Wednesdays @ One kicks off Oct. 6 with 'The Essential Great Chicago Fire' author

The Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles is launching its fall season of "Wednesdays @ One" events at 1 p.m. Oct. 6 when author William Pack presents a program based on his 2015 book, "The Essential Great Chicago Fire."

All "Wednesdays @ One" programs are presented at the Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St. in downtown St. Charles.

Admission is free, thanks to the sponsorship of Colonial Cafe. To register online, visit norrisculturalarts.com.

Pack's Oct. 6 presentation coincides almost exactly with the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire.

On Oct. 8, 1871, a fire began on the near south side of Chicago that would grow into a three-day conflagration remembered today as the Great Chicago Fire.

Pack's presentation provides a look back at the tragic event that led to Chicago's triumphant emergence as one of the world's great cities.

The Wednesdays @ One series continues on Nov. 3 when Debra Miller portrays Mary Shelley (author of "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus") in a program titled, "The Intricate Riddle of Life."

You know her as the author of Frankenstein, but there was a lot more to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. In her first Baker Community Center visit after several well-received historical portrayals at the Norris gallery, Miller portrays Mary Shelley using the author's correspondence and writings. Miller will take questions following the program.

Start your December with an engaging and entertaining exploration of the man in the red suit, when popular performer Terrence Lynch takes on the history and mythology of a beloved Christmas tradition. He will explore "The Legend of St. Nicholas" on Dec. 1.

Learn more about the Norris Cultural Arts Center programs, including "Wednesdays @ One," visit norrisculturalarts.com.