Briefs: Pick your favorite window

Don't forget to vote for your favorite design during Elgin's Window Wonderland competition. You have until New Year's Eve to cast your vote for the business you think created the most interesting window display. You can drop your ballots off at the following locations: the Downtown Neighborhood Association, 2 Douglas Ave.; the Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove Ave.; Al's Café and Creamery, 43 DuPage Court; Elgin City Hall, 150 Dexter Court; the Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way; and Elgin Jewelers, 11 N. State St. Call the Downtown Neighborhood Association at (847) 488-1456.

Need a break from the kids?

Elgin's Hawthorne Hill Nature Center is hosting a Mom and Dad's Day Out from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the next two Thursdays. Parents or caregivers of 3- to 5-year-old children can enjoy a couple of hours to unwind or get things done, while their kids learn about nature, listen to stories, play and make crafts. Parents are encouraged to pack a snack and water bottle for their kids and dress them appropriately for outdoor activity. Reservations are required. Call Deb Barr at (847) 531-7009.

An Elizabethan holiday

The Elizabethans will present a musical program of the English Renaissance at 7 p.m. Thursday in the meeting room of the Dundee Township Public Library. This group of women from all over the western and northern suburbs will recreate a time in English history when Queen Elizabeth I reigned. The group will perform in costume, dressed in beautiful and very elaborate, jewel-toned gowns designed after those that Queen Elizabeth I wore in her youth. Seating is limited and reservations are suggested. Call (847) 428-3661 ext. 308 or register at www.dundeelibrary.info.