Watch sheep get a trim: Cheap fun for the weekend
Cheap events? Contact Laura Stewart at lstewart@dailyherald.com
Free
Shear madness
Find out how wool moves from sheep to sweater at the Sheep Shearing weekend at Kline Creek Farm. The farm's sheep will be sheared through both modern and old-fashioned methods - including 100-year-old hand-cranked shears. Watch as wool is scoured, carded and spun into yarn. Demonstrator John Seraphine's border collie dogs will be on hand, moving sheep from one pasture to another.
10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, at Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, Winfield. Free. No reservations are required. (630) 876-5900. Visit dupageforest.com.
Celebrating Mother Earth
The St. Charles Park District hosts its Earth Day Festival 2009 offering the public a chance to get in touch with nature and celebrate life on our planet. Guests can build their own birdhouses and get answers to gardening questions from experts at the University of Illinois Extension Service Master Gardeners group. Hop aboard a hay wagon pulled by Belgian draft horses, Other highlights include stories, games and family activities. Guests are asked to bring a nonperishable food item for donation to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Campton Hills Park, at the southwest corner of Peck and Campton Hills roads in St. Charles. Guests should take the park's second entrance, by the community garden plots. Free and open to the public. (630) 513-4346.
To knit or not to knit
Grab those knitting needles for the Knit-Out and Crochet event for knitters and needle workers of all levels and ages. Young and old can take part in (or just watch) knitting classes and demonstrations. And forget the sporting events on television - find out just who is the fastest knitter and crocheter in the mall during various competitions - and see knitwear modeled in the fashion show.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Northbrook Court Mall, 2171 Northbrook Court, Northbrook. The event is in the mall's Lord & Taylor Court area. Free and open to public. (847) 498-8161.
$10 and below
Firefighters flip flapjacks
Firefighters from the Long Grove Fire Protection District will don their chefs' hats to serve an all-you-can-eat Flaming Flapjacks Pancake Breakfast to benefit the South Lake County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT.). The hearty breakfast fare includes pancakes, sausages, muffins and coffee. Musician Thomas Swenson performs acoustical guitar, and "Freddie the Firefighter" presents a safety puppet show for youngsters. The team assists firefighters and emergency personnel in 911-type emergencies in Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Kildeer and Hawthorn Woods.
8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 18, at the Long Grove Fire Protection District, 1165 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove. The cost for breakfast is $6; free for ages 3 and under. The event takes place rain or shine. (847) 634-3035 or visit longgroveonline.com.
'Peter and the Wolf'
The Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble presents the family-friendly children's ballet "Peter and the Wolf." The ensemble uses the 1946 Walt Disney adaptation of the famed tale, with each costumed character represented by a musical instrument. The words of the narrator, the taped voice of late actor Sterling Holloway, guide the audience through the story - featuring the music of composer Sergei Prokofiev.
Showtimes are at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at Sanfilippo's Carousel House, 789 Plum Tree Road, Barrington Hills. Tickets are $5-$10 and are available only through Saturday, April 18. No tickets will be sold at the door. Call (847) 382-6333 for tickets.
Dorothy arrives in Grayslake
Round Lake Park District's theater program teams up with College of Lake County to present "The Wizard of Oz," the tale of a Kansas girl who makes a trip to a magical land - via a tornado.
2 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the College of Lake County C005 Auditorium, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. $5. (847) 543-2300.
Norman's world
Take an in-depth look at Norman Rockwell, one of the most popular American painters and illustrators of the 20th century at "The Art of Norman Rockwell" program.
7 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Tickets are $5 to $6 in advance; $6-$7 at the door. Call (630) 420-6010 for reservations.