Tri-Cities briefs

Girls' Night Out in Sugar Grove:Spring Bluff Nursery will hold its annual Girls' Night Out celebration from 5 p.m. until dusk Thursday at 41W130 Norris Road, Sugar Grove. Local artists and vendors will begin showing at 5 p.m. and gourmet food tastings will begin at 6 p.m. A free perennial and goody bag will be given to the first 250 ladies to register for the event and a raffle for a large gift basket will benefit the Fox Valley Hospice. There is no charge for the event but canned food items will be collected and distributed to local food pantries. For more information, call (630) 466-4278 or go to springbluffnursery.com/events.htm.Learn about property taxes:Blackberry Township Assessor Uwe Rotter will present a taxpayer workshop this summer to explain the property tax cycle, how assessments are developed, how to appeal an assessment, and what the Kane County Board of Review and the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board are. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Tanner Trail Community Church, 2301 Tanner Road, North Aurora; Aug. 11 at Rejoice Lutheran Church, 0N377 N. Mill Creek Drive, Geneva; and Sept. 8 at Kaneland Blackberry Creek Elementary School, 1122 S. Anderson Road, Elburn. For details, visit blackberrytwp.com or call (630) 365-6580.Farmers market opening: The Aurora Farmers Market at West Aurora Plaza, 1951 W. Galena Blvd., is open from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 15. The market offers fresh, locally grown produce, prepared foods and handcrafted products. The city also offers a Farmers Market from 8 a.m. until noon Saturdays at the Aurora Transportation Center, 233 N. Broadway. Details on both markets are available by contacting the Special Events Division at (630) 844-4731 or by visiting aurora-il.org.Film auditions in Wheaton:The DuPage Film Group is holding open auditions for several shorts that will be shot early this fall around the theme of "time" and will be combined into a feature-length film. The auditions will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Wheaton Grand Theater, 123 N. Hale St., Wheaton. All ages are welcome; those younger than 18 must have a parent or legal guardian present. For details or to RSVP on the date you intend to audition, e-mail dupagefilm@dupagefilm.com.Museums offer adventure:Nearly 60 museums, nature centers and historical sites are offering kids a chance to win prizes by visiting them in the 19th annual Passport to Adventure Program sponsored by the Kane DuPage Regional Museum Association. Children 4 to 12 can pick up a passport at any participating organization and get a stamp for each site they visit. Kids who visit five sites by Labor Day receive a Certificate of Achievement. Those who visit seven sites also will receive a prize, and may be eligible for an additional incentive by returning their passport book to the location where they received it. For details, see kdrma.org.