Peace on Earth Film Fest starting Feb. 26

Chicago Give peace a chanceWhether it's the war in Afghanistan or sibling rivalry in your family room, watching some of the entries at the Peace on Earth Film Festival may help further ideas of nonviolence and conflict resolution on personal and global levels. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs hosts the second annual free film festival that screens films challenging perspectives on war, conflict, world politics, the environment, economics and more, while presenting alternatives for peace and social justice from diverse cultural perspectives. The festival will also welcome Chicago Public School students and teachers on opening day for films about nonviolent solutions and practices for communities. Info: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27; and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Call (312) 744-6630 or see the schedule at peaceonearthfilmfestival.org.Beasts of burdenGreat beasts weighing as much as 8 tons survived for millions of years, but these early cousins of the elephant eventually became extinct. "Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age," a new exhibit premiering at the Field Museum (before it hits the road for four years), helps us to understand how the animals lived and interacted with each other and with humans. The star of the exhibit is a 40,000-year-old intact baby mammoth found by a Siberian herder in 2007. It's the first display of the baby mammoth in the United States. Opens Friday, March 5, and continues through Sept. 6, at the Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. Tickets to the exhibition include basic admission to the museum: $23 for adults; $20 for seniors and students with IDs; $13 for children ages 3-11. (312) 665-7100 or visit fieldmuseum.org.A little night musicAttention, fans of "Glee," "High School Musical" or any musical theater from "Annie" to "Wicked." See two legendary Broadway stars weave their vocal magic among a masterful selection of the greatest songs ever written for the stage. Tony Award-winning singers Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin will perform tunes from shows such as "Company," "Gypsy," "South Pacific," "Carousel," "Sunday in the Park With George" and "Evita."Showtimes vary Tuesday to Sunday, March 2-7, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St. Tickets cost $15.50 to $117.50. Call the box office at (800) 775-2000 or order online at broadwayinchicago.com.Midwest Babs is still fabIt used to be that kids didn't need "Project Runway" or any Kardashians to tell them what was fashionable - all they needed was their Barbie doll. Relive your childhood and thrill modern girls at the Barbie exhibit presented at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. The world's most popular doll stars in this hands-on exhibit in which you can take your designs from the workroom to the runway. See some of Barbie's most famous looks from the past 50 years, as well as view life-size fashion designs by some of the world's most renowned designers. Info: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis. Admission is $15.50 adults, seniors $14.50 and $10.50 for children, ages one and younger admitted free. Call (317) 334-3322 or visit childrensmuseum.org.Galena goes gaga for wineCelebrate the end of winter by breaking out a bottle of wine or how about a case? Say "adieu" to winter by joining in the Wine Lovers' Weekend at Eagle Ridge Resort Spa. Reserve your rooms and events now for the popular retreat that offers wine-centric tastings, luncheons, dinners and seminars featuring some of the world's top names in the wine industry. Dinners like Call of the Wild Jack London and seminars such as how to "Taste Wine Like the Pros" are on the menu. Book a Wine Lovers' Weekend Package that includes two-night accommodations, sponsored meals and beverages, admission to all scheduled wine seminars and tastings, and a ticket to the grand tasting event at the Galena Convention Center. Friday to Sunday, March 26-28, at Eagle Ridge Resort Spa, 444 Eagle Ridge Drive, Galena. Package rates start at $489 per person, excluding tax and resort amenity fee, and can be booked at (800) 892-2269.Dino-mite festivalPaleofest 2010 is an extravaganza designed to intrigue attendees from 5 to 85 with workshops, lectures and exhibits. The Burpee Museum of Natural History's 12th annual celebration of dinosaurs brings together famous dinosaur experts debating and discussing new knowledge about how the enormous creatures hunted and swam through the world. Get in on one of the three fossil-themed workshops followed by a fun "make and take" project (fee applies). There are lectures for adults and young diggers such as "Walk Like a Dinosaur." Adult lectures include topics about Komodo dragons, intercontinental theropods, Tyrannosaur evolution and the Albertosaurus Bonebed. Info: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to Sunday, March 6-7, at the Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main St., Rockford. Admission is $6 per person, which includes children's DinoBlast Passport activities. Call (815) 965-3433 or visit burpee.org.Worth the tripIf the Winter Olympics got you excited for sports, head to jolly old England for the World Coal Carrying Contest, a true test of stamina and muscle. Held annually on Easter Monday, the race consists of men carrying 110 pounds of coal and ladies carrying 44 pounds over an uphill course close to a mile long. The World Coal Carrying Contest dates back to 1963.April 5 in the village of Gawthorpe in West Yorkshire, England. For details, visit VisitEngland.com.False397600The World Coal Carrying Contest, held in England on April 5, is a true test of stamina and muscle. False