Gail Borden Library to host recitals, movies and more
The Gail Borden Public Library is offering a variety of programs in February and March. For information, call (847) 742-2411 or visit www.gailborden.info/events.
• The Sunday Afternoon Concert Series continues with the Estrella Piano Duo from 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 17 at the main library. Acclaimed pianists Svetlana Belsky and Elena Doubovitskaya will perform on two pianos "Tales from the East", stories of Romance, Magic and Adventure by Russian Composers. Music by Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Prokofiev and Stravinsky. The one-hour concert will be held in the Meadows Community Rooms. Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments after the concert. Free tickets are available at the main library, Rakow Branch and South Elgin Branch three weeks prior to each concert.
On March 10, the Lyrebird Ensemble, an innovative flute and harp duo based in Chicago, will perform. Their performances are the perfect combination of exciting virtuosity and refined elegance, offering audiences a wide variety of styles within the beautiful sounds of these instruments.
• Learn about flight and aeronautical engineering while making paper airplanes or rockets in "Family Style STEAM: Take Flight" from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, in the Meadows Community Room. Then explore exclusive pieces of the new exhibit, only available in "Take Flight" programs.
• Local pianists will perform Thursdays, through Feb. 28, in the lobby of the main library. Steve Yoder will perform from 11 a.m. to noon, Denise Williams from 2 to 3 p.m., Shirley Remes from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and John LaBorn from 7 to 8 p.m.
• "No Shushing Movie Fridays" continues from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Fridays, through Feb. 22, in the Hoffer Room of the South Elgin branch library, 127 S. McLean Blvd. Come enjoy a G- or PG-rated movie in a family-friendly, casual setting. Chatting and snacks from home are welcome. This program welcomes people of all abilities. Contact the library one week in advance if you need accommodations. No registration is required. On Feb. 22, the movie will be the 1996 animated film "101 Dalmatians."
• Join them for cake and games to celebrate Gail Borden Library's 125th anniversary. It was on Feb. 22, 1894, that the Elgin Township Library became formally known as the Gail Borden Public Library District after the gift of the Schofield Mansion on Spring Street by the Church brothers (stepsons of milk entrepreneur Gail Borden). The "Happy 125th Birthday Gail Borden Library" celebration will be 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, in the Meadows Community Rooms at the main library.
• "Reel Women for Real Women" will feature the film "A Star Is Born" from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in the Elgin Room of the main library. In the 2018 film, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga fuse their considerable talents to depict the raw and passionate tale of Jack and Ally, two artistic souls coming together, on stage and in life. It is co-sponsored by the American Association of University Women-Elgin Area Branch. A film and discussion focused on women's issues. No registration is required.
• Elgin Symphony Orchestra Listeners Club will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the Meadows Community Room at the main library. The February theme will be "Guitar Serenade." This free, interactive lecture and discussion series, led by Jim Kendros, meets on the Wednesday afternoon during the week of the ESO's Classics Masterworks series and will broaden your understanding of the music to be performed that week. You will study the music "from the inside out," make new friends, and enhance your concert experience. Please register at www.elginsymphony.org, or call (847) 888-0404, ext. 238, to reserve your seat.
The program also is offered from 11 a.m. to noon on the Wednesdays before an ESO concert at Greenfields of Geneva, 0N801 Friendship Way. No need to register for the Greenfields; just sign in at the door.
• Activate Elgin March into Health Kick-off Event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2, in the Meadows Community Rooms at the main library. Join Activate Elgin to celebrate March Into Health with live performances, chef demo and tasting, fresh fruit give-away and crafts, activities and prize opportunities.
• The "Armchair Generals" series continues with "Nine Generals of Galena" from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in the Grove Room at the main library. It will be presented by Mary Pawlak. In this Brown Bag Civil War and Lincoln Interest Group, participants commemorate events, share insights, and talk about books or experiences.
• The Elgin Community Network's "Elgin Alive" series continues with "Understanding Drinking Water Issues in Our Region" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in the Meadows Community Rooms of the main library. Most of us in Northeastern Illinois don't pay much attention to our drinking water. We turn on faucets dozens of times a day without pausing to consider the questions that millions of people around the world worry about on a regular basis: Do we have enough? Is it clean? Will it endure? Learn about the current state and issues concerning our future regional and local drinking water supply from a panel of experts in water resource management. For more information, go to elgin-ecn.org.
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