Old House New House Home Show set in St. Charles

Expos, shows, festivals

•The Old House New House Home Show, Sept. 25-26, St. Charles. A resource for homeowners looking to improve, update and maintain properties. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26. Admission is $7; age 62 and up and under 18 free. Free parking. Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. For more information, and a $1 off coupon, visit kennedyproductions.com or call (630) 515-1160.

•The Smart Farm, an educational and nutritional project at the Ron Beese Community Garden, 50 Rotary Drive, Barrington, is hosting a Family Days from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 17, which will allow families to learn about gardening and participate in activities for all ages. For details, see smartfarms.org.

•Fall Festival Weekend, Oct. 8-9, We Grow Dreams, a not-for-profit greenhouse that trains people with disabilities. The weekend features a 4K Walk at Freedom Commons, the lifestyle center at Diehl and I-88 in Naperville where the weekly Garden Market takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also, an open house featuring fall items such as pumpkins and mums plush refreshments and pumpkin painting, will be held at the We Grow Dreams Greenhouse & Garden Center, 1055 W. Washington St., West Chicago from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 10. (630) 293-0100 or wegrowdreams.org.

•Alpaca Open House, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 25-26, at Waldron Grove Alpacas, 39w856 McDonald Road in Elgin. Learn all about fiber from the animal to the finished product. Activities include felt and fiber demonstrations, alpaca yarn and roving and kits to learn felting. The farm store will be open and alpaca fiber art and originally designed clothing will be available for purchase. Alpacas will be for sale. For more information, visit susanwaldronart.com. e-mail Alpacas@insnet.com or call (847) 888-3934.

Tours, walks

•"Pleasant Homes: A Tour of Oak Park and Arts & Crafts Interiors," 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 2. Includes six private homes and some of Oak Parks best examples of Prairie-style architecture, craftsmanship and interior design, plus Pleasant Home, an 1897 home designed by noted Prairie-style architecture George Maher, and Mahyer's Taylor House, now Unity Church. $35. Register at Unity Church of Oak Park, 405 N. Euclid. (708) 383-2654 or pleasanthome.org.

Seminars, workshops

•"Bushel Basket workshop," 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, Knupper Nursery, 1801 N. Rand Road, Palatine. Plant a colorful container. Everything included, such as bushel basket, plants, soil and fertilizer; $40 due at time of preregistration. Bring your own gloves and pruners. (847) 359-1080 or knuppernursery.com.

Chicago Botanic Garden

The following activities are scheduled at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. (847) 835-5440 or chicagobotanic.org.

•Plant giveaways, Wednesdays through Sundays, through Oct. 3 in Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Volunteers share information about the monthly featured plant, and encourage visitors to plant a seed or seedling to take home to their own gardens. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. chicagobotanic.org/familyprograms/dropin.

Garden clubs

•Garden Clubs of Illinois District IX state leadership meeting, Sept. 30, Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 Algonquin Road, Des Plaines. Gardeners from 70 clubs will discuss ideas, problems, membership, programs and fundraisers. Cost, $3, payable to District IX, GCI. Send check to Marianne Janesku, education chairwoman, 7471 W. Rosedale, Chicago, IL 60631.

•Pottawatomie Garden Club: Sept. 27, noon: Meet at Blumen Gardens, 403 Edwards St., Sycamore, where Joel Barczak, owner and landscape designer, will present "Fall Gardening - Beyond the Basics." Must sign up in advance; additional fee for lunch. pottagardenclub.org.

•Tri Village Garden Club: Oct. 20: John Sosnowski on proper pruning techniques. Nov. 17: Ron Zick of Wild Birds Unlimited. Meetings held third Wednesday of the month at Poplar Creek Public Library, 1405 S. Park Ave., Streamwood. Annual dues $15. Call (630) 830-0118 or visit trivillagegardenclub.org.

•South Barrington Garden Club: Oct. 7: "Hands On Fall Centerpiece," taught by JoAnn Loebel; $8, all materials provided. Nov. 4: Carpool to Platt Hill Nursery, Carpentersville, where floral designer MaryAnn will demonstrate how to make an artificial wreath. Dec. 9: Annual luncheon at The Seville in Streamwood. Meetings are held at South Barrington Park District, 3 Tennis Club Lane, at 9 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month. Membership fee is $25 for residents, $35 for nonresidents. Call Anita at (847) 277-7151.

Flea markets, antique shows

•Wolff's Indoor Flea Market, 1775 N. Rand Road, Palatine (old Menard's store), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $1, 50 cents for seniors and children ages 6 to 12. Call (847) 524-9590 or visit wolffs.com.

•Grayslake Antique Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, at Grayslake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Peterson Road, Grayslake. Admission $6; free parking. zurkopromotions.com.

•Wheaton Antique Market, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester, Wheaton. Continues the third Saturday of the month through December 2010. Admission $5. Early buyer, $15, for admission starting at 6 a.m. zurkopromotions.com.

•Grayslake Antique Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, at Grayslake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Peterson Road, Grayslake. Admission $6; free parking. zurkopromotions.com.

•Wheaton Antique Market, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, at DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester, Wheaton. Continues the third Saturday of the month through December 2010. Admission $5. Early buyer, $15, for admission starting at 6 a.m. zurkopromotions.com.