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1. Shop local at DeKalb’s Back Alley Market on Saturday
Kick off the weekend shopping local in DeKalb, with the latest Back Alley Market offering a a variety of vendors featuring items from artists to natural health and everything in between. Vendors will be selling vintage, retro, hand-crafted items, oils, lotions, jewelry, clothing, re-purposed and upcycled items, with music, drinks, food and more.
For information, go to www.facebook.com/events/1752740754912561
2. Celebrate community at the first annual DeKalb County Culture Celebration at Hopkins Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday near the Dee Palmer Band Shell.
The free festival is open to all in the community, anyone who wants to learn more about their neighbors and embrace the different cultures that make DeKalb unique.
A live music lineup at the bandshell will feature the Klong Yao Thai Music Ensemble, Mira Silva, Arcomusical, Northern Illinois University’s Banda group, and the Northern Black Choir.
DJ Toxic with Behind the Beats Productions will also play music from around the world throughout the day.
Jerk Fuzion will offer Jamaican cuisine from 1 to 6 p.m., and a variety of cultural booths will be on hand to help participants learn more, including: the Northern Illinois University Latino Resource Center, DeKalb Public Library, NIU Bangladeshi Students, NIU Muslim Student Association, Belonging DeKalb, NIU Center for Black Studies and NIU Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
3. Unity Walk at Northern Illinois University at 5 p.m. Tuesday in MLK Commons
NIU’s Unity Walk is back for its seventh year, falling on the International Day of Peace and near the one-year anniversary of the Belonging initiative.
Parking is free after 4:30 p.m. in several areas of campus, including the Visitor Lot, Parking Garage and Campus Life Building. Following remarks at 5:15 p.m., the walk will proceed at 5:45 p.m. on Normal Drive to Lucinda Avenue through Greenbriar and back to MLK Commons.
For information, go to https://www.niutoday.info/2021/09/13/nius-unity-walk-is-back-to-promote-belonging-on-day-of-peace/
4. Tails Humane Society Mutt Strut fundraiser on Sunday
Mutt Strut is a dog-friendly 5K run/walk-a-thon benefiting more than 3,300 animals cared for each year at Tails Humane Society. Tails is 100% donor and service-fee funded.
To participate in person, gather at Hopkins Park on Sunday to run or walk the 5K. For virtual participants, runners or walkers can do the 5K until Sunday. Dog participation is encouraged.
For information, go to: www.tailshumanesociety.org/mutt-strut2021/
5. Superhero Challenge at 4 p.m. Sunday in Sycamore
Three races, broken down by grade, will have age-appropriate distances with brain challenges and obstacles to figure out along the way. All racers receive a strong sense of accomplishment. This will be a cross-country style event, rain or shine.
Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders will do a half mile, and second through fifth graders will do 1 mile.
Participation costs $12 for residents, $15 for nonresidents. For information, go to www.sycamoreparkdistrict.com/superhero-challenge/
Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Daily Chronicle’s community calendar at https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature. Submissions to the community calendar are also printed in the Thursday edition of the Daily Chronicle.