An Old-Time Radio Christmas
The Riverside Township Radio Players present their annual holiday show on Friday, Dec. 21 with a pair of Christmas-themed show re-creations from Radio’s Golden Age.
The troupe will start off with “Department Store Contest” from the classic comedy show “Our Miss Brooks.” That’ll be followed by the drama “Out for Christmas” from radio’s outstanding theater of thrills, “Suspense.”
The free performance starts at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road in Riverside.
For more information, visit riversidetownshipradioplayers.com.
Stuffed Animal Sleepover
See what your stuffed animals are up to when you’re not around courtesy of the North Riverside Public Library’s Stuffed Animal Sleepover and Breakfast Bash.
Kids ages 3 and up are invited to drop off a stuffed animal at the library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., by 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20. Then on the next morning, on Dec. 21, at 10:30 a.m. come back to be reunited with your stuffed pal at a breakfast bash, where you’ll see the antics the animals were up to all night.
If you are in grades 6-12, you can volunteer to “supervise” the Stuffed Animal Sleepover at a special lock-in event on Dec. 20 from 8 to 10 p.m., where you’ll help design and document the stuffed animals’ amazing adventures before recharging with pizza.
To register, call the library at 708-447-0869, in person at the Youth Services desk or online at www.northriversidelibrary.org/kids/youth-services-registration.
Pajama Extravaganza at Brookfield Library
Celebrate the season at a Holiday Family Pajama Extravaganza, a special after-hours night of holiday festivities at the Brookfield Public Library, 3609 Grand Blvd., on Friday, Dec. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
Enjoy stories, crafts, music and refreshments, and be sure to bring your list, because Santa Claus will be there.
Advance registration required at www.brookfieldlibrary.info or by phone at 708-485-6917. The free event is for all ages with adult.
Lions collecting unwanted lights
The Riverside Township Lions Club is collecting unwanted Christmas lights for recycling.
Working and non-working lights for both indoor and outdoor use can be dropped off at the Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, or the North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., during normal business hours through Jan. 15.
Lights will be forwarded to Lions Clubs International and eventually shredded and their parts sorted before being recycled into useful products. Proceeds benefit Lions Clubs International.
‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’
Plymouth Place, 315 N. LaGrange Road in LaGrange Park will host a screening of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” a movie dramatizing poet Dylan Thomas’ memories of Christmas from the viewpoint of a young boy and portraying a nostalgic, simpler time on Saturday, Dec. 22 at 7:15 p.m. in Dole Hall.
The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Call 708-354-0340 or email to rlopienski@plymouthplace.org.
And more
• Holiday Magic, the annual festival of lights at Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road in Brookfield, returns Dec. 22-23. The zoo is open each day of the event from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Come early and stay later for the festivities, which begin at 4 p.m. Guests should park in the north lot. Regular admission and parking fees apply. For more, visit www.CZS.org/HolidayMagic or call 708-688-8000.
• Santa’s mail box has been posted in front of the water tower, 10 Pine Ave., in downtown Riverside, which means it’s time for local children to write their lists and pop them in the mail box, so Santa receives them in time. Letters received by noon on Dec. 20 are guaranteed a response.
• Compassion Factory Art Gallery and Studio, 9210 Broadway Ave. in Brookfield, presents artwork by Heather Kadlec Stock and Don Mendenhall through Dec. 29. Free. Open Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and first Fridays from 7 to 10 p.m.
• Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents “While Here,” a solo exhibition of work by painter Kim Piotrowski as part of its Spotlight Exhibition series highlighting artists who are part of the RAC community through Jan. 5, and “We Are Beasts” featuring the work of Sarah and Joseph Belknap in the outdoor sculpture garden through December. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.
• Brookfield Public Library, 3609 Grand Blvd., presents Cutting the Cable Cord on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. Learn to access your favorite TV shows without a pricey cable bill. Register to attend by calling 708-485-6917 or visiting www.brookfieldlibrary.info.
• North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., hosts a Senior Drop-in on Dec. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Meeting Room. Play cards and socialize every Friday.
For kids, there’s Lapsit Storytime (toddlers thru 5) on Dec. 20 at 10:30 a.m. and Do-It-Yourself Craft Hour (grades 2+) on Dec. 21 at 4 p.m.
• The community is invited through March 22, 2019, to jog, walk or run inside on the indoor track at the Lyons Township High School South Campus fieldhouse, 4900 S. Willow Springs Road in Western Springs, from 6 to 7 a.m. on days when school is in session. Free.
• The Brookfield Elks Lodge, 9022 31st St., hosts bingo every Monday night. Doors open at 5 p.m. and games start at 7 p.m. minimum cash payout of $2,275 a night, plus pull tabs, lightning, tic-tac and raffles.
