Weed Ladies Spring Sale returns March 31 to April 3 at Naper Settlement
Naper Settlement, the outdoor living history museum set on 13 acres in the heart of Naperville, kicks off its spring activities with the annual Weed Ladies Spring Sale.
The sale features creative seasonal floral arrangements from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, March 31 to April 2, and 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3.
Each one-of-a-kind silk or dried floral creation has been designed by the Weed Ladies of the Naperville Heritage Society volunteer group.
Proceeds benefit the Naperville Heritage Society. Admission to the sale is free. Please enter the Pre-Emption House Visitor Center and inform the Guest Services Team that you are attending the sale.
On Thursdays in April, the museum is also offering walking tours.
Explore the east side of downtown Naperville and learn about the ways the community developed along with North Central College during the "Town and Gown Walking Tours." It will be offered from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, April 7 or April 28.
The West Side Downtown Walking Tour will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14. Listen to stories from Naperville's founding to the generosity of Caroline Martin Mitchell on a walking tour of the west side of downtown Naperville.
The Downtown Naperville Architecture Walking Tour will be 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21. Learn about the important and interesting architecture from the 1800s to today that makes downtown Naperville a beautiful place to live, work, and play.
The tours last approximately 60 minutes and cover about two miles. Preregistration is required at napersettlement.org/calendar.aspx. Cost is $15 per person or free for children under age 4. Tours will meet at Naper Settlement's main entrance at 523 S. Webster St.
The monthly "History Speaks" series will continue on Sunday, April 10, with "Midcentury Cuisine: Food Fads from the 1940s-'60s" from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Century Memorial Chapel.
Remember Jell-O salads and cheese sprayed out of a can? When every pantry held Velveeta and all the kids wanted to drink Tang?
Join historian and author Leslie Goddard for a nostalgic look at the food innovations and marketing approaches that transformed how we ate at midcentury. Using classic cookbooks, advertisements, and family magazines, this presentation will explore how society and technology shaped American food from the 1940s through the 1960s. Cost is $10. Preregistration is required at napersettlement.org/calendar.aspx.
Children can join in the Playscape Readers storytime at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 6. This month's theme is "Pond Animals." Playscape Readers is a story time for children that follows seasonal themes with a focus on historical themes and prereading skills. This event is included in general admission.
On Thursday, April 21, the Third Thursday Thinkers will have an Earth Day theme at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 21. Join Naper Settlement for a special activity while learning about Earth Day, practicing recycling, and creating art out of recycled materials. This event is included in general admission.
For the "4th Thursday Pop-Up Movie Club," join Naper Settlement and Dr. Mark Pohlad to discuss the film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," a midcentury movie about an African-American family seeking a better life outside of a large city in the midst of unfair housing practices. They will meet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 28. Cost is $20 per person. Watch the movie ahead of time and plan for an evening of interesting discussion. The movie is available at the public library and on Amazon Prime Video. Preregistration required.
Located at 523 S Webster St., the museum is home to 31 historical structures dating back as early as the 1830s. Featuring exhibits, special events, educational programming and more, Naper Settlement is where history comes alive and the community comes to connect. For more information, visit www.napersettlement.org or call (630) 420-6010.