March 07, 2025
5 Things to DoDiningMusicComedyFestivalsEventsTheatreCalendar
The Scene

5 Things to Do: Michael Jackson tribute, Irish music, theater, glassware, women’s history, art on tap

By 5 Things to Do in DuPage and Cook Counties
snapshots.mysuburbanlife.com/952511 Staff photo by Mark Busch Irish-born tenor Gavin Coyle with his guitar at St. Petronille in Glen Ellyn where he teaches music at the school.

Irish-born vocalist Gavin Coyle will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 13 in Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove. (Mark Busch file photo)

  1. Gavin Coyle adds Irish lilt to lineup: Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove infuses the week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day with events including a performance at 7:30 p.m. March 13 by Gavin Coyle, an Irish-born vocalist who won the title of All-Ireland Singing Champion at age 14. On St. Patrick’s Day, the Ballydoyle celebration starts at 8 a.m. March 17, with doors opening for Kegs & Eggs and entertainment continuing until 9:15 p.m. at 5157 Main St. The fun features Irish dancers, bagpipers and bands. ballydoylepub.com
  2. “It’s Only a Play” and Michael Jackson tribute: The theater department at the College of DuPage will stage the Terrence McNally play from March 6-23 with curtain at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Plot points: It’s opening night of “The Golden Egg” on Broadway and playwright Peter Austin eagerly waits to see if his new show is a hit. With his career on the line, he shares his big night with his best friend, a TV star, a wealthy, novice producer, new-in-town diva, his genius director, a lethal drama critic and a fresh-off-the-bus, coat-check attendant. The play contains adult language. “The Michael Jackson HIStory Show” hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 15, featuring Garth Field. Performances are in COD’s McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Early ticket buying is recommended. atthemac.org
  3. “We Are Women” art exhibit: It will celebrate Women’s History Month at various sites. In partnership with the DuPage Art League and the city of Wheaton’s Community Relations Commission, downtown Wheaton businesses will display artwork by local female artists at some of the businesses owned or managed by women. The 30 participating sites are highlighted online. Also happening all month is the Spring Scavenger Hunt, offered in partnership with the Wheaton Public Library for a chance to win a $20 Downtown Wheaton gift certificate. DowntownWheaton.com/events
  4. The 52nd annual Glass Show & Sale: Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 8 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 9, it’s in a new location this year, the Holiday Inn Chicago SW-Countryside Conference Center, 6201 Joliet Road, Countryside. A pre-sale is offered from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday. More than two dozen dealers offer primarily American glassware, pottery and utensils, including Depression and mid-20th-century modern glass. People can attend presentations, have glassware identified or bring in glassware to Mary Lou’s Crystal Repair. The event is presented by The 20-30-40 Glass Society of Illinois. 20-30-40glasssociety.org
  5. “World War II Women Spies”: The program begins at 2 p.m. March 8 in the Glen Ellyn History Center, 800 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn. Historian Kit Sergeant, author of “Marie-Madeline,” presents the program sponsored by the Glen Ellyn Historical Society. Nancy Wake, using the code name “The White Mouse,” and Marie-Madeleine Fourcade faced unimaginable odds. They guided hundreds of French Resistance agents through the treacherous landscape of wartime France while managing to (mostly) avoid the Gestapo. gehs.org

• Would you like your event highlighted in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to Suburban Life’s community calendar at shawlocal.com/my-suburban-life/local-events

The SceneEntertainmentDuPage CountyCook County5 Things to DoMusicTheaterArtsAntiques & CollectingShoppingLectureBooksSt. Patrick's DayHistoryWomenDowners GroveCollege of DuPageWheatonGlen EllynCountryside