Best bets
"Once Upon a Mattress": The Fox Valley Theatre Company present the Broadway musical classic, "Once Upon a Mattress," at Elgin Community College's Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive.
The show is an adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, "The Princess and the Pea." That tale is a story of a queen who is seeking a wife for her son. Her screening process includes putting a pea under 20 mattresses of the guest-room bed slept on by the prospective brides because the queen knows a true princess could never sleep with such discomfort. Once Upon a Mattress takes the original story and adds many hilarious twists and turns.
This production will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Sept. 14-15; and 3 p.m. Sunday and Sept. 16. One performance for schools is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Sept. 14. Cost for the public performances is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors.
To purchase tickets, contact the ECC Box Office at (847) 622-0300 or by going to www.elgin.edu/arts2index.asp and clicking on the "Theatre and Dance Events" link. Cost for the school show is $8 per student; educators should call (847) 214-7550 to reserve tickets. For information about the show, go to www.cteelgin.com.
Duckapalooza Music Festival: On Saturday, the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin will host the Biggers Chevrolet Fox Valley Duck Race. Along with this race will be a new event, "Duckapalooza Music Festival 07."
The duck race will start at 2 p.m. with 15,000 ducks racing down the Fox River, just north of the new Festival Park in downtown Elgin. The first-place duck will win a car and one lucky duck may even win a $1 million.
The music festival will kick off with a Battle of the Bands at noon. Four major acts including the Smithereens will perform from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Fun activities that day for the family include face painting, kids free games, extreme motocross and a Circuit City games tent. All of the proceeds from the event benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin. Ducks can be adopted at any Elgin Area Jewel/Osco on the weekends or at www.elginducks.com. All proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin.
Small Potatoes in concert: Off Square Music will present Small Potatoes in Concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Congregational Unitarian Church, 221 Dean St., Woodstock.
The Chicago-based duo of Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso performs a mix of music ranging from country, blues and swing to Irish. Tickets are $12. For reservations contact Keith at (815) 338-5164 or blueloom@sbcglobal.net.
Visit the Web site at www.offsquaremusic.org.
Hosta Happening: A Hosta Happening is set from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Rich's Foxwillow Pines Nursery Inc., 11618 McConnell Road in Woodstock. All proceeds will benefit Heifer International.
Hosta sales will be held all day featuring more than 350 varieties. Sales are by cash or check only. Refreshments will be provided. Heifer International staff and volunteers will be available to answer any questions about the charity.
From 10 a.m. to noon, Tom Michiletti, president of the American Hosta Society, will be available to identify your unknown hosta leaves. At 1 p.m. Rich Eyre will present "Conifers for the Shade Garden." Take a walk with Rich and learn what conifers and plants grow in the shade. A verbal auction of rare and unusual hostas will be held at 3 p.m. All sales of the 350-plus varieties of hostas benefit Heifer International, an international charity that leads hungry people to self-reliance through sharing farm animals. For information, call (815)338-7442.
24th annual Art and Collectibles Show: The Adult & Child Rehab Center will present the McHenry County Antiques, Art and Collectibles Show for the 24th year. The show will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the McHenry County Fairgrounds in Woodstock. Admission is $7 per person.
The theme for this year's show will be, "Using Antiques, Art and Collectibles in the Modern Home." A gallery booth will be set up to demonstrate ways to achieve this look. A new feature is antique appraisals from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. Customers can have free appraisals for up to three items.
Dealers from around the Midwest will bring a wide variety of their inventory which spans the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Furniture, textiles, folk art, pottery, paintings, architectural elements, toys, glassware, jewelry, holiday items and vintage clothing will be among the many different types of items that will be offered. Proceeds will benefit the center. For details, call (815) 338-1707 or e-mail acrc-pr@ sbcglobal.net.
Fox Fest 2007: Fox Fest 2007 moves to a new location this year. Due to flood conditions at Lions Park, the location has been changed to Stanger Park-Kids Care Court, adjacent to Algonquin Road School in Fox River Grove. The fest opens at noon, Saturday with a flag ceremony and welcome from village president Kay Laube.
The annual event will feature a car show, the school band and chorus, bingo for kids and seniors eating contests, and lots of entertainment including juggling/yo-yo show, martial arts demonstration, an owl show sponsored by the Wild Bird Center, Scales and Tales Traveling Zoo and ends the evening with music by Alex and the All Stars. Numerous food vendors will help satisfy both big and little appetites.
Elgin Car & AFV Show: The Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin has organized the 2007 Downtown Elgin Car & AFV Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Civic Center parking lot at the corner of Douglas and Highland Avenues. This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsored by the Chicago Area Clean Cities Organization and the American Lung Association, the show will feature cars from various clubs and individuals. Clubs include the Bare Bones Car Club of Elgin, the Fox Valley Model T Club, the Fox Valley Electric Automobile Association, the Prius Owners Group, and more. See examples of antique cars, as well as hot rods and custom jobs. Also in attendance will be vehicles under the alternative fuel banner; battery-powered electricity, bio-diesel, veggie oil, E-85, natural gas and propane. Non-profit organizations supporting these fuel types will also be on hand to answer questions. For details, call (847) 488-1456 or visit www.downtownelgin.org.
Pastaghetti Dinner: St. John's Boy Scout Troop 2 is hosting an all-you-can-eat "Pastaghetti Dinner" from 7:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8. The menu includes five kinds of pasta, salad, bread sticks, beverage and dessert. Tickets are $5 or $3.50 for those 60 and older. Family tickets are $17. Children under age 3 get in free. The event will take place in the gym of St. John's Lutheran Church, 115 N. Spring St., Elgin. A silent auction will be held during the dinner with items donated by troop families and local businesses.
Autumn Fest: The Carpentersville Parks Committee will hold its inaugural Autumn Fest from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday in Carpenter Park, off Lord Avenue and Maple Street in Carpentersville. At noon, a parade is set to loop around the park prior to festivities. Entertainment and various activities like potato sack races and battle of the bands will highlight the festival.
Food and beverage vendors also will keep families fed and hydrated throughout the day. For information, call Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski at (847) 836-4441.
Continuing …
Janus stages Shakespeare play: This weekend, Janus Theatre wraps up its production of "Measure for Measure" by William Shakespeare.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Elgin Art Showcase on the eighth floor of the Professional Building, 164 Division St., Elgin.
The play is set in pre-war Vienna during the 1920s -- a time when politics, morality and law competed to impose order on a fading older world.
Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure," a story more than 400 years old, still appeals to contemporary audiences. Tickets are $15, $12 for students and seniors, and $10 each for groups of 10 or more. For reservations, call (847) 931-0637. For information, visit www.janustheatre.org.