Here are 24 things to do indoors and outdoors across the Rockford area this week
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — This weekend is filled with things to do both indoors and outdoors including plays, live music, nature-themed activities and comedy.
Here are two dozen ideas for things to do. Peruse through and find what’s right for you.
Dinner on the Dock
What: Dinner on the Dock this week features The Student Body, which plays high-energy party anthems with a look ripped straight from your high school yearbook pages.
When: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 11
Where: Prairie Street Brewing Co., 200 Prairie St., Rockford
Info and reservations: Go HERE
‘Legally Blonde’ at Starlight
What: Starlight Theatre presents “Legally Blonde,” the musical that follows Elle Woods on her journey from fashionista to legal scholar at Harvard.
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 10-Sunday, July 14
Where: The Bengt Sjostrom Theatre, also known as Starlight Theatre, 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford
Tickets: Go HERE
Rockford Rivets doubleheader
What: The Rockford Rivets play a double-header against the Madison Mallards.
When: 11:05 a.m. and 6:35 p.m. Thursday, July 11
Where: Rivets Stadium, 4503 Interstate Blvd., Loves Park
Info: Go HERE
Midtown Market
What: Rockford Midtown Market brings a variety of farm produce, food, music, crafts and activities to Midtown each Thursday.
When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 11
Where: Across the street from Katie’s Cup, 502 Seventh St., Rockford (in the Rockford Public Schools parking lot)
Online: rockfordmidtownmarket.com
Contact: rockfordmidtownmarket@gmail.com
Brat Days
What: Alpine Kiwanis Club will host its 53rd annual Brat Days, a fundraiser for local nonprofits and to provide scholarships to graduating high school seniors for post-secondary education and training.
Where: CherryVale Mall, 7200 Harrison Ave., Cherry Valley; Blain’s Farm & Fleet, 7300 E. Riverside Blvd. Loves Park
When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (Take Your Brat to Work goes from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday only at Blain’s Farm & Fleet. Breakfast brats are $4 each. Drive-thru only)
Cost: A meal is $8 in advance or $10 at the event.
Info/preorders: For preorders of 25 or more, call ahead to 815-200-9652.
For more information visit the Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days page on Facebook HERE.
Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts
What: Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts will perform in an outdoor concert to raise money for the Family Peace Center. There will also be food trucks, an outdoor grill and cash bar. Bring lawn chairs for seating.
Where: Rockford Country Club, 315 N. Main St., Rockford
When: 5 p.m. (gates open) Thursday, July 11, opening act begins at 6 p.m.
Cost: $25
Info: Go HERE
Music in the Park – Thunderstruck
What: Thunderstruck, an AC/DC tribute band, will headline this week’s Music in the Park outdoor summer concert series.
Where: Sinnissippi Music Shell, 1401 N. Second St., Rockford
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11
Cost: $5
Info: Go HERE
ByronFest
What: The three-day festival features music, magic, food, carnival rides and other activities and entertainment in downtown Byron. Singer Mackenzie Carpenter headlines the main stage on Friday night. Other performers include Audio Drive, Back Country Roads, Mike & Joe, Sheez-It, Blind Date and many others.
When: 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, July 12; 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday, July 13; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 14 (See a lineup of events HERE)
Where: Downtown Byron
Info/passes: byronfest.org
Rockford City Market
What: Rockford City Market features 70 vendors selling everything from food and drink to clothing and jewelry. This week’s main stage musical entertainment is Jon Bon Stamos. Cole Brandt performs on the acoustic stage.
Where: 100 N. Water St., Rockford
When: 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 12
Info: Go HERE
Music on the Mall
What: Music on the Mall is a free live music series at Edgebrook Shopping Center on Fridays during summer. This week’s entertainment is Dirty Fishnet Stockings, a high-energy rockabilly band.
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 12
Where: Edgebrook Shopping Center, 1639 N. Alpine Road, Rockford
Comedy at the Cantina
What: Fats Productions Presents is celebrating its 10th anniversary with back-to-back nights of comedy, the first headlined by Jack Baker at Lucha Cantina. Matt Drufke headlines Hope & Anchor in Loves Park on Saturday for night two. Jack Baker is a Chicagoland comedian who released his debut comedy special, “Jack Baker’s Disease,” last summer.
Where: Lucha Cantina, 1643 N. Alpine Road, Rockford
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 12
Tickets: $10; Call 815-977-4319 or email joshua@lucharockford.com to reserve a table.
Info: Go HERE
Robin Taylor Zander Live
What: Robin Taylor Zander, son of Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander and now a member of the band himself, will perform in this special dockside show. Zander is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrument musician whose debut album “The Distance” was released last year.
Where: Prairie Street Brewing Co., 200 Prairie St., Rockford
When: 8 p.m. Friday, July 12
Info: Go HERE
The Lone Canary
What: The Lone Canary brings is blend of vocals, fiddle, rhythmic percussion and acoustic guitar to a show at The Norwegian. The American folk duo consists of Heather Camacho and Jesse Fox.
Where: The Norwegian, 1402 N. Main St., Rockford
When: 6 p.m. Thursday, July 11
Info: Go HERE
Adventures in Candyland
What: Discovery Center’s Adventures in Candyland treats kids to fun ways to learn about the science of candy. There will be live science demonstrations from “King Kandy,” face painting, cotton candy making, and tacos and shaved ice available for purchase from the Cantina Taco and Kona Ice food trucks.
Where: Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 12
Info: Go HERE
Paraiso Comedy Night
What: Paraiso Comedy Night features Ronnie Ray and Angie McMahon and is hosted by Marcos Lara. Headliner Ronnie Ray has been touring the country for a dozen years and has multiple comedy albums.
Where: El Paraiso Lumbre Y Mar Restaurant, 5518 N. Second St., Loves Park
When: 8 p.m. Friday, July 12
Info: Go HERE
Summerpalooza-Rockton
What: Summerpalooza-Rockton, downtown Rockton’s street dance series, returns for the second of three events. The first block of West Main Street in downtown Rockton will be blocked off for live music, food and other activities. This week’s theme is 70s, 80s and 90s nostalgia, so dig out your old threads and head to downtown Rockton. Musical entertainment comes from Tripping Dogs and Ryan O’Rourke.
When: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 13
Where: 100 W. Main St., Rockton
Info: Go HERE
Comedy at Hope & Anchor
What: Night two of Fats Productions Presents 10th anniversary comedy series features headliner Matt Drufke. Drufke is a Chicagoland comedian who has performed across the Midwest for more than 15 years and he’s the producer of the long-running standup show “Still Not Friday” in Aurora.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 13
Where: Hope & Anchor, 545 McKinley Ave., Loves Park
Tickets: $10; call 815-633-2552 to reserve a table
Wired Weekend
What: Wired Cafe is marking 14 years in business with a three-day celebration. It starts Thursday with a tiny-desk style concert called Wired After Dark (update: sold out). It continues with an ice cream and coffee social on Friday and an alley party with live performances on Saturday.
Where: Wired Cafe, 414 E. State St., Rockford
When:
- Ice cream & coffee social: 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, July 12
- Wired Alley Party: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13
Info: Go HERE
North End City Market
What: Shop for an assortment of fresh veggies, fruits, flowers, honey and baked goods at this weekly market.
Where: Auburn and North Main streets, just south of the roundabout, Rockford
When: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: Go HERE
Hononegah turns 100
What: Celebrate the centennial for Hononegah Forest Preserve with a summer evening of guided hikes, music and other activities. Live music comes from Viceroy, a five-piece band covering rock classics from every decade. There will be nature-inspired crafts for children, educational activities with Macktown Living History and treats for sale from Dairyhäus. An outdoor movie will play at 9:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs.
Where: Hononegah Forest Preserve, 80 Hononegah Road, Rockton
When: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 13, followed by movie starting at 9:30 p.m.
REAP Day
What: REAP is an acronym for restoration, education, appreciation and preservation. Natural resource experts with the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County will offer hands-on ecological restoration training and conservation activities once the work is done.
Where: Cedar Cliff Forest Preserve, 7901 Kishwaukee Road, Stillman Valley
When: 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 13
Info: Go HERE
Slithery Soiree
What: Learn about the variety of amphibian and reptile species that are native to the Midwest. See live animals up close, and take a hike through the prairie to search for snakes.
Where: Nature at the Confluence, 306 Dickop St., South Beloit
When: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 13
Cost: $5
Info: Go HERE
Live at Levings
What: Live at Levings weekly concert series features Grammy Award winner Jamecia Bennett. Bennett was born Joliet, raised in Rockford and now lives in Minneapolis. She is the new featured lead vocalist of Sounds of Blackness. She has previously been a background vocalist for major artists such as Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Jonathan Butler, Jennifer Holiday, Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross, Sting and Prince.
When: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 14
Where: Levings Unity Pavilion at Levings Park, 1420 S. Pierpont Ave., Rockford
Info: Go HERE
Spoon River Poetry Review
What: The Spoon River Poetry Review is coming to Rockford as part of their 50th anniversary celebration. The journal’s editors will lead a generative writing workshop in the first half of the afternoon. Then, participants will read their work in an open mic format.
Where: Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St., Rockford
When: 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 14
Cost: Free
Info: Go HERE
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
