Weekend picks: Broadway star graces NCC stage
Finding 'Home'
Grammy Award-winner and former Broadway star Stephanie Mills (“The Wiz”) sings in concert Saturday at North Central College's Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville. $45-$60. (630) 637-7469 or northcentralcollege.edu/showtix. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
Saturday
Focus on farm life
The two-day Farm Heritage Festival, at the Lakewood Forest Preserve, on Route 176, west of Fairfield Road, Wauconda, celebrates farm life from the turn of the century to the present. Highlights include a petting zoo, a daily tractor parade, sheepherding demonstrations, exhibits at the on-site Lake County Discovery Museum, wagon and barrel train rides, food and more. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for seniors and kids ages 4-17; kids 3 and younger admitted free. (847) 968-3400 or lcfpd.org. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21-22
Outdoor art
Stroll the riverwalk on Houston Street in downtown Batavia and view a variety of artwork at the Art In Your Eye fine arts show. The show features works from more than 70 artists from around the country. Other highlights include demonstrations, children's activities and musical entertainment. Free. Visit artinyoureye.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22
Country Folk Art Fest
View folk art and reproductions of antiques and traditional American art at the Country Folk Art Fest at the Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road, St. Charles. (815) 772-3279 or visit artoftheheartlandinc.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 ($6), and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday Sept. 22 ($4)
Native American Pow Wow
Celebrate Native American culture with dancing, demonstrations, storytelling, music, children's games, crafts and presentations at the Midwest SOARRING Foundation's Native American Pow Wow at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Award-winning Native American flute player Robert Mirabal will perform. $7-$10; kids 2 and younger admitted free. (773) 585-1744 or midwestsoarring.org. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22. Grand entry of dances at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday
Hot potato!
See the newest cast members of the Australian kids band The Wiggles in the show “Taking Off! Live in Concert” Saturday at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. $15.50-$80. (800) 745-3000 or rosemonttheatre.com. 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
Bavarian Lodge's Oktoberfest
It's time for The Bavarian Lodge's 27th annual Oktoberfest kickoff party and pig roast Saturday at 1800 Ogden Ave., Lisle. Cask-conditioned firkins to be tapped are: Goose Island Oktoberfest, Revolution Oktoberfest, Metropolitian Diablo Dynamo, Solemn Oath Oktoberface and Lakefront Oktoberfest. Other seasonal specialties include the Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen, Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen, Metropolitan Afterburner Oktoberfest, Metropolitan Zwickel Flywheel and Southern Tier Pumking. Beer prices range from $5 to $7. (630) 241-4701 or bavarian-lodge.com. Noon Saturday, Sept. 21
Scarecrows galore!
Get ready for autumn at the Scarecrow Festival at Vogelei Park, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates. Along with the scarecrow displays, the event features crafts, music, a climbing wall, and food and activities for all ages. Free admission. Visit heparks.org. Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
Speaking dead
The Oakwood Cemetery Walk living history event returns Saturday with the theme “Going West” at the Lilac Cottage in Bowen Park, 1911 N. Sheridan Road, Waukegan. $3-$5. (847) 360-4740 or waukeganparks.org. Noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
Art on show
EXPO Chicago/2013 features more than 120 international galleries gathered together under one roof for a show of contemporary art and design for sale this week at the Navy Pier Festival Hall, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. $20 one-day pass; $30 three-day pass. (312) 867-9220 or expochicago.com. Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22
Made in the Windy City
The first Andersonville City Made Fest features an array of Chicago-based musicians, brewers and artisans on Clark Street between Argyle and Carmen. Festgoers can enjoy folk, blues, indie rock, hip-hop, world and Latin music. There also will be a full menu of local beer. Admission is $5. (773) 728-7552 or www.andersonville.org. Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21-22
Harvest Fest
The Lombard Historical Society and the Prairie Food Co-Op host Harvest Fest at the Victorian Cottage, 23 W. Maple, Lombard. Highlights include square dancing, face painting, butter churning and cider-pressing demonstrations, beer and wine tastings, food and more. Free general admission; fees for food and beverages. (630) 629-1885 or lombardhistory.org. 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
American band
Relive the big hit songs from the late 1960s and 1970s of the rock band Grand Funk Railroad (“We're an American Band,” “The Loco-Motion”) Saturday at Festival Park, adjacent to Grand Victoria Casino, 250 S. Grove Ave., Elgin. $15-$49. (888) 508-1900 or grandvictoriacasino.com. 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
Musical martyr
Chicago Opera Theater celebrates the bicentennial of Giuseppi Verdi's birth by staging his rarely performed opera “Joan of Arc” (“Giovanna d'Arco”) for four performances starting Saturday at Millennium Park's Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago. Sung in Italian with projected English translations. $35-$125. (312) 334-7777 or chicagooperatheater.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
'Rite' centennial
The Joffrey Ballet's re-creation of Vaslav Nijinsky's groundbreaking Stravinsky ballet “The Rite of Spring” receives a centennial staging as the main centerpiece of the program “Russian Masters,” which also features work by choreographers Yuri Possokhov and George Balanchine this week at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago. $31-$152. (800) 982-2787 or joffrey.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22
Ben Vereen in concert
See legendary singer and dancer Ben Vereen grace the stage at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Tickets start at $53. rauecenter.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
Sunday
Plein air autos
Feast your eyes on classic cars in the Motoring at the Museum car show, while painters take part in the Plein Air Art gathering on Sunday at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 W. Freemont St., Arlington Heights. $10 vehicle registration. Free admission for spectators. (847) 255-1225 or ahmuseum.org. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22
'Ghosts of Chicago' author
Adam Selzer discusses and signs copies of his book “Ghosts of Chicago” at Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore, 7419 W. Madison St., Forest Park. (708) 771-7243 or centuriesandsleuths.com. 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22
Circus stays
The Kelly Miller Circus brings its international troupe of acrobats, exotic animals and more to the Westfield Hawthorn Shopping Town, 122 Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills. $15; $7 kids. (847) 367-3700. e-clubhouse.org/sites/vernonh. 2 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22
Local author chat
Meet local author Libby Hellmann as she discusses and signs copies of her book “Havana Lost” at The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, 811 Elm St., Winnetka. (847) 446-8880 or thebookstall.com. 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22