July 02, 2024
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The Scene

Local Scene: Joliet’s Ye Olde May Fest

Here are 5 things to do this weekend

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
Actors perform in “Coriolanus," a lesser known Shakespeare tragedy, on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet. The final performance of “Coriolanus” – this year’s featured work at the third annual Shakespeare & Art in the Park – will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet.

Actors perform in “Coriolanus," a lesser known Shakespeare tragedy, on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet. This year's performance will be "The Merry Wives of Windsor" at this Saturday and Sunday's Ye Olde May Fest event. (Denise Unland)

1. Poet Laureate Public Reading: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Joliet Area Historical Museum auditorium, 204 N. Ottawa St., Joliet. Finalists for Joliet’s First Poet Laureate will present their original work. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit joliet.gov.

2. Joliet Public Schools District 86 Student Art Show: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Friday, Isaac Singleton Elementary, 1451 Copperfield Ave., Joliet, and Gompers Junior High, 1501 Copperfield Ave., Joliet. The schools will be transformed into an art gallery showcasing 1,400 pieces of student from all District 86 elementary and junior high schools. Music will be provided by the District 86. All City Mariachi Band, All City Jazz Band, Hufford Honors Orchestra, Hufford Jazz Band and the Washington Jazz Band. Notecards, highlighting one piece of student artwork from each District 86 school, will be available to purchase. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit joliet86.org.

3. Ye Olde May Fest: 11a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre, 201 W. Jefferson St., Joliet. Performance of William Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor.” Other features include treasure hunts, talented artists and sellers of wares, roaming peasants and nobles, games, actual maypole, minstrels, parade of royalty, crowning of wee kings and queens, children’s tent with create-and-take, festive food and refreshments. Free parking and admission. For more information, visit bicentennialpark.org or call 815-724-3761.

4. A Walk Thru Time Living History Timeline Event: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Will County Heritage Village Open Air Museum, 249 W. 2nd St., Lockport. Meet reenactors and living historians portraying time periods from the Roman Empire the World War II. Explore our original 19th century buildings that have been saved, preserved, and relocated from around Will County. For more information, willhistory.org/heritage-village.

5. Bark in the Park: 10 a.m. to noon, Sunday, Walker Country Estates Park, New Lenox. Features include pet vendors and activities and best trick and costume contests. All dogs must be kept on a leash. The last call for contest sign-ups is 11 a.m. For more information, visit newlenoxparks.org.

• Would you like your event highlighted in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Herald-News’ community calendar at shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/local-events.

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Denise Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland is the features editor for The Herald-News in Joliet. She covers a variety of human interest stories. She also writes the long-time weekly tribute feature “An Extraordinary Life about local people who have died. She studied journalism at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, now the University of St. Francis.