Local Scene: Earlville’s drive-in movie theater opens for the season in the Illinois Valley

Here are five things to do this weekend:

1. Stage 212′s “Jake’s Women”: The Neil Simon comedy will be presented Friday through Sunday and then Friday, April 26, through Sunday, April 28, at Stage 212, 700 First St., La Salle. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available for $17 and can be bought by visiting the box office from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday or by calling 815-224-3025 during those hours. Tickets also can be bought online by visiting stage212.org.

2. Route 34 Drive-In Theatre opens: The drive-in movie theater season begins at dusk Friday in Earlville with a pairing of “Kung Fu Panda” and “Trolls Band Together” on the big screen. The pairing also will show Saturday and Sunday. The gate opens at 7 p.m., and the shows start about 8 p.m. (or dusk). The cost of tickets is $10 for adults, $8 for children ages 4 to 12 and seniors 65 and older, and free for children 4 and younger. The theater is accepting Visa/MasterCard with a 3% convenience fee. Visit 34drivein.com for more information.

3. Healthy Kids Day in Peru and Streator: The Streator Family YMCA is hosting its annual Healthy Kids Day from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at 710 Oakley Ave. This free, annual event features a variety of family-friendly activities to encourage healthy kids, healthy families and a healthy start to the summer season. The Illinois Valley YMCA, 300 Walnut Drive, Peru, also will be free and open to the public Saturday. YMCA goodie bags will be distributed for the first 100 children. Program booths will be open from 10 a.m. to noon, with musical bingo at 11 a.m. The waterpark will be open from noon to 4 p.m. Visitors can sign up to win a new bicycle.

4. CASA’s Chocolate Festival: The La Salle County Court Appointed Special Advocates will host its annual chocolate festival from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Course and Banquet Room, La Salle. Tickets are $25 and available at lasallecountycasa.org. Children younger than 5 are free. This fundraiser along with private contributions and grants sustain CASA’s mission to serve abused and neglected children. Proceeds from this event will provide qualified volunteers to work one-on-one with youth in La Salle County communities, as appointed by local juvenile court.

5. “Titanic” at the Apollo: The 1912 exhibit at the Bureau County History Center Museum, featuring “Nellie Becker, A Titanic Story,” will be on display through December. Collaborating on the presentation, the Apollo Theater, 455 S. Main St., Princeton, will present the 1997 movie “Titanic” at 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets range from $12 to $15, including popcorn and drinks. The 1912 exhibit can be visited from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays (the last tour begins at 4:30 p.m.), 634 S. Pleasant St., Princeton. Four members of the Nellie Becker family survived the Titanic disaster and later lived in Princeton.

Would you like your event highlighted in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Illinois Valley’s community calendar at shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/local-events.