Poetry, artistry and kayaking all part of the week’s fun

The following is a list of current events and upcoming activities going on in the Sauk Valley. Don’t forget to check out 5 Things To Do for other opportunities.

Do you have information on an upcoming event or attraction? Be sure to let us know. Submit information for Sauk Valley Media’s weekly calendar to news@saukvalley.com. Include a contact person and phone number.

This week

Poets Beth McDermott and John Bradley will have a poetry reading from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Books on First, 202 W. First St., Dixon. McDermott and Bradley will be reading poems from their most recent poetry collections, “Figure 1″ by Beth McDermott and “Hotel Montparnasse: Letters to César Vallejo” by John Bradley.

Vincent by Leonard Nimoy, a one-man stage play about the great artist Vincent Van Gogh through the eyes of his brother, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and May 19-21. Dixon Stage Left, 306 W First St, Dixon

Train Day at Dillon Home Museum, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1005 E. Third St., Sterling. Caboose will be open. Souvenirs available.

Launch and Lunch, kayaking and canoe event, 12:30 p.m., Saturday. Lock 21 campground, Wyanet boat launch, Hennepin Canal State Park. $20 donation.

Plant Sale, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Mount Carroll Farmers Market.

The Chick Thing, outdoor vendors, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Vintage Chicks and Feed, Leaf River.

Friends of the Windmill plant sale, 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Cattail Park, Fulton.

Upcoming

Music

Dixon City Market, At the Riverfront, Dixon

Burn N Bush, 5 p.m. June 1

Bobbi White and Co., 5 p.m., June 8

The Lone Canary, 5 p.m. June 15

Andrew Robinson, 5 p.m., June 22

That Gurl, 5 p.m., July 13

Kayla Seeber Music, 5 p.m., July 20

Espinosa and Coffey, 5 p.m., July 27

The Midnight Purchase, 5 p.m. Aug. 3

Downtown Rhythm Kings, 5 p.m., Aug. 10

Minimal, 5 p.m. Aug. 17

Lizzi Neal Trio, 5 p.m., Aug. 24

Ethan Bell, 5 p.m., Aug. 31

Music at the Square, John Dixon Park, Dixon

Kathy Cecchetti and Acoustic Circus, 5:30 p.m., June 3

Pat Jones Acoustic Assassin, 5:30 p.m., June 10

Jay Vonn, 5:30 p.m., June 17

Fred and Ginger, 5:30 p.m., June 24

Todd Lorenc, 5:30 p.m., July 8

Alex Fischbach, 5:30 p.m., July 15

Lojo Russo, 5:30 p.m., July 22

Leo Fron, 5:30 p.m., July 29

Shaylyn O’Laughlin, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 5

New Shoes, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 12

Backlash, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 19

Mark Hobbs, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 26

The Belle Rangers, 5:30 p.m., Sept. 2

Books on First, 202 W. First St., Dixon.

Lowell Harp and Friends, 6:30 p.m., May 21.

Clinton Symphony Orchestra.

“A Symphonic Affair” fundraiser, 6 p.m. June 4 at Rastrelli’s Tuscany Room, 238 Main Ave., Clinton, Iowa. Tickets $50, $360 table for eight. Reserve at 563-357-4758 or at clintonsymphony.org.

Riverfront Pops concert, 6:30 p.m. June 5, Riverview Park, 303 Riverview Drive, Clinton. Admission free. Children’s activities start at 5:30 p.m.

Jam Session, 7 p.m. every Thursday, American Legion Post 902, 712 Fourth Ave., Rock Falls.

Rosbrook Studio Second Saturday Open Mic, signup at 6 p.m., performances 7 to 11 p.m., 107 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon. $3 suggested donation.

The First Fridays Open Mic, K’s Sports Bar, 408 East Washington (Route 64) in Oregon. Admission is free, although a jar is available for donations. Sign-up for performers is at 6:45. For information, call 815-449-2660.

Coronado Performing Arts Center, Rockford. Travis Tritt, June 12. 81-968-5222.

Theater productions

Historic Dixon Theatre

Tickets are on sale for the following shows at Historic Dixon Theatre, 114 S. Galena Ave. Go to dixontheatre.com/events/ for tickets or more information.

Million Dollar Quartet, 7:30 p.m. May 26.

Menopause the Musical, Sept. 28-29.

Forever Young, Oct. 7.

ABBA Mania, Oct. 16.

Paul Childers, Oct. 22.

Yesterday: A Beatles Tribute Endorsed by Sir Paul McCartney, Nov. 5.

Annie Jr., Nov. 18-19.

Cinderella (A community theater production), Dec. 9-11.

The Prophecy Show: The Music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dec. 30.

Motor City: the Motown Revue, Jan. 14.

Still Collins, Jan. 28.

Shanghai Circus, Feb. 24.

Doug Allen Nash, March 11.

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff, March 24.

Head East, April 7.

Adventures of Tortoise and the Hair Next Generation, April 23, 2023

The Machine: The Music of Pink Floyd, April 28, 2023

Under the Street Lamp, May 13, 2023

Illusionist Mike Super, May 27, 2023

Dixon Stage Left, 306 W First St, Dixon

Vincent by Leonard Nimoy, 7:30 p.m. May 19-21.

Timber Lake Playhouse, 8215 Black Oak Road, Mount Carroll.

Escape To Margaritaville. June 2-12

Lend Me A Tenor, June 16-26

Annie, June 30-July 10

Legally Blonde, July 14-24

Nunsense, July 28-Aug. 7

We Will Rock You, Aug. 11-31

Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Sept. 8-18

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, Dec. 1-11

Performing Arts Guild, “The One Act Play That Goes Wrong,” May 13-15, May 20-22, Pinecrest Grove Theatre, 500 Evergreen Lane, Mt. Morris. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Call 815-734-2103. Tickets are $15 and are available online at performingartsguild.com.

Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, 303 Riverview Drive, Clinton, Iowa. Call 563-242-6760 or email boxoffice@showboat.org

Sister Act, June 2, June 4-12.

Calendar Girls, June 16-26.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair, June 30, July 2-17.

The Wedding Singer, July 21-31.

The World Goes ‘Round, Aug. 4, Aug. 6-14.

Morrison Music Theater Association, performances at Morrison Institute of Technology auditorium.

Steel Magnolias, 7 p.m. June 3 and 4, 2 p.m. June 5. Tickets $10.

White Pines Lodge, Ogle County. Elvis Through the Years, 11:20 a.m. May 18-19. Tickets $41-$51

Performing Arts Guild. “The One Act Play That Goes Wrong” will perform 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday May 20-22 at Pinecrest Grove Theatre, 500 Evergreen Lane, Mt. Morris. For information, call 815-734-2103. Tickets are $15 and are available online at performingartsguild.com.

Art exhibits

KSB Commerce Towers, 215 E. First St., Dixon. At the Water’s Edge, an art gallery on the importance of water. Presented by The Next Picture Show.

The Next Picture Show, 113 W. First St., Dixon.

38th Illinois Watercolor Society National Exhibit. April 30-May 28. 60 original works from artists from across the country. Jurors selection show will be 1 p.m. Saturday. Information: 815-285-4924.

Art in a Bottle, 7 p.m. Friday, May 20. Wine tasting fundraiser, onsite expertise provided by Dalibor Brkovic of Winebrow Fine Wines and Spirits. Tickets $75. Cocktail attire. 815-285-4924. Silent auction. Music by Carol Brown.

Markets

Twin City Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, year-round indoors and out; 106 Avenue A in Sterling, 815-626-8610, twincitycarmersmarket.com and Facebook.

Chana Route 64 Auction Barn Inc. auction, 10 a.m. (first and third) Sunday; flea market, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (second and fourth) Saturday and Sunday at 620 S. Stone Hill Road. Find Chana Auction Barn on Facebook or call 815-830-3898 for more information. Contact Market Manager Robin at 815-973-0728 for details.

Byron Museum of History, spring markets for Sunshine Park vendors, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 14.

Museums, exhibits and attractions

Loveland History Museum, 9 a.m. -2 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Loveland Community House, 513 W. Second St., Dixon; free; lovelandcommunityhouse.org or 815-284-2741.

Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7071 Riverview Road, Thomson. Call 815-273-2732.

Reagan Boyhood Home, 810 S Hennepin Ave, Dixon, March 29 to Dec. 17, is open for tours Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the last tour leaving at 3 p.m.

Northwest Territory Historic Center, 205 West Fifth St. Dixon, open 9 a.m - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Ronald Reagan Birthplace/Museum, 111 Main Street, Tampico., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday (Except Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day). 815-622-8705.

Byron Museum of History. Permanent museum exhibits include; Agriculture Then and Now, Underground Railroad, Local Veterans, Byron Business, Outhouses, Trains, and A.G. Spalding. Open Wednesday-Saturday 10:00 to 3:00, located at 110 North Union Street, Byron.

Havencrest Castle, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends in May, 140 N. Fifth St., Savanna. $25 general admission.

Special interest

Dixon Coin Club, 7 p.m., first Tuesday, American Legion, 1120 W. First St., Dixon.

Oregon Ganymedes Vintage Base Ball Club, Chana School Museum, 201 North River Road, Oregon. Schedule: Games begin at 1 p.m. May 15 vs. McLean County Prairie Chickens, May 28 vs. Canton (Mich.) Cornshuckers, June 26 DuPage County Plowboys, July 10 Creston Regulators and Lemont Quarrymen.

Information on events and attractions for Sauk Valley Media’s weekly calendar should be submitted to news@saukvalley.com. Include a contact person and phone number.