Festivals, fairs and gatherings galore across the Sauk Valley

The following is a list of current events and upcoming activities going on in the Sauk Valley. Don’t forget to check out 5 Things To Do for other opportunities.

Do you have information on an upcoming event or attraction? Be sure to let us know. Submit information for Sauk Valley Media’s weekly calendar to news@saukvalley.com. Include a contact person and phone number.

This Week

Live music. Dixon Municipal Band, Summer Sounds, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Page Park Band Shell Dixon; Shaylyn O’Laughlin, 5:30 p.m., Friday, Music at the Square, John Dixon Park, Dixon; The Jimmys, 7 p.m., Friday, Mt. Morris Jamboree, Campus Band Shell; Ryan Hoffman, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Books on First, 202 W. First St., Dixon; Riven Quartet, 6 p.m., Sunday, Spring Valley Reformed Church, 10960 Spring Valley Road, Fulton; Garth and Tricia Tribute Show, Tuesday through Aug. 11, White Pines Dinner Theatre, 6712 W. Pines Road, Mount Morris.

Vintage and artisan market with more than two dozen vendors will be offering wares 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Plum Creek Club, 641 Palmyra Road, Dixon.

Local Fest will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Rock Falls Farmers Market, 400 W. Second St. in Rock Falls. Event is free. Young entrepreneurs will be able to sell products including lemonade, crafts, popsicles and paintings. Other local vendors will be selling crafts, décor, fresh produce, sweet treats and jewelry.

Bo’s Bait and Tackle, youth fishing event, 8 a.m. Saturday, lower dam, Rock Falls. Advance registrants only.

Paws and Claws 5K, 8 a.m. Saturday, Happy Trails Humane Society, Rock Falls.

ROY G BIV Color Fun Run, 6 p.m., Saturday, Red Barn, Woodlawn Arts Academy Campus, 3807 Woodlawn Road, Sterling. Family fun run at 6, color throw and more at 7.

Forreston Sauerkraut Days will be Friday through Sunday at Memorial Park. Family games and outdoor movie will be Friday, the Cabbage Patch Kids fun run and Kraut Days 5K will be 7:30 a.m. Saturday with the American Legion Sauerkraut Lunch at Memorial Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. After the watermelon eating contest, live music will perform at the corner of Cherry at Walnut with 3 on the Tree taking the stage at 4:30 p.m. and Free Fall at 8:30. On Sunday, the firefighter community breakfast will be at 7:30 while the parade kicks off at 12:30 p.m. at Forreston Grade School.

Polo Woman’s Garden Club’s flower show will be noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Polo Area Senior Center, 101 E. Mason St. in Polo. There will be presentations for gardeners. Admission is $1 per adult. Children younger than 12 are free. There will be door prizes and a drawing for a gift basket.

Living History Antique Equipment Association Show will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1674 Whitney Road, Franklin Grove. There will be a parade at 1:30 p.m. each day, as well as displays and demonstrations.

Big Rig Show will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Chaplin Creek Show Grounds, 1715 Whitney Road during the Franklin Grove Harvest Festival. All activities and events will be free. All participating trucks and trailers must be at the show by 10 a.m. Family activities include a dunk tank, coloring station, corn box, bounce house and bounce obstacle course, petting zoo, pony rides, bags and ladder ball, a 50/50 silent auction, family game area, and truck hunt with prizes.

Franklin Grove Harvest Festival will be Friday through Sunday in Franklin Grove. Village garage sales start at 8 a.m. with the art show starting at 10. On Saturday, more garage sales, antique equipment show at 8, semitractor show at 10, kick ball tournament at noon, family fun at Atlasta Park at noon, duck derby, American Legion pork chop dinner at 4 and beer garden and live music at 5. On Sunday, the fire department will have water fights starting at noon.

70th Carroll County Fair opens Sunday evening at the fairgrounds along Schell Park Road near Milledgeville with the 4-H hamburger meal deal supper and exhibit. Judging begins Monday and continues Tuesday. The first grandstand event will be the Illini State Truck Pullers and the Tri-County Pullers at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Livestock and baking judging will be Wednesday, the 5 p.m. tractor parade and the Badger State Tractor Pull at 6:30 p.m. The fair continues through Saturday, Aug. 13.

One Night of Queen, performed by Gary Mullen & The Works, will take the stage 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Oakwood Ballroom, Wild Rose Casino & Hotel in Clinton, Iowa. Tickets start at $25.

“Nunsense” runs through Sunday at Timber Lake Playhouse in Mount Carroll. Tickets are $35 general admission, $30 for seniors and $25 for students and military. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2:30 on Sunday. Page to Stage talkback will be after the Friday performance.

Splatter Art family activity 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Discovery Center Museum, Riverfront Museum Park, 711 North Main Street, Rockford. Tickets $10.

Upcoming

Music

Music at the Square, John Dixon Park, Dixon

New Shoes, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 12

Backlash, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 19

Mark Hobbs, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 26

The Belle Rangers, 5:30 p.m., Sept. 2

Summer Nights and Pop-Up Markets

Dale Park, Sterling

Bobbi White and Co., 5 p.m. Aug. 11

Lojo Russo, 5 p.m., Aug. 25

Dixon Municipal Band

Christmas Concert, 7 p.m., tba.

Jammin on the Rock

RB&W Park, 201 E. Second St., Rock Falls

David Cuckler, Tara Norris, Starlight Blues Band, Weigh Me Down Band, and Eric Whitlock. Aug. 4, 6 p.m.

Food truck Fridays

RB&W Park, 201 E. Second St., Rock Falls, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Outpatience, 7 p.m. Aug. 12

Mt. Morris Jamboree, Campus Band Shell

Howard and the White Boys, 7 p.m., Aug. 12

Dirty Fishnet Stockings, 7 p.m., Aug. 19

Chicago Tribute Anthology, 7 p.m., Aug. 26

Winning Wheels Summer Concert Series, Eclipse Square, Prophetstown

3 On The Tree, 5 p.m., Aug. 26

To be announced, 5 p.m., Sept. 23

To be announced, 5 p.m., Oct. 28

Books on First, 202 W. First St., Dixon.

Mark Dvorak, 6:30 p.m., Aug. 20

Rosbrook Studio Second Saturday Open Mic, 107 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon. $3 suggested donation

signup at 6 p.m., performances 7 to 11 p.m.,

American Legion Post 902, 712 Fourth Ave., Rock Falls.

Jam Session, 7 p.m. every Thursday.

The First Fridays Open Mic, K’s Sports Bar, 408 East Washington (Route 64) in Oregon.

Next performance is 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at Ogle County Fair. Admission is free for fairgoers. Sign-up for performers is at 6:45. For information, call 815-449-2660.

Spring Valley Reformed Church, 10960 Spring Valley Road, Fulton.

Riven Quartet, 6 p.m., Aug. 7

The Good Stewards, 6 p.m. Aug. 14

Adam’s Voice, 6 p.m., Aug. 21

Theater productions

Historic Dixon Theatre

Tickets are on sale for the following shows at Historic Dixon Theatre, 114 S. Galena Ave. Go to dixontheatre.com/events/ for tickets or more information.

Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience, Aug. 19

Menopause the Musical, Sept. 28-29.

Forever Young, Oct. 7.

ABBA Mania, Oct. 16.

Paul Childers, Oct. 22.

Yesterday: A Beatles Tribute Endorsed by Sir Paul McCartney, Nov. 5.

Annie Jr., Nov. 18-19.

Cinderella (A community theater production), Dec. 9-11.

The Prophecy Show: The Music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dec. 30.

Motor City: the Motown Revue, Jan. 14.

Still Collins, Jan. 28.

Shanghai Circus, Feb. 24.

Doug Allen Nash, March 11.

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff, March 24.

Head East, April 7.

Adventures of Tortoise and the Hair Next Generation, April 23, 2023

The Machine: The Music of Pink Floyd, April 28, 2023

Under the Street Lamp, May 13, 2023

Illusionist Mike Super, May 27, 2023

Dixon Stage Left, 306 W First St, Dixon

Peter and the Starcatcher, September 23-24, 29-30, Oct, 1, 6-7-8.

Timber Lake Playhouse, 8215 Black Oak Road, Mount Carroll.

Nunsense, July 28-Aug. 7

We Will Rock You, Aug. 11-31

Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Sept. 8-18

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, Dec. 1-11

Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, 303 Riverview Drive, Clinton, Iowa.

The World Goes ‘Round, Aug. 6-14.

White Pines Dinner Theatre, 6712 W. Pines Road, Mount Morris

Garth and Tricia Tribute Show, Aug. 9-11

Salute to the Music of Roy Orbison, Aug. 23

Rick Lindy and the Wild Ones, Aug. 24-25

Dave and Daphne Show, Sept. 7-8

Getting Better with Age, Sept. 13-15

The Rock n Roll Crooner Quenton Flagg, Sept. 21

Quentin Flagg’s Inspirational Gospel and Country, Sept. 22

I Gotta Be Me starring Denny Diamond, Oct. 5-6

Rod Stewart Tribute, Oct. 18

Mirror of Mathis, Oct. 19-20

Down to the Funny Bones, Nov. 2-3

Andrew and His Sisters: A WWII Musical Tribute, Nov. 9-10

Branson on the Road, Christmas Style, Nov. 29-Dec. 1

Scrooge the Comedy, Dec. 3-17

Polo Community Theater

Romeo and Juliet, Sept. 23-25, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, Polo Town Hall, 115 S. Franklin Ave., Polo

Art exhibits

The Next Picture Show, 113 W. First St., Dixon.

Black and White exhibit through Sept. 30, KSB Hospital’s Commerce Towers.

Absolutely Abstract through Sept. 3.

Woodland Arts Academy, 117 W. Second St., Rock Falls

Christmas in July: Sights and Sounds of the Sauk Valley, through Aug. 17

First Avenue Bridge exhibition, tba

Markets

Twin City Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, year-round indoors and out; 106 Avenue A in Sterling, 815-626-8610, twincitycarmersmarket.com and Facebook.

Food truck Fridays, RB&W Par, 201 E. Second St., Rock Falls, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 12

Dixon Park District Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon Wednesdays through Oct. 26 and 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 29, Haymarket Square, 513 W. Second St., Dixon.

Dixon City Market, 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 31, Heritage Crossing, Dixon.

Rock Falls Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday and Saturday, 400 W Second St., Rock Falls, through October.

Pop-Up Markets, 5 p.m., second and fourth Thursday, Dale Park, Sterling.

Chana Route 64 Auction Barn Inc. auction, 10 a.m. (first and third) Sunday; flea market, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (second and fourth) Saturday and Sunday at 620 S. Stone Hill Road. Find Chana Auction Barn on Facebook or call 815-830-3898 for more information. Contact Market Manager Robin at 815-973-0728 for details.

Mount Carroll Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to noon, each Saturday through Oct. 29.

BASIC Market, 514 13th Ave., Fulton, 9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays through October.

Museums, exhibits and attractions

Loveland History Museum, 9 a.m. -2 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Loveland Community House, 513 W. Second St., Dixon; free.

Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7071 Riverview Road, Thomson. Call 815-273-2732.

Reagan Boyhood Home, 810 S Hennepin Ave, Dixon, March 29 to Dec. 17, is open for tours Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the last tour leaving at 3 p.m.

Northwest Territory Historic Center, 205 West Fifth St. Dixon, open 9 a.m - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Ronald Reagan Birthplace/Museum, 111 Main Street, Tampico., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday (Except Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day). 815-622-8705.

Byron Museum of History, Wednesday-Saturday 10:00 to 3:00, located at 110 North Union Street, Byron.

Special interest

Riverfront Yoga, 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., Fridays through July 29 at Dixon Riverfront.

Dixon Coin Club, 7 p.m., first Tuesday, American Legion, 1120 W. First St., Dixon.

Library programs

Sterling Public Library. Stuffed animal sleepover, Aug. 12-13; Teen After Hours, 5 p.m. Aug. 12, Lego club, 10 a.m. Aug. 20, Reading roulette, Aug. 27.

Dixon Public Library. Orbital Book, 6 p.m. Aug. 17; Monday Morning Mysteries, 10:30 a.m. Aug. 22; Literary Merits, 2 p.m. Aug. 23.

Rock Falls Public Library. Book clubs, 6:30 p.m. last Tuesday of month, 10 a.m. first Thursday of month.

Information on events and attractions for Sauk Valley Media’s weekly calendar should be submitted to news@saukvalley.com. Include a contact person and phone number.