their parts. Tedeschi Trucks Band’s ability to weave appealing and accessible melodies with their improvisational craft and musicianship is a rare thing to behold

This tribute show is led by Sophie Hafer on lead vocals and Zach Avery on lead guitar, and features a power house band with some of the funkiest musicians the city of Chicago has to offer. Revelator captures all the magic and ability of one of today’s great Jam bands.

Recommended: 12+

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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.