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1. The Standard Jazz Project will perform Friday evening, April 1, as it does each month, at the Stage Left Cafe, 125 W. Van Buren St. in Woodstock.
The performances run from 8 to 10 p.m. usually on the first Friday of the month. In May, the show is set for May 13.
The group has been playing in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin since 2014, according to the website for the Woodstock Opera House, where the Stage Left Cafe is located.
They perform in a range of configurations that include female vocals, piano, bass, guitar, vibes, drums, trombone, saxophone and trumpet or flugelhorn. They play jazz standards from the 1940s through the ’70s, with a few surprises thrown in.
There is no cover charge, but donations are encouraged.
For information, go to woodstockoperahouse.com.
2. Get outside and take in the spring sights of the American woodcock performing its amazing courtship flight.
The McHenry County Audubon Society and The Land Conservancy of McHenry County offer two walks with the goal of catching a male woodcock making its calls before launching itself into the sky.
One walk will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Boloria Meadows Conservation Area, 7219 Millburne Court near Bull Valley, and the other will follow at 7 p.m. April 6, at the Hennen Conservation Area, 4622 Dean St. outside Woodstock.
Attendees of either walk should bring flashlights. Registration is not required, but RSVPs to Amanda Parrish at mcaudubon@gmail.com are encouraged.
3. The Spring Craft and Vendor Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Nunda Masonic building, 200 Ellsworth St. in Crystal Lake.
The event will include vendors selling jewelry, wooden signs, handmade pottery, floral items, handmade purses and bags, and quilted items. There also will be sales representatives from Thirty-One, Scentsy and Color Street. Admission is free.
4. The Raue Center For The Arts’ run of “Always … Patsy Cline” continues at its downtown location at 26 N. Williams St. in Crystal Lake.
Performances take place at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 16.
The musical is based on the true story of Patsy Cline’s friendship with Houston housewife and fan Louise Seger, and the pair’s pen pal relationship, which lasted until Cline’s untimely death in a plane crash in 1963.
“Always … Patsy Cline” is directed by Kevin Wiczer, with music direction by Bryan McCaffrey and choreography by Billy Seger, according to a news release. The cast includes Sarah Beth Tanner as Patsy Cline, and Michelle Tibble as Louise Seger.
Tickets cost $39.50, while RaueNOW members receive 30% off, and student discounts also are available. For information, go to rauecenter.org.
5. The McHenry Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4600 will host an Easter Eggstravaganza this Sunday, while Melody Living in Lake in the Hills will host an Easter egg hunt Saturday morning.
The Easter egg hunt at Melody Living, 525 Harvest Gate Road, is free and open to the public. The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon, with the egg hunt beginning at 10:30 a.m. for children from infancy to 10 years old.
There also will be a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny, games, music and an age-grouped egg hunt. For information, call 847-957-7070.
The VFW event, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the post, 3002 Route 120, will include a meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny with professional photos available.
Families should bring a basket for the egg hunt, and there also will be raffles and goodie bags. The event is sponsored by Barb Bloomfield and the VFW’s auxiliary.
Other opportunities to grab a photo with the Easter Bunny will be offered at Anderson’s Candy Shop, 10301 N. Main St. in Richmond.
The photos are free, but families need to bring their own cameras. They will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday in April leading up to Easter. That includes this weekend, next week and April 16, the Saturday before Easter.
The bunny does take a lunch break for about 20 minutes about noon, so families are asked to plan accordingly. Call the store at 888-214-7614 for information.
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