Suburban calendar
Ladies' man
With more than 60 books to his credit, Alexander McCall Smith has dabbled in everything from academic titles to children's stories. But it is Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series that makes him a best-selling powerhouse with more than 14 million copies sold in 39 different languages. See Smith as part of the Raue Center for the Arts' new Lecture Series.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake
Cost: $35-$42
Info: (815) 356-9010
Roseanne's roots
Roseanne skyrocketed to fame with "Roseanne," the 1988-97 ABC-TV sitcom about the working-class Connor family that was based on her sarcastic standup comedy routine. "Roseanne" won a slew of Emmy Awards while Roseanne herself gained and dropped surnames while generating plenty of tabloid ink for a variety of exploits. See Roseanne return to her roots (and her Barr surname) for a one-night-only engagement at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets are $40.50-$50.50. (630) 896-6666.
8 p.m. Saturday
Dr. Evil is a fan
Alan Parsons' fame comes from his involvement in the Alan Parsons Project, but also from his work as an engineer on Pink Floyd's legendary "Dark Side of the Moon" album, as well as a few Beatles albums. Comedian Mike Myers was such a fan that he named his "Austin Powers" character Dr. Evil's death ray "the Alan Parsons Project." Get zapped by the Alan Parsons Live Project at The Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Tickets are $35-$55.
8 p.m. Saturday
Stone artifacts
More than 100 objects illustrate the ways American Indians have utilized stone in the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian's latest exhibit "Stories in Stone." See how stone had a practical, artistic and spiritual significance in various American Indian cultures at 3001 Central St., Evanston. Admission is $2.50-$5. (847) 475-1030 or www.mitchellmuseum.org.
Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; through Dec. 30
Suburban Oktoberfests
Start your mouth watering this weekend for beer, brats and more Germanic food than you can shake a schnitzel at with these area Oktoberfest events:
Queen of the Rosary Catholic Church, 750 W. Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove Village: Music, raffles and food. 5 to 11 p.m. today. $15. (877) 355-4768 or www.rc.net/chicago.
Ross Ferraro Town Center, Gary Avenue and Lies Road, Carol Stream: Authentic German food, beer, music, dancing and children's activities. 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. www.carolstream.org or (630) 665-7050.
Lynfred Winery, 15 S. Roselle Road, Roselle: German food, live entertainment, grape spitting, cork tossing, barrel races and more. 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. (630) 529-9463 or www.lynfredwinery.com.