Big Week | March 9-16

The fight for women’s suffrage

Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, invites you to join the American Association of University Women and Lori Osborn, director of the Frances Willard House, for “Illinois Women: The Fight for the Vote” on March 15 at 7 p.m.

The program is being conducted in person and virtually. Register to attend by visiting online.

Active Senior Expo

Active Senior Expo will be held on Wednesday, March 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Countryside, 6201 Joliet Road in Countryside.

The event features hundreds of products and services specifically for senior citizens, including health care, retirement communities, assisted living, financial and estate planning, insurance, home care, travel government programs and more. There will also be free health screenings, door prizes and live entertainment.

No registration required. Admission is $2 but free admission coupons are widely available and can be obtained by visiting activeseniorexpo.net Free parking.

‘All Gershwin’ concert

Riverside resident and longtime School District 96 music teacher Patricia Goyette-Gill will be among those performing during an “All Gershwin” concert on Monday, March 14 at 1:15 p.m. at the Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave. in Oak Park.

The concert, which can be attended both in person and virtually, is presented in partnership with the Lyric Opera of Chicago Chapters’ Executive Board and features an abridged “Rhapsody in Blue,” selections from Gershwin’s “The American Songbook” and more.

A $15 donation is requested of non-members. Visit online for more info.

Saving the Blanding’s turtle

The Chicago Zoological Society kicks off its virtual spring lecture series on March 9 at 7 p.m. with “Blanding’s Turtle Conservation at Brookfield Zoo.”

Join Andy Snider, curator of herpetology and aquatics for CZS, to learn about conservation efforts including breeding initiatives and care for young hatchlings to combat the loss of the endangered turtle population in local forest preserves. There will be a Q&A after the presentation.

Lectures are free, though a $10 donation is appreciated. Visit CZS.org/LectureSeries to register.

And more

• Nazareth Academy, 1209 Ogden Ave. in LaGrange Park, invites you to the school’s Spring Choir Concert on March 15 at 7 p.m. in the Alexine Chapel. The concert features performances of secular and sacred pieces. Free and open to the public.
• Throughout March, the Riverside Department of Parks and Recreation is collecting pop-tabs outside its headquarters at 43 E. Quincy St. They will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The box will be out front from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• AARP Tax Aid is back at Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, and the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., to provide free tax assistance for those 60 and older. Volunteers will be at the Riverside Public Library on Wednesdays through April 6 and at the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library on Fridays through April 8. You must register for appointments in person at the respective libraries.
• Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents “Unseen Things Are Still Here” featuring the work of Alexandra Antoine, J.B. Daniel, Kate Ingold, Esau McGhee and Elsa Munoz in the Freeark Gallery and outdoor Sculpture Garden through April 9. “The Bigger the Fear and Despair …” a two-person show featuring the work of Mayumi Lake and Stacia Yeapanis is in the FlexSpace Gallery through March 19. Proof of vaccine required. Hours are Thursday-Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.
• North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., and Age Options present the virtual program Crafternoons: Rock Painting Garden Markers on March 12 at 1:30 p.m.

Teen Services invites kids in grades 6-12 to DIY Hot Cocoa or Bath Bombs in the Teen Spot on March 12 at 1:30 p.m.

Kids ages 4-up can participate in the programs Lapsit Storytime (Zoom only) on March 10 at 10:30 a.m.; After School Art Escape (in person or Zoom) on March 10 at 3:30 p.m.; ABCs and 123s (Zoom only) on March 14 at 10:30 a.m.; and Story Safari (Zoom only) on March 16 at 10:30 a.m.

Register for programs at northriversidelibrary.org/events-new.

• Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., invites you to Chair Yoga via Zoom on March 10 at 11 a.m.; Yoga Storytime (ages 2-5) on March 11 at 1 p.m.; Maker Studio 101 (adults/teens) on March 12 at 3 p.m.; and Start & Grow Your Business with the Library on March 15 at 7 p.m.

Call 708-485-6917 or visit brookfield.evanced.info/signup to register for programs.

• Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, invites you to meditate during Mindfulness Together (in person or Zoom) on March 11 at noon; visit a Riverside Township Community Resource Center Open House on March 12 from 9:30 a.m. to noon; and attend a Medicare Information Seminar on March 12 at 10 a.m.

  For kids there’s Friday Storytime for all ages in the Program Room on March 11 at 10 a.m.; Friday Flix for teens on March 11 at 3:30 p.m.; Weekend Crafts all day on March 12 and 13; Mini-Movers Storytime on March 14 at 9:30 a.m. 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; All Ages Storytime on March 15 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; and After School DIY for teens on March 16 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Visit riversidelibrary.libcal.com/calendar.

• Through March 25, the Lyons Township High School South Campus Fieldhouse indoor track, 4900 S. Willow Springs Road in Western Springs, will be open to the public from 6 to 7 a.m. on days LTHS is in session. There is no admission charge or fee to use the track. Please bring an ID and be prepared to sign in.
• The Brookfield Elks Lodge, 9022 31st St., hosts bingo the second Sunday of every month. Doors open at 1 p.m. and games start at 2 p.m. with cash payouts. The next date is March 13.