5 things to do in the Illinois Valley: Let the Mardi Gras party begin in Utica

Shaw Local

1 - Celebrate Mardi Gras on Saturday in Utica. The annual Mardi Gras parade presented by the Utica Business Association is scheduled 5 p.m. in downtown Utica. The parade begins at the south end of town and concludes downtown.

Train cars for sale at M.D. Trains in Woodstock. The model train and die-cast car shop has been fixture on the Woodstock Square for a few years and draws visitors in to check out the rotating display of trains in the front window. — The Model Train Fair and Farm Toy Show will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W Peru St. in Princeton. (Gregory Shaver — gshaver@shawmedia.com/Gregory Shaver — gshaver@shawm)

2 - Check out model trains and toys Saturday in Princeton. The Model Train Fair and Farm Toy Show will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W Peru St. in Princeton. Adult admission is $5 and kids are free to enter. There will be a variety of train layouts for children to view, as well as all types of toys from new to antiques on display. For additional information, call 815-866-3606 after 5 p.m.

3 - Take in some acoustic music Sunday in Peru. An acoustic jam is set 1 to 3 p.m. at Music Suite 408, in the west wing of the Westclox building at U.S. 6 and Walnut Street, in Peru with facilitators, Michael and Lisa Templeton. Guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and bass players are welcome to jam. Everyone is welcome to attend and listen. A free will offering will be taken at the door. Light refreshments will be provided. Call ahead at 815-223-4408 to attend.

4 - Play trivia Saturday for a cause in La Salle. The Women Inspired Network is hosting trivia at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 209 Gooding St. Cost is $100 per table and up to eight players may participate. The event also will feature raffles, silent auction items, food and drinks. Doors open at 5 p.m. Call or text Beth with any questions at 309-824-5546. Online reservations can be made at www.winsrccf.org/events

5 - Enjoy a fun night of jazz Friday in Princeton. The Princeton High School Jazz Band will be hosting its third annual Swingin Sweets Swing Dance at 6:30 p.m. at the Princeton Moose Lodge, 1339 N. Euclid Ave. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with a swing dance lesson at 7 p.m.. Two sets of music will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to The Times, NewsTribune or Bureau County Republican’s community calendar at starvedrockcountry.com/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature.