Winnebago County Calendar of Events April 18 – April 22

THROUGH APRIL 28

Illinois History Sale, presented By Rockford Urban Ministries, JustGoods Fair Trade Store 201 7th St.
Rockford, Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., free admission. For sale are old maps for the early 1800s showing Illinois in various imaginings; political prints of local and state politicians including Abraham Lincoln, former Governor Dan Walker, and John B. Anderson; old photographs, water colors, posters, knickknacks, and sculptures. All proceeds from the Illinois History Sale benefit Rockford Urban Ministries, an outreach of 25 area congregations working in the city. T

THROUGH MAY 13

Special Exhibit: Curious George – Let’s Get Curious!, Discovery Center Museum,  711 N. Main St., Rockford, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, $1 members, $11 public. Based on the familiar characters in H.A. and Margret Rey’s classic stories, the Curious George exhibit inspires young children’s natural curiosity as they explore early science, math and engineering through hands-on interactive play. Information: (815) 963-6769.

Lunch & Learn: Food as Medicine, 3333 Maria Linden Dr., Rockford, noon-1 p.m., $15 per person, $10 members.  Food is medicine, and what we eat affects us mentally and physically. This presentation will discuss some of the drawbacks of the Standard American Diet, and how it may contribute to chronic disease. We will also discuss food cravings, inflammatory vs . anti-inflammatory foods, and recommendations for a whole food diet for optimal health. Information: (815) 877-0118.

THROUGH JUNE 3

Simply Spring: The Butterfly Exhibit, Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. 2nd St., Rockford, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Celebrate the arrival of spring at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens and experience the magical world of butterflies.  $6 adult members, $4 senior members, veterans and youth ($2 more for non-residents0. Information: 815-987-8858.

APRIL 18-21

Habitat for Humanity ReStore Grand Opening, Presented By Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, 7141 Harrison Ave. Rockford, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., free admission. Information: 815-636-4573

APRIL 21

71st NASCAR Season Opener, Rockford Speedway, 9572 Forest Hills Road, Loves Park, 7:07 p.m. Rockford Speedway has top-name NASCAR racing on a quarter-mile, high-banked track just two miles west of I-90. From Kid’s nights to monster trucks, fireworks and NASCAR racing action, racing is scheduled every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday through Oct. 21. Information: 815-633-1500

APRIL 19-21

From Minks to Sinks, Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Rd., Rockford, 5-7 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, $5 for Thursday preview, free on Friday and Saturday. Help Midway Village Museum raise funds for the preservation of their 150,000 item collection. Thursday evening only has a $5 cover charge, with refreshments served in the lobby.  Find new treasures including books, toys, tools, kitchenware, gardening supplies, holiday decor, small appliances, furniture and many more surprises with no admission cost on Friday and Saturday. Free poster from gift shot with $25 purchase from the rummage sale. Information: 815-397-9112 .

APRIL 19-22

Candide by Voltaire, presented by Rockford University Performing Arts, Rockford University Clark Arts Center, Maddox Theatre, 5050 E. State St., Rockford,7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $12 adults, $9 students and seniors. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the renowned American composer Leonard Bernstein, the Performing Arts Department and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra will partner to present the musical Candide. The satirical novella was written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, and tells a comic tale of a young man’s journey from idealism to wisdom. Information: 815-226-4100.

APRIL 21

27th Annual RAMI Awards, presented By Rockford Area Music Industry (RAMI), Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Rd, Rockford, 7-10 p.m., $10, RAMI members free. Information: www.ramiawards.com/

APRIL 20-MAY 6

Enchanted April, presented By Pec Playhouse Theatre,  Pec Playhouse Theatre, 314 Main St.,Pecatonica, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Running through May 6, $14. When two frustrated London housewives decide to rent a villa in Italy for a holiday away from their bleak marriages, they recruit two very different English women to share the cost and the experience. There, among the wisteria blossoms and Mediterranean sunshine, they bloom again to rediscover themselves in ways that they could never have expected. Information: 815-239-1210

APRIL 21

Book Talk and Signing by author Kat Williams, Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Rd., Rockford, 2 p.m., free admission for book talk, $5 for tour of Rockford Peaches exhibit.Williams will share stories from her book, “The All-American Girls After the AAGPBL: How Playing Pro Ball Shaped Their Lives.” She will also tell about the plans for the International Women’s Baseball Center that will be built in Rockford.  Books and Rockford Peaches 75th Anniversary merchandise will be available as well as Peaches items for sale in the Museum Store.  Information: 815-397-9112

Broadway at the Coronado – Jersey Boys, 314 N. Main St., Rockford, 2 and 8 p.m. Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. Information: 815-968-0595

International Food Festival, Rockford University, Regents Hall, Burpee Student Center, 5050 E. State St., Rockford, 5-8 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 at door. The International Food Festival features authentic recipes from countries like Albania, Bahamas, Guadalupe, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Mongolia, Palestine, Philippines, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Syria, Turkey and Uganda. Information: 815-394-5112

APRIL 21-22

Traditional Flower Viewing Tea Ceremony and Bento Lunch in the Guest House, Anderson Japanese Gardens, 318 Spring Creek Rd., Rockford, 11:30-1 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Both days will feature a traditional Flower Viewing Tea Ceremony (Hanami Chakai) and provide a hands-on lesson focused on proper tea serving procedures and guest etiquette. Saturday’s gathering will also feature a bento lunch. Tea Ceremonies and the bento lunch will be held in Anderson Japanese Gardens’ Guest House. Information: 815-316-3306.

APRIL 22

Film screening: Chosen (Custody of the Eyes), Nordlof Center, J.R. Sullivan Theater, 118 N. Main St., Rockford, 4 p.m., $5. The movie is a coming of age story about Heather,  a former blogger and painter, confronting what she believes is her calling: Becoming a cloistered nun in one of the strictest religious orders. Information: 815-987-6614.

RSYO Spring Orchestra Concert, presented By Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Hononegah Performing Arts Center, 307 Salem St., Rockton, 3 p.m., $10 adults, $6 students. The Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra is comprised of students from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin who have a love of classical music and a desire to improve their skills while performing as an ensemble. Information: 815-965-0049

Rock for the Center Family Festival, presented By Barbar This fundraiser includes children’s games, a coloring contest, music all afternoon, chance auctions, food, and photo opportunities with Princesses and Superheroes. Information: 815-964-9275.

Winnebago Area Churches – Then & Now, presented By Winnebago Community Historical Society, First Presbyterian Church 208 W. Winnebago Street, Winnebago, 3-5 p.m., free admission, donations welcome.  Town Historian John Rowley will talk about early Winnebago area congregations that no longer exist. Members from present-day congregations will share the history of their churches. Participating churches have been asked to also bring items of historical interest for display. RSVP to wchs61088@gmail.com

 

–Winnebago County Calendar of Events April 18 – April 22–