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1. Taco Throwdown Festival: Rock Falls Tourism’s newest event, the Taco Throwdown Festival, will be from 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the RB&W District, 201 E. Second St., Rock Falls. Part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, the Taco Throwdown Festival will include a friendly competition among food vendors to see who has the best taco, as selected by those attending the festival. Attendees will buy a $2 sample taco from each participating vendor, then vote for their favorite. The vendor with the most votes will win $100 in cash, a trophy and bragging rights. How about a taco-eating contest? Ten participants will compete to see who can be the first to eat 20 tacos. The contest will begin at 6 p.m. Those wishing to enter the contest can sign up at Rock Falls Tourism, 603 W. 10th St. The entry fee is $20. The winner will get $100 in cash and a trophy. ZOWA Live wrestling will be bringing its ring and Lucha Libres. This will be the first live outdoor wrestling match at the RB&W District. The bell rings at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ringside seating will be available at $10 each seat per show. Limited seats are available. Reserve your ringside seats at Rock Falls Tourism’s office. From 8 to 10 p.m., Pelon’s Music DJ will play tunes to get the crowd up and dancing on the RB&W District dance floor.
2. Alpaca Farm Days: Alpaca business owners throughout North America on Sept. 28 and 29 will celebrate the 18th annual National Alpaca Farm Days, among them an alpaca farm just west of Morrison. The Alpaca Owners Association is inviting people to visit participating member farms and ranches during the safe, fun-filled family event. Alpaca owners will welcome the public to meet their alpacas. Attendees will learn more about these inquisitive, unique animals; the luxury fiber they produce; and why the alpaca business is perfect for environmentally conscious individuals, according to a news release. Kalmar Kolors Alpacas, located 6 miles west of Morrison along Route 30, is listed among the alpaca farms that will be open to visitors during the weekend. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, according to the Alpaca Owners Association website. For a complete list of participating farms and ranches, visit www.AlpacaFarmDays.com.
3. Oakwood Cemetery Walk: Voices from beyond the grave will rise at the Oakwood Cemetery Walk on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 416 S. Dement Ave. in Dixon. From 1 to 3 p.m., visitors can follow along the cemetery grounds, where volunteer presenters will tell tales of interesting figures buried in the cemetery. Tours of the Oakwood Memorial Mausoleum, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, also will be available, along with refreshments for sale. The event is free and open to the public; however, a $5 donation is encouraged. The Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society is hosting the event. For more information, contact the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society at 815-284-1134.
4. A Visit from Will Dilg: Timber Lake Playhouse, in partnership with the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge, the city of Savanna League of Women’s Voters and the Izaak Walton League, will present Steven Marking and his performance of “A Visit from Will Dilg” and scenes from “Our Mighty Mississippi” on Oct. 6. The show will begin at 2 p.m. at Timber Lake Playhouse, 8215 Black Oak Road, Mount Carroll. Tickets are $25. Marking plays Dilg in an inspiring one-man stage production titled “A Visit From Will Dilg.” After suffering from the drowning death of his only son in the early 1920s, Dilg rose from the depths of depression to lead an extraordinary national crusade by forming the Izaak Walton League. Then, with the support of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of America, they saved a 261-mile stretch of Mississippi River backwaters from drainage for agriculture by forming a great national preserve, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Tickets are available at timberlakeplayhouse.org.
5. Treat Street Parade and Palooza: This Dixon tradition returns Saturday, Oct. 26. The parade will begin and end at Haymarket Square, 317 W. Third St., and Treat Street will continue with a trunk-and-treat event at KSB Town Square Centre, 102 S. Hennepin Ave., and treats at participating downtown businesses. The parade will begin at 9:20 a.m. Treat Street/trunk-and-treat will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Find “Treat Street Parade & Palooza” under the “Events” dropdown at discoverdixon.com or call 815-284-3361 for more information.
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