5 Things to do in the Sauk Valley: Trivia, spelling bee, games and symphony

Put your thinking caps on. There’s a spelling bee, a trivia contest and family game night all in the offering for this week’s 5 Things to do in the Sauk Valley. You can also check out the symphony or a presentation on Catholic relics.

1 On your mark, get set, spell! The Regional Spelling Bee for Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties will be 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at Dixon High School’s James A. Wiltz Auditorium. An expected field of 31 students of elementary and middle school age will compete having advanced through earlier qualifiers at local schools. The winner gets an expense-paid trip to National Harbor, Maryland, for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. Prizes include Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Amazon.com gift cards, 2023 United States Mint Proof Set, Encyclopedia Britannica online subscription, medals, and pins.

2 Brain game. The third Al Morrison Trivia Night with dinner, auction and raffle will be 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Dixon Elks Lodge 779, 1279 Franklin Grove Road in Dixon. The event supports the Al Morrison Memorial Baseball League for area youth, now in its 56th year. A table of 8 is $250. Call 815-440-1481 for availability.

3 Notable fables. The Clinton Symphony Orchestra’s family concert “Stories in Music” will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Morrison High School Auditorium. The program is designed to appeal to young musicians and will feature a performance of Mozart’s Concerto in G Major for Flute and Orchestra by Ashkar Barot, a junior flutist at Rock Falls High School who won the annual Young Artist Audition. The program includes “Dinosaurs: A Primeval Symphony” by contemporary composer Curtis Bryant, which was written at the behest of his son. Karl Wolf of Clinton will narrate Aesop’s Fables to a composition by Richard Maltz. Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 is also on the program. Admission is free for students; $20 or half-off for adults accompanied by a student.

4 Playing pieces. The inaugural Family Game Night will be 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Northland Mall in Sterling. Among the attractions will be a “hot lava” course, giant Jenga blocks, giant bowling, and board games. Arcade machines at Bugsy’s will be half price.

5. Miracle moments. The Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World will be on display at St. Mary Parish Center, Bales Hall, 600 Avenue B, Sterling. The exhibit is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19. Presentations throughout the day. Spanish-language translations available.

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