Where the celebrations are
The birthday and upcoming bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln will be celebrated at events near and far:
• Meet and greet: The Batavia Depot Museum holds its annual "Meet the Lincolns" program for children and adults. Well-known Lincoln presenters Max and Donna Daniels tell the story of Abe's life in an interactive presentation at noon Saturday at Shannon Hall, 14 N. Van Buren, Batavia.
• Debate day: Lincoln Dinner Theatre commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lincoln Inn Restaurant, 1345 S. Batavia Road, Batavia. It's $30 for dinner and show.
• Presenting the president: The Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark, will mark Presidents Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday with free admission and activities with presidential impersonators, including Lincoln and his wife, at 1 p.m. Kids can get their faces painted and make presidential scrapbooks. Call (312) 642-4600 or chicagohistory.org.
• Write on: Essays About Lincoln is a statewide reading and writing contest. It asks students in grades 5 through 12 to read the Gettysburg Address, be inspired and write an essay in 300 words or less. Deadline for entering is May 31. Contact Bonnie Matheis at bmatheis@ilsos.net, (217) 558-2065 or Illinoiscenterforthebook.org.
• Save the date: The Illinois State Historical Society presents its 2008 Illinois History Symposium, "Lincoln's Legacies," at Millikin University in downstate Decatur, March 13-15. Noted authors and Lincoln scholars will make presentations. Contact Bill Furry at wfurry@illinoishistory.org, (217) 525-2781 or www.illinoishistory.org.
• Boy Scout trek: The 63rd annual Boy Scout pilgrimage to Lincoln's tomb in Springfield will be held April 27-29. (217) 546-5570 or http://www.alincolnbsa.org/pilgrimage/index.htm.
• The Bicentennial: The American Legion will lead a pilgrimage to Lincoln's tomb, and the national signature event will be a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12, 2009.
-- Robert McCoppin