Budget-friendly fun: Hounds of Finn, Gospel Extravaganza sing
Hounds of Finn
The Minnesota-based band Hounds of Finn will play folk plus Celtic and Americana music at the Maple Street Chapel, 220 S. Main St., Lombard. $15. (630) 627-0171 or maplestreetchapel.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7
Free
Button up
Dress in your best "hippie" clothes for the Hip to be Square-themed Button Show hosted by the Button Room of Gurnee at Millburn Church, 19073 N. Grass Lake Road, Lake Villa. Find all sorts of buttons, button crafts, a bake sale, a silent auction and more. Free. (224) 399-9870 or thebuttonroom.org. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 7
Gospel Extravaganza
It's gospel time when the Elmhurst College Gospel Choir hosts its Gospel Extravaganza in the school's Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. Performers include the more-than-50-member Joshua's Troop, with hip-hop, urban and contemporary gospel selections. Free. (630) 617-3492. elmhurst.edu. 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7
Model railroad club
See an HO scale permanent operating model railroad at the Lake County Model Railroad Club's Spring Open House at 107 S. Main St. (rear entrance), Wauconda. The railroad layout is more than 40 years old, but it is operated with the latest in digital technology. Free. Those who bring a nonperishable item for donation to the Wauconda Food Pantry will receive a free raffle ticket toward a door prize. lcmrr.org. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8
Jazz it up
Head out Saturday for a night of jazz, standards, big band, Dixieland, Latin and more when the United States Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors play the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at the College of Lake County, 19351 Washington St., Grayslake. The group is the official touring band of the U.S. Army. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Free. Limit of four tickets per person. clcillinois.edu. 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7
$15 and under
Happy anniversary
Elgin's Side Street Studio Arts invites everyone to help celebrate its second anniversary with a night of visual art and live music. Performers include the bands Space Waste, Man Bites Dog and Whizzered. Visual art by a variety of local artists is part of a month-long gallery exhibition at 15 Ziegler Court. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door. (847) 429-2276 or sidestreetstudioarts.org. 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 6
Fox Valley Orchestra
The Fox Valley Orchestra features guitarist Steve Suvada in two Spanish-themed concerts titled "Espana!," featuring works by Beethoven, Rodrigo, Bizet and others, first at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main St., Batavia, and then in the Crimi Auditorium at Aurora University, 407 S. Calumet Ave., Aurora. $9-$15. foxvalleyorchestra.org or (630) 891-2526. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7, in Batavia and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 8, in Aurora
Trains and more trains
Train enthusiasts can tour five buildings and outdoor grounds featuring operating model train displays, model trains and related items for sale at the Great Midwest Train Show at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton. Guests can also get their own model trains appraised and repaired at the event. $7 adults; free for kids younger than 12. greatmidwesttrainshow.com. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 8
Dance, dance
See all kinds of dance styles, from ballet to jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, musical theater and African from many Chicago-area choreographers, when the M3 Dance Company takes to the stage at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. Tickets cost $10-$15. A portion of the proceeds ($3) will go to Marklund, an organization that serves those with developmental disabilities. brownpapertickets.com. 1 p.m. Sunday, March 8
Quilts and History
Geneva History Museum staff will discuss a variety of quilts in the museum's collection, including several from the 1930s and one from the 1800s, at the Quilts and History program at the Geneva History Museum, 113 S. Third St., Geneva. The program is part of the museum's Brown Bag Lunch program. Guests are invited to bring a lunch; cookies and beverages will be served. $3 for museum members; $5 for nonmembers. Registration is recommended. (630) 232-4951 or genevahistorymuseum.org. Noon Tuesday, March 10