Cook County Entertainment
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Dining out: Velvet Taco opens Monday in Naperville, plus National Pickle Day and moreNov 11, 2025 4:20 pm - Velvet Taco opens Monday in Naperville’s Block 59, with giveaways and more. Plus, Friday is National Pickle Day, and Jason’s Deli is rewarding social media posters with 100-gallon buckets of pickles.
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Elmhurst’s GreenMan Theatre puts out call for plays for its sixth annual ‘8 to the Bar’ festivalNov 11, 2025 3:42 pm - GreenMan Theatre Troupe has selected “Lights! Camera! Action!” as the prompt for its sixth annual play festival of eight 10-minute plays — “8 to the Bar” — to be performed July 2026 in Villa Park, Ill.
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Performing live never gets old for Grand Funk Railroad playing Rivers Casino SaturdayNov 11, 2025 2:14 pm - He’s played it a million times, but Grand Funk Railroad’s Don Brewer never tires of performing “We’re an American Band.” “I get a charge when I see the audience get up on their feet and they’re all having a good time.” The band headlines Rivers Casino Des Plaines Saturday, Nov. 15.
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Best Bets: Illumination: Tree Lights at Morton Arboretum and Lightscape at Chicago Botanic GardenNov 11, 2025 11:20 am - Let there be light as Illumination: Tree Lights returns to Morton Arboretum in Lisle and Lightscape opens at Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. Plus, Steve Cochran and friends perform stand-up in Aurora, and Metropolis hosts “Let’s Hang On: A Rock ’N Soul Party.”
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From continuing education to bestseller: Author Shelby Van Pelt’s journey to successNov 10, 2025 6:39 pm - Shelby Van Pelt developed early drafts of her novel “Remarkably Bright Creatures” in a College of DuPage continuing education writing workshop, highlighting the importance of being surrounded by a community of like-minded learners and the value of diverse perspectives and experiences.
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Spotlight: Buffalo Theatre’s ‘Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley’ and Goodman’s ‘Christmas Carol’ take the stageNov 10, 2025 11:48 am - Holiday shows commencing this week include Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s “Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley,” Goodman Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” and The Second City’s “Jack Frost Roasting on an Open Fire” at Aurora’s Copley Theatre.
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Journey of Hope UMC to be next stop on Great Elgin Pipe Organ TourNov 10, 2025 11:46 am - The next stop on the 2025-26 Great Elgin Pipe Organ Tour will be Sunday, Nov. 16, at Journey of Hope United Methodist Church in Elgin.
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New dining/entertainment venue to open in former South Barrington Pinstripes locationNov 10, 2025 10:08 am - 810 Billiards and Bowling has signed a lease to take over the space formerly occupied by Pinstripes in The Arboretum of South Barrington.
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Top Teacher: Elementary educator in Prospect Heights makes library a welcoming placeNov 10, 2025 9:45 am - Library media specialist Jill Schlomann spreads the love of books and learning at the school she once attended.
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Burt Meyer, Chicago toymaker behind classics like Lite-Brite, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, has died at 99Nov 08, 2025 4:52 pm - Burt Meyer brought toy joy to baby boomers, Millennials and all the Gens — from Alpha to X to Z. An inventor, designer and artist, Meyer, whose work contributed to Chicago becoming a vibrant center of toy design, died Oct. 30 at a west suburban retirement community. He was 99.