Live music galore

Music lovers have their pick of outdoor concerts to enjoy this week, with North Riverside, Brookfield and the Brookfield Zoo each hosting bands sure to get your toes tapping.

On July 14 from 7 to 9 p.m., The Jolly Ringwalds will pump out hits from the 1980s from the gazebo stage of the North Riverside Village Commons, 2401 Desplaines Ave.

Free admission but no outside food/drink. Concessions available. Concert held inside if there’s rain.

On July 15 you can head over to the band shell at Kiwanis Park, Arden and Brookfield avenues in Brookfield, to catch the Motown, funk and soul sounds of Second Hand Soul at 7 p.m. Also free, and you are welcome to bring picnic items.

Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., continues its Twilight Tunes series on July 15 with Sixteen Candles, also a tribute to the 1980s, and on July 16 with the Beatles tribute band American English.

Bands take the stage at 7 p.m. on the zoo’s East Mall. Twilight Tunes is a limited-capacity event and concert tickets (in addition to zoo general admission and parking) are required. Visit CZS.org/TwilightTunes to purchase concert tickets.

Read to the dogs

Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, invites kids in first through third grades to work on their reading skills during Read to the Dogs on July 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room.

Dogs from PAWsitive Therapy Troupe will be at the library and ready to listen. Kids can register for a 10-minute time slot in person only at the library.

Visit riversidelibrary.org for more info.

Next Door Nature

Are dandelions on your grocery list? If not, swing by the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., on July 16 at 11 a.m. for Next Door Nature in the Storytime Room.

Many animals and humans find their food outside, and folks from Brookfield Zoo will help you discover the unexpected places our wildlife neighbors – and people – find food.

The program is open to all ages. Register to attend by calling 708-485-6917, ext. 130 or at brookfield.evanced.info/signup.

Zoo photo contest returns

After a seven-year hiatus, the Brookfield Zoo Photo Contest is back – and it’s going digital.

Photo submissions (color or black-and-white) must feature an animal or animals and do not have to be taken at Brookfield Zoo. Photos with people disqualified. Entries must be JPG/JPEG at a minimum resolution of 3,600-by-2,700 pixels and a maximum file size of 24MB. One entry per person.

All entries, with completed contest form, must be received by Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. CDT. Grand prize is a Zoo Family Plus membership, Penguin Encounter for two, an original painting by Leo the red panda and a $100 zoo gift certificate.

For rules and entry form, visit CZS.org/2022PhotoContest.

And more

  • Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents the RAC Members Exhibition in the Freeark gallery and the RAC Kids Show in the FlexSpace Gallery through July 30. There’s also “Endless,” featuring the work of Darrell Roberts, in the outdoor Sculpture Garden from July 10 through Oct. 29. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. Visit riversideartscenter.com for more.
  • The Riverside Farmers Market operates each Wednesday through Oct. 5 from 2:30 to 7 p.m. in Centennial Park, at Forest Avenue and Longcommon Road. The Brookfield Farmers Market returns every Saturday through Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave.
  • North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., invites you to make an appointment to visit the Ancestry Help Desk on July 15 between 2 and 6 p.m. There’s also Stretching and Meditation via conference call (312-626-6799, code 777067) on July 18 at 6:30 p.m. and Parking Lot Bingo & Loteria (all ages) in English and Spanish on July 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. Register for programs online.
  • Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., presents Chair Yoga (virtual) on July 14 at 11 a.m.; Fairy Tale Storytime (ages 4-5) on July 14 at 10:30 a.m.; Take Charge of Your Health (seniors) on July 14 at 1 p.m.; Senior Technology Fair on July 19 from 6 to 8 p.m.; Art Therapy for Seniors in the Maker Studio on July 20 at 11 a.m.; and a Medicare Information Seminar on July 20 at 6:30 p.m. Call 708-485-6917 or visit online to register for programs.
  • Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, invites you to Bingo (youth) in the Community Room on July 14 at 11 a.m.; All Ages Outdoor Storytime on July 15 at 10 a.m.; Storytime in the Community Garden (400 Nuttall Road, all ages) on July 19 at 9 a.m.; and a Riverside Reads discussion of “Norwegian by Night” by Derek B. Miller on July 19 at 2:30 p.m.in the Community Room. To register for programs visit online.
  •  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.