The Great Chicago Fire at 150

Riverside Public Library and the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library invite you to mark the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire by viewing “The Essential Chicago Fire” by William Pack, an on-demand video available Oct. 1 through Oct. 17.

Pack weaves together technical details of the fire with vivid firsthand accounts from those who lived through the two-day conflagration of 1871, which destroyed a large section of the city.

Register at brookfield.evanced.info/signup or riversidelibrary.libcal.com/calendar to receive a YouTube link to the video.

STEAM Fest at Brookfield Library

Explore and engage with the many facets of STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics – during the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library’s 4th Annual STEAM Fest on Saturday. Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library, 3541 Park Ave.

Drop by and enjoy animal exhibits, art experiences, tech demonstrations and an engineering challenge. Free event for all ages. Activities will be held throughout the library.

For additional information call 708-485-6917 or visit online.

Tax Fairness Town Hall

State Rep. LaShawn Ford, who represents North Riverside, will host a virtual 8th District Tax Fairness Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The special presentation, which will be held via Zoom, will include Ford, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, data analyst Eric Langowski and Philip Griffin, chairman of the 8th District Tax Fairness Task Force.

The event will focus on the assessment process, particularly in the 8th District, and the problems it is causing throughout the community.

You can submit questions to 8thtaxfairness@gmail.com. Join the Zoom meeting at here.

Ancestry Help Desk

Curious about your family tree? North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., invites you to stop in any Friday between 2 and 6 p.m. through November for their Ancestry Help Desk to help discover your story.

Librarians will help you piece together the leaves of your family tree and maybe even find some photographs or news articles. Leave a legacy for your friends and family by recording your findings and printing copies to keep or hand down.

Registration preferred to guarantee an appointment. Call 708-447-0869 or visit online.

Hollywood’s first canine stars

The Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library invites you to join movie historian Kelli Marshall of Chicago Movie Tours as she discusses the first onscreen dogs and walks you virtually through Illinois oldest pet cemetery while defining the “cinema of attraction” and considering Hollywood’s response to animal protection during “Movie Dogs and Chicago’s Oldest Pet Cemetery,” a Zoom program on Monday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. Register online.

And more

  • The Brookfield Chamber of Commerce continues its 60-to-Win raffle drawings every Thursday through Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. at Joe’s Saloon, 9220 47th St. in Brookfield. You can also watch a livestream on the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce Facebook page (facebook.com/BrookfieldIllinois). Winners’ names will be posted each week at brookfieldchamber.net.
  • Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., hosts two exhibitions through Oct. 16. In the Freeark Gallery and Sculpture Garden there’s “Coded: Coated” featuring the work of Jonathan Castillo, Hannah Givler and Paul Somers. The FlexSpace Gallery hosts “Proposals and Speculations” featuring the work of Shir Ende and Lancer Livermont. Free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m.
  • Riverside Arts Center presents “Porcelain Utopia: Mid-Century Lustron Homes in Illinois and Beyond,” an exhibit of photographs by Dirk Fletcher in the lobby of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, through Dec. 31. Free. Open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • The Riverside Farmers Market continues every Wednesday from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Centennial Park, 10 Pine Ave., in downtown Riverside. Social distancing encouraged. Face coverings are required for those who are not vaccinated and no pets are allowed.
  • The Brookfield Farmers Market continues every Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave. for locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, baked goods and artisan ware. Live music and a picnic area. Social distancing is encouraged and face coverings are required for non-vaccinated guests.
  • North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., invites adults to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month during Crafterdarks: Traditional Florals on Canvas on Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. Paint bright florals while listening to traditional sounds of Mexico. There’s also Stretching & Meditation via conference call (800-747-5150, code 1453322) on Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

Kids ages 4-up can choose either in-person or Zoom attendance for Lapsit Storytime on Sept. 30 at 10:30 a.m., After School Art Escape on Sept. 30 at 3:30 p.m., ABCs and 123s on Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m., Story Safari on Oct. 6 at 10:30 a.m. and Builders Club 2.0 on Oct. 6 at 4 p.m.

Visit the North Riverside library’s online events calendar to register for all programs.

  • Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., invites you to Tips to Prevent Medicare Fraud with Miranda Davis, senior Medicare Patrol outreach specialist, via Zoom on Oct. 6 at 11 a.m.

Visit Brookfield library’s online events calendar to register for programs.

  • Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, invites you to Outdoor All-Ages Storytime on Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.; Friday Flix for teens in the Teen Room on Oct. 1 at 3:30 p.m.; First Saturday Storytime on Oct. 2 at 10 a.m.; Mini-Movers Storytime on Oct. 4 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; and Preschool/Kindergarten Storytime on Oct. 5 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Registration required.

Visit the Riverside library’s online events calendar to register for programs.

  • Riverside Chess Club, open to anyone age 5 through adult, meets in person each Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Guthrie Park, Riverside and Bloomingbank roads in downtown Riverside. Players of all levels welcome. Children under 7 require caregiver over 13. Email sean@riversidechessclub.org for more info.