Dogwood Pet Hospital's Fall Festival Benefitting Tails From The Wild
What: Dogwood Pet Hospital will host its Fall Festival benefiting local wildlife organization Tails from the Wild. There will be face painting, crafts for kids, and a wildlife demo, as well as concessions provided.
Where: 4102 N. Mulford Road, Loves Park
When: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1
Festival of Lights set to illuminate Sinnissippi Park in Rockford for 35th year
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — In 1989, a small group of volunteers brought 11 whimsical light displays on to the frontage road of Sinnissippi Park for the debut of a drive-thru event that has become a staple of the holidays in the city.
Festival of Lights is a much bigger and brighter tradition now as it enters its 35th year of illuminating Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St. The free, volunteer-run and donation-funded event will feature more than 120 displays when it kicks off the season on Friday.
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The committee that puts on the event has added 15 new displays this year, and there are more twinkling lights and tree uplighting to illuminate the park as vehicles roll through.
"It's eclectic. It covers and canvases the holiday season," said Ted O'Donnell, co-chairman of the Fourth of July Civic Committee, which puts on both the summer fireworks display and winter Festival of Lights. "It has humor. It has traditionalism. It has everything you could want in an event that piques your interest the entire time. It never gets stagnant."
The holiday tunes can be pumped through on your radio as you drive through, with B103 (103.1) playing exclusively seasonal tunes Friday through Christmas Day.
The Festival of Lights was founded by Joe Marino and John Peterson with a small crew to help. O'Donnell and his cousin Tom Luepkes picked up the reins in 2016. At the time there were 45 organizations participating through sponsorship or providing displays. There are now 112 businesses, church groups, organizations and families.
The event is still setup and organized by a small group, with just a handful of people installing the displays each year.
Money raised through donations — which are taken both in boxes at the event and online — is pumped back into maintaining the displays, purchasing new ones and funding the annual Fourth of July Fireworks.
"I have a lot of pride in this event," O'Donnell said. "Uncle Joe really took the Fourth of July and there's nothing more Tom and I could probably add to that because he set the bar so high."
O'Donnell said they try to keep the Festival of Lights fresh through new displays and tweaks to the setup. He takes pride in hearing people say they've been making the Festival of Lights a tradition since they were kids, and now they bring their own children through the park.
"That's our fuel. It makes us proud that we do this event," he said. "It's a very proud feeling we get when we see the support of the community."
Hours & schedule | Festival of Lights
Where: Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St., Rockford
Grand opening: 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29
Friday, Nov. 29-Sunday, Dec. 1: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Dec. 5-8: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Dec. 12-15: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Dec. 16-23: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: 24 hours
Dec. 26-30: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
New Year's Eve: 5 p.m. to midnight (last showing)
*Santa Clause schedule: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 29-Dec. 1; Dec. 6-8; Dec. 13-15; Dec. 20-22
*Snow Queen schedule: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 5, 12, 16-19, 23, and 26
*Weather conditions pending
How to help
You can help keep the display running by donating to the Festival of Lights online at 4thandlights.com.
Festival of Lights attendance
2023: 126,894
2022: 105,150
2021: 105,453
2020: 103,560
2019: 84,840
2018: 52,758
Source: Festival of Lights / Rockford 4th of July Civic Committee
'Telling a story in the sky': Here's what to expect from Rockford's first-ever drone show
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — When the headlining musical act concludes at Day 2 of the CRE8IV Music & Arts Fest on Saturday, eyes will turn toward the sky for the city's first ever drone light show.
Northern Lights Drone Shows will launch the roughly 14-minute show, which is synced to its own soundtrack, around 9:45 p.m. Saturday above the intersection of North First and Market streets in downtown. The show is ideally viewed from the parking lot behind CJ's Public House and Inzombia Coffee at the corner of State and Madison streets, where One More Time: A Tribute to Daft Punk will perform before the drone show.
"People aren't going to see the launch pad ... all you're going to see is suddenly these little lights rising up from behind the building," said Andy Ackmann, chief operating officer of Northern Lights Drone Shows. "You're not going to see them launch, but you're going to see them coming out of nowhere."
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Northern Lights Drone Shows is a business that took flight from another company in Racine County, Wisconsin. The owners of Jellystone Park and Bear Paw Adventure Park had been putting on small scale drone shows with about 50 devices at their campground since 2020.
This year, they decided to take the show on the road with Northern Lights Drone Shows and a fleet of 250 drones.
In Rockford, there will be 150 drones flying over downtown.
The show is catered to Rockford: You'll see elements that celebrate CRE8IV and pay homage to Rockford's moniker as Screw City, Ackmann said.
"It's going to be something that's unique to this festival and this community," he said. "It's not just a cookie-cutter show that we bring from place to place."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC9aXS0_9cQ
The show is part of a three-day festival that celebrates the final season of the CRE8IV mural initiative, which at the end of this summer will have brought 50 murals to blank building walls in the region.
The celebration has live music on two stages featuring both local performers and touring acts such as the Smoking Popes. There is also mural painting, food trucks, interactive activities and mural tours.
The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, which is putting on the festival to celebrate five years of summertime mural creations, highlighted the drone show as a first-of-its-kind event for Rockford. It will have multiple vantage points throughout downtown, but is ideally viewed near State and First streets where the festival is being held.
"If you've never seen one before it's kind of hard to imagine," Ackmann said. "It's kind of like telling a story in the sky."
The addition of the drone show did come with some concerns about its proximity to Rockford's nesting peregrine falcons, which are a couple of blocks away on the eighth floor of the Iconic Energy building on the riverfront.
The female peregrine, Louise, has been nesting here for seven springs now and is very territorial to anything flying in her area. Louise also has four fledging chicks preparing for their first flights.
"She's an aggressive bird, I'd hate to have her get tangled with the drones," said Jennifer Kuroda, president of the Sinnissippi Audubon Society. "If it was me making the decision, I would say we move this out further from the birds so we can ensure the safety of all of them."
Kuroda said those who keep an eye on the peregrines see how traumatic events such as the Fourth of July fireworks are for the once-endangered birds of prey.
"Could this be disruptive to them? We really don't know. Nature is completely unpredictable," she said. "If the show goes on and nothing happens we'll completely breathe a sigh of relief.
Organizers feel the show is far less disruptive than the fireworks and can safely take place for the city's official bird. Northern Lights said it also has safety protocols in place.
"We have multiple people stationed around keeping an eye out for things: If we see any kind of risk we can immediately land the drones," Ackmann said. "We'll have multiple stations around where the drones are flying to look out for any risk coming into the area."
If you go | Rockford drone show
When: 9:45 p.m. Saturday, June 1 (after One More Time performs)
Where: State and Madison streets (the drone show is designed to be best seen from the parking lot behind CJs Public House and Inzombia Coffee)
More festivities: The drone show is part of the three-day CRE8IV Music & Arts Fest running 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, May 31; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 1; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 2
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
American white pelicans return to Rockford region as Rockton gears up for annual festival
Rock River Current
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ROCKTON — American white pelicans have made their annual return to the region, and this weekend Rockton is the place to be for celebration and education about the migratory bird.
The large waterbirds, which can have wingspans of 9-feet, stop in the Rockford region each year on their way to spend summer in northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada.
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You can typically find them for a few weeks fishing near the Morgan Street bridge in south Rockford, at Nygren Westland Preserve in Rockton or near the Oregon Dam on the Rock River in Oregon. They often float in circles atop the water as they group hunt for fish.
On Saturday, Rockton Pelican Fest coincides with World Migratory Bird Day for a celebration throughout the village's downtown and other locations.
The Natural Land Institute, Sinnissippi Audubon Society, village of Rockton and JR Finally Art Studio & Gallery will host a day filled with activities on Saturday in and around downtown Rockton.
There's an early bird hike and other wildlife-themed activities at Nygren Wetland Preserve, Hoo Haven will put on a presentation with its ambassador pelican at Village Hall, there's an art show at JR Finally Art Studio and vendor booths and shopping in downtown.
See a rundown of some the activities below:
If you go | Rockton Pelican Fest
Here's a look at events happening for Rockton Pelican Fest. Go HERE for maps and more information.
Nygren Wetland Preserve
Early bird hike: 7:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Wildlife education: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: Nygren Wetland Preserve - Wildlife Overlook, 3714 W. Rockton Road, Rockton
Hoo Haven open house
When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Village Hall, 110 E. Main St., Rockton
Talcott Free Library activities
- 10:30 .a.m: World Bird Migratory Day and Peregrine Falcons - Sinnissippi Audubon Society, Jennifer Kuroda
- 12:30 p.m.: Trash Talk: Recycling - Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, Corinne Sosso
- 1:30 p.m.: Life in Art: Using Pelicans to Study Dinosaurs - Burpee Museum of Natural History, Ryan Dewey
- 2:15 p.m.: Creating a Pollinator Friendly Garden & Conservation at Home - Natural Land Institute, Kim Johnsen
Where: Talcott Free Library, 101 E. Main St., Rockton
Shop downtown
Stroll the shops and restaurants, see booths at the corner of West Main and North Prairie streets and in the 200 block of West Main Street. Collect 22 bird cards and enter them to win a Lego Icon Kingfisher.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. participate in sidewalk chalk art with Melinda Cook.
JR Finally Art Studio
What: See art shows and demonstration by Rockford Art Guild and Whitman Post Elementary School. There is also a wood carving demo by Don Hyson, watercolor demo by Jean Apgar and you can enter a drawing to win a pelican watercolor painting by Apgar.
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11
Where: JR Finally Art Studio & Gallery, 210 W. Main St., Rockton
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
Rockford University students to perform in Scotland for the world's largest arts festival
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Rockford University students will head to Scotland's capital city this summer to showcase their theatrical talent as part of the world's largest arts festival.
It will be the first time since 2016 that students from the university's Performing Arts Department participate in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a 25-day celebration that fills the Edinburgh city streets and more than 300 venues for thousands of performances each August.
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While the festival is open to thousands of performers, only a handful of universities are invited each year, according to Deborah Mogford, a professor in the university's Performing Arts Department. The university was first invited in 2016, and was invited back numerous times. The goal was for students to return in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic put that to a halt.
Now supporters are fundraising to help students participate.
Rockford University senior Piper Burney, who wants to perform professionally after graduating, said the festival is a chance to not only get on the world stage, but to participate in workshops, see other performances and meet and learn from others involved in theater.
"You get to meet people from all over the world, and everyone is there for the same reason: the love of arts," Burney said. "For someone who is about to go out into this world and try to do it professionally, I think it's great to make connections and will be a great experience."
Students will perform the musical "The Theory of Relativity" by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill. There are 15 performing arts students expected to travel to Scotland.
"It's super important to see the way theater is approached throughout the world," said Adara Barrera, a Rockford University sophomore and Jefferson High School graduate who came Rockford from Mexico. "There's a lot of different techniques and aspects that we can get to see when we go to Scotland."
The festival was established in 1947 and has grown into one of the largest ticketed events in the world. Last year, more than 2.4 million tickets were sold, according to the festival. In 2019, there were roughly 59,600 performances, 3,841 different shows in 322 venues.
It blends theater, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, spoke word, music and other arts.
"I'm really excited to do a musical on the other side of the world," said Aubry Musfelt, an acting and director major who will perform the song "The End of the Line" as Jenny in "The Theory of Relativity."
Costumes and costs
It costs about $5,000 per student to make the trip to Scotland, and the nonprofit group Friends of the Performing Arts is working to help students cover those costs.
Gary Anderson, a member of the group, said that when Rockford University students perform in Scotland they're not just representing the school, they're representing the city of Rockford as well.
"Every year the students have just blown me away with what they do," Anderson said. "We have an awful lot of talent here that comes through the doors every year, and we need to be exposing that more to our community and having our community appreciate it more."
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The Friends group will host a costume fashion show on April 28 celebrating more than four decades of award-winning design by Jeff Hendry, a former professor at Rockford University.
Students showed off a few of the costumes last week when they were interviewed for this story.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that hopefully we can make more than once-in-a-lifetime through events just like this," said Andrew Ashley, a senior musical theater major. "This event is the first in a long series of events that we could have to really support this department and the things that they can do to build the futures for these students."
Ashley isn't part of the group headed to Scotland, but he will be playing a fast-changing role in the fashion show. He'll be going through six costumes from the musical comedy "A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder."
"This type of event and attention can help with outreach and get the community excited about Rockford University and about theater," Ashley said. "I think this university and this department in specific needs every hand it can get to really spread the word about everything that's happening, especially when it's such a profound experience that they're going to be having at the Fringe Festival in Scotland."
The Friends of the Performing Arts is a nonprofit that works to increase support for Rockford University's performing arts programs.
"This is more than just a Performing Arts Department, it is an extension of what this university represents," said Bill Scarpaci, who co-leads the group with Bob Kantner. "When I think about businesses recruiting educated personnel to come to Rockford, I see Rockford University as a recruiting tool. I see these businesses telling these prospective employees if you come here, you're going to encounter an interesting cultural phenomenon in Rockford University. It will satisfy your cultural needs."
For some students the trip to Edinburgh will be their first time overseas.
"I'm very excited to see a different aspect of life and different theater around the world," said Keira Alejandro, a junior who hopes to perform professionally post-graduation. "American theater is so different from what they offer everywhere else, so I'm really excited to explore the culture of Edinburgh."
Lindsay Johnson, a sophomore and former Scottish Highland dancer, is looking forward to seeing the home country of the dance she has performed. The theater arts major is also looking forward to representing Rockford abroad.
"This will be a huge opportunity to hone the acting abilities I've learned so far," Johnson said. "Representing my home town feels special to me because I'm proud to say I am from Rockford."
How to help | Fashion show fundraiser
About: It costs about $5,000 per student to attend the International Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland, in August. The Friends of Performing Arts is hosting an event this spring to help raise money to cover the students' costs.
A costume style fashion show will highlight the designs of Jeff Hendry, an award winning costume designer and former professor of Rockford University. Students will model the costumes along with special guests Mayor Tom McNamara, state Sen. Steve Stadelman, state Rep. Dave Vella, Mary McNamara Bernsten, executive director of the Rockford Area Arts Council. There are musical performances from Groove Hotel Trio.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28
Where: Maddox Theatre on Rockford University campus, 5050 E. State St., Rockford
Tickets: $30; Get tickets HERE
Donate: Go HERE to provide a donation toward the trip
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
Festival of Lights in Rockford hits new record attendance with more than 126K people
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The annual Festival of Lights drive-thru display set a new record for attendance this season with more than 42,000 cars passing through Sinnissippi Park.
This year's display drew an estimated 126,894 people, topping the record set in 2021 of 105,453. It's the fourth consecutive year with more than 100,000 visitors.
"People are starting to realize that Rockford is a great place to get your holiday momentum going," said Ted O'Donnell, co-chairperson of the all-volunteer committee that puts on the display. "It's great to see so many people are coming into Rockford to start their holiday celebrations."
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The display is put up each year by the nonprofit Rockford 4th of July Civic Committee, a small group of volunteers who also coordinate the annual fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Both events are funded entirely by donations.
Volunteers track each car moving through the display, and use a national standard estimate of three people per car to reach their final attendance number. That three-person-per-vehicle standard applies even when they see buses from retirement homes or schools move through the lighting display.
This year there were 42,298 vehicles counted.
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O'Donnell said this year volunteers saw a lot of license plates coming from places like Indiana and Wisconsin during the weekends. He said the record attendance is in-part because of the addition of more days the display was open, but he also said it's because Rockford is becoming a destination for holiday cheer.
"People are really looking for things to make them happy, and Rockford has several wonderful lighting displays," he said. "So families from not just our community, but families from outside our community, can come in and experience the conservatory, Anderson Gardens, us as a drive-thru there are so many ways to get in the holiday mood with different events going on in Rockford."
Festival of Lights attendance
2023: 126,894
2022: 105,150
2021: 105,453
2020: 103,560
2019: 84,840
2018: 52,758
Source: Festival of Lights / Rockford 4th of July Civic Committee
How to help
You can help keep the display running by donating to the Festival of Lights online at 4thandlights.com.
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
Catching up with Bing Liu: Rockford filmmaker talks latest project, life since 'Minding the Gap'
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Much like the documentary that earned him an Academy Award nomination, Bing Liu's latest project is about more than the sport at the center of the short film.
"What the Hands Do," which will make its premiere Dec. 2 during the 815HORTS film festival, was made with Patagonia Films to explore the life of rock climbers. But what was intended to be a 10-minute short film grew over the course of five days of shooting spread out over six months.
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The end result is a roughly 35-minute film that examines more than the physical challenges of bouldering.
"The film takes a look at what it means to be in love with the thing that once was your identity, but then you start to feel like the thing that you fell in love with — this passion, this sport, this lifestyle, whatever you want to call it — changes," Liu said in a phone interview with the Rock River Current from Brooklyn, where he has lived for the past two years. "At what point does the sense of freedom that a thing gives you become responsibility to maybe try to change the story of that thing?"
Liu, who grew up in Rockford and made his mark with the 2018 feature-length documentary "Minding the Gap," said he could relate to that point of view because of the way his sport of skateboarding has changed over the past two decades. "Minding the Gap," which earned an Oscar nomination, explored themes of adulthood and fatherhood through the sport Liu has done for years.
Patagonia Films bills "What the Hands Do" as the story of Mariana Mendoza and Miguel Casar, who are lifelong social justice advocates who question how they can use climbing to create opportunities for meaningful growth.
"It's a film trying to straddle a couple themes," Liu said. "It's a film by a company that really wanted to make sure it spoke to a climbing audience, but at the same time that's not why I made the film."
Liu connected with executives from Patagonia Films about five years ago while "Minding the Gap" was screening at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado. After keeping in touch with them for years, he took the opportunity to direct the short film last year.
The five-day film schedule wound up spreading over six months because of issues with weather-related climbing conditions, scheduling issues and an injury to one of the climbers.
"It was kind of a blessing and a curse," he said. "We were able to get a lot more story out of the documentary because there's more life stuff happening over the course of six months."
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Life after 'Minding the Gap'
The 34-year-old filmmaker continues to skate, often in a do-it-yourself skatepark near his home in Brooklyn, and stays busy with a variety of projects.
He said he's now developing a fiction film that will shoot in New York next year. The yet-to-be-announced title is a gritty and grounded love story that he's been developing with the writer since 2018, he said.
On Thursday, local filmmakers held up the upcoming 815HORTS film festival as an opportunity to showcase why Rockford can be a film-friendly city. Liu, who filmed the majority of his 2018 documentary here, sees the potential, too. He said he could shoot here again one day when the time is right.
"It's a really unique place that has some amazing scenery. It's really green and luscious," said Liu, a Guilford High School and Rock Valley College graduate. "And I thnk the stories are there. Rockford is a very complicated place, and there's a lot of stories that can come out of it."
Liu also said the city has great resources, such as Jerry LaBuy's program at Rock Valley College.
Liu has often given credit to LaBuy and others, such as Tom Ciciura of 2nd Cine and Eric Neubauer of Ground Floor Skateboards, 333 E. State St., for their friendship and mentorship in helping him grow as a filmmaker and person.
He said he hopes the short film debuting here next month will also showcase a sense of community.
"I hope that the short film can help celebrate community in a way that can translate into how we think about filmmaking in Rockford as also a process that can be community driven and done collectively," he said.
Know before you go | 815HORTS
When: Saturday, Dec. 2
Where: RPL Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St., Rockford
Schedule: 3 p.m. 815HORTS Matinees; 5 p.m. 2023 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour; 7 p.m. 815HORTS Matinees Prime Time block; 8:45 p.m. conversation with Bing Liu; 9:30 p.m. awards
Lunch and learn: The 5HORT Route will be produced as a lunch and learn program from noon to 2 p.m. at City Stage Studios, 811 First Ave., where up to 50 aspiring area filmmakers can learn from industry professionals.
Tickets: $15; $10 for students with a school ID (Children younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian as some films include mature content)
Purchase tickets: Go HERE
More info: 815horts.com
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
Here are a dozen things to do this week in the Rockford area
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The first weekend of February is coming up and there are a bunch of things to do in the Rockford area.
You can sample beers from breweries around the region at 815 Ale Fest, celebrate Black History Month, have a laugh at a comedy show or shop for someone special at Indoor Rockford City Market.
Here are a dozen ideas for things to do this week. If you're ever looking for things to do, peruse our events page.
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Sample brews from near and far
815 Ale Fest is back and features fresh brews and trusty favorites from breweries across the region.
Participants include Pig Minds Brewing Co., Urban Forest Craft Brewery, More Brewing Co., Scorched Earth Brewing, Byers Brewing Co., Tangled Roots Brewing, Prairie Street Brewing Co., Generations Brewing Co., Lena Brewing Co., Founders Brewing Co., Church Street Brewing Co., Holzlager Brewing , Spiteful Brewing Tap Room, Buckle Down Brewery, Goose Island, BrewDog, Marz Brewing Co., Maplewood Brewing, Galena Brewing Co., Rush Creek Distilling and Hairy Cow Brewing Co.
Quick facts:
When: noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4
Where: Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Road, Rockford
Admission: $35 for general admission from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., which includes a tasting glass, pretzel necklace and access to all breweries. $55 for VIP from noon to 4 p.m., which includes the early access, a VIP hat and other Ale Fest swag, access to a VIP pre party Friday night, a tasting glass and pretzel necklace. $10 for designated drivers, which comes with lunch but no alcohol is served
Celebrate Black culture
Celebrate Black achievements in history, science, art, and sports at the Discovery Center Museum. You can learn about Black scientists through hands-on experiments, discover educational displays throughout the museum and contribute to a collaborative art project that will be on display all month.
Quick facts:
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4
Where: Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford
Admission: $10; free to museum members and children younger than 1
Info: discoverycentermuseum.org
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Laughs at Lucha
The Lucha Cantina First Friday Comedy Night has two shows this week. The first, at 7 p.m., is headlined by Kristen Toomey. The second, at 9:30 p.m., is headlined by Mike O'Keefe.
Quick facts:
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, and 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3
Where: Lucha Cantina, 1641 N. Alpine Road, Rockford
Admission: $7
Tickets/reservations: 815-977-4319 or email Josh Binning at joshua@lucharockford.com
Shop for someone special
Start shopping for that special someone at the Valentine's Pop Up at the Indoor Rockford City Market, 116 N. Madison St. There will be local and handmade gift options, themed drinks at the bar and live music from Kayla Seeber.
Quick facts:
When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3
Where: Indoor Rockford City Market, 116 N. Madison St., Rockford
Info: rockfordcitymarket.com
Learn the history of Black baseball players
Each year for Black History Month, the Ethnic Heritage Museum examines different aspects of Black culture and history. This year the museum looks back on the historic Negro Baseball League and some of its standout players such as Buck O'Neil, Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige.
There is also a Chicago Cubs section of the exhibit featuring Fergie Jenkins, Billy Williams and Ernie Banks.
No baseball exhibit would be complete without Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron.
Quick facts:
When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 opening day. The exhibit is up through April.
Where: Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St., Rockford
Admission: General admission is $7, $5 for students or $15 per family. It's free for members.
Info: ethnicheritagemuseum.org
Visit The Bricks Wedding Expo
The Bricks Venue Center will host its first wedding expo with more than 30 vendors from caterers to florists, bakers and more.
Quick facts:
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4
Where: The Bricks Venue Center, 125 S. Walnut St., Cherry Valley
Admission: Free
Info: thebrickscv.com
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Go country at The Office
The Office NiteClub is hosting country night with performances by Anchantriss, Cowboy Big D and Drako Knight.
Quick facts:
When: 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3
Where: The Office NiteClub, 513 E. State St., Rockford
Info: theofficeniteclub.com
Learn Black history
The Rock Valley College Black History and Culture Committee, along with the Black Student Union, Intercultural Student Services and Student Life present a series of Black History Month events called Black Resistance.
The first two of nine events take place this weekend.
Resistance through Fellowship, which features opening ceremonies and the Ebony Breakfast, happens at 9 a.m. Friday at the Student Center Atrium on the main campus, 3301 N. Mulford Road.
Resistance through Education, a college fair with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. That is also in the Student Center Atrium.
Hear Emily Dirks
Soprano Emily Dirks will perform an array of songs ranging from Schubert to that of contemporary African-American composer H. Leslie Adams, as well as selections from musical theater. Pianist Kristen Nelson will join Dirks.
Quick facts:
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3
Where: MPAC Starr Center, 415 N. Church St., Rockford
Admission: $21 in advance, $25 at the door, $6 for students
Info/tickets: mendelssohnpac.org/events/event/emily-dirks
Get fancy with cats
The Rock Valley Cat Club will hold the 67th American Fanciers Cat Club Show. There are also various vendors offering cat-related merchandise such as cat trees, cat toys, jewelry, beds and cat collectibles.
Quick facts:
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 and Sunday, Feb. 5
Where: Forest Hills Lodge, 1601 W. Lane Road, Loves Park
Info: foresthillslodge.net
Hit the ice at Frosty Fridays
Frosty Fridays discount public ice-skating sessions return this week at Carlson Ice Arena.
Quick facts:
When: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27
Where: Carlson Ice Arena, 4150 N. Perryville Road, Loves Park
Info: rockfordparkdistrict.org/publicskate
Grab a bite locally
It's Rockford Region Restaurant Week through Monday, and local diners, bars, pubs and other eateries are offering specials to celebrate. You can also help restaurants win prizes by choosing your favorites in several categories.
Find out more about the specials and how to vote at gorockford.com/restaurant-week.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas
Visitors bureau: Stroll on State attracted more than 70K people to downtown Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — This year's Stroll on State attracted more than 70,000 people to downtown, bringing the total attendance for the annual holiday festival to more than a half-million people over its 10-year run, according to the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The visitors bureau contracts a firm that uses mobile device data to estimate attendance, and today it said an estimated 70,050 people were at this year's event. That's a 12% increase from last year's estimated 62,500 guests. The festival attracted crowds estimated at more than 80,000 in its peak years in 2017 and 2018.
“Stroll on State illustrates year after year what can be accomplished when a community comes together," Mayor Tom McNamara said in a news release. "The economic impact, small businesses support, partnership and welcoming atmosphere all speak to our region’s culture of collaboration and belonging.
"I can’t think of a better way for our community to kick off the holiday season each year.”
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An estimated 520,800 people have attended the Stroll during its 10 years, according to the visitors bureau. That number doesn't include 2020, when the event was held virtually during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The bureau estimates about 75% of attendees were from Winnebago County and more than 5% traveled from outside Illinois.
“Stroll on State is a tradition for Rockford families and visitors,” Kristen Paul, the visitors bureau's vice president of destination development, said in a news release. “This year was particularly heart-warming as we celebrated 10 years of Stroll’s impact.
"During the tree lighting ceremony, I loved seeing our community all together – with folks filling the streets and overflowing to fill the outside stairwells of the BMO Center and looking on from each floor of the adjacent parking lot. It seemed like everyone wanted to be part of that moment and it’s a memory I’ll always cherish.”
Related: 10 years later, Stroll team reunites with child whose wonder served as an inspiration
Jarrod Hennis, the owner of Rockford Art Deli in downtown, said his team always looks forward to Stroll on State.
"It’s one of our busiest days of the year, and — despite some unexpected surprises — this year was no different in that regard," Hennis said in a news release.
The "unexpected surprise" was a power outage that blacked out a few blocks of downtown with about two hours left in the event. ComEd said the outage was caused by a single mylar balloon that made contact with a power line near Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens several blocks north of the event.
"Even amidst a power outage, downtown Rockford still showed up with high spirits, happy attitudes, and much appreciated patience," Hennis said. "And that’s the 815 that RAD has always been proud to represent."
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This year's Stroll on State came with some unseasonably warm weather, and it had changes that included a new location for the city's official Christmas tree, a Block 5 party and 10 selfie stations spread throughout downtown.
There was also a parade with 10 inflatable balloons, including two that were Rockford themed. One balloon paid homage to the Rockford Peaches, the beloved World War II-era women's professional baseball team, and the other was a replica of the checkered five-neck guitar used by Rick Nielsen of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Cheap Trick.
"Stroll has become the marquee community event in our annual community calendar. It is due to the hard work of the RACVB, the thousands of volunteers and all the support of sponsors that allow our community to execute on such a world-class event," said Jeff Hultman, chief executive officer of Illinois Bank & Trust, the event's presenting sponsor. "It continues to represent the best in us as a region. We encourage everyone to return downtown throughout the year to continue to support our local businesses and our local center city. We are already looking forward to next year’s event.”
Hundreds of volunteers make the event possible, doing everything from decorating to cleanup and helping visitors.
The 11th annual event is slated for Nov. 25.
Stroll on State | By the numbers
85 sponsors and partners
2,400 volunteer hours working the event
815 Dasher Dash 5K runners
46 outdoor food and retail vendors
350 ornaments on the city's Christmas tree
68 large gift boxes decorating downtown
1,003 letters by children to Santa, including 60 from other states and three from other countries
10 parade balloons
82 decorated Jeeps in the parade
70,050 estimated attendance
Source: Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.
What is there to do in the Rockford area this weekend? Here are 9 ideas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Looking for something to do in the Rockford area this weekend?
Here are nine ideas ranging from art shows to football and more.
See confessions turned into art
Eamonn James Talkington will debut his solo show, In Confidence, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday at 317 Art Collective, 317 Market St., Rockford.
The show is centered around confessions and incorporates a call-in line where people can anonymously submit their own confessions.
More: Anonymous confessions become art in Rockfordian's latest show
Watch as women's football teams take over the BMO
The Chicago Blitz take on the Seattle Thunder in the seven-on-seven X League at 7 p.m. Saturday at the BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., in downtown.
This is the only home game for the Blitz this season. The team is quarterbacked by former Rockford Lutheran basketball star Stephanie Raymond-Young.
BMO has laid down the official 70-yard artificial turf field for Saturday's matchup. You can get tickets through Ticketmaster.
More: Stephanie Raymond-Young to return to Rockford to showcase a new sport
Run your fastest mile yet
The "Fastest Mile in the Midwest" returns to Rockford on Saturday after a two-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The State Street Mile, a 1-mile race from UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital to roughly the State Street bridge, has three heats starting at 5 p.m. Saturday.
More: The Fastest Mile in the Midwest returns to Rockford
Head north for the Wisconsin State Fair
The Wisconsin State Fair kicked off its 11-day run on Thursday. It continues through Sunday, Aug. 14, at Wisconsin State Fair Park, 640 S. 84th St., West Allis, Wisconsin.
General admission tickets are $17. For additional information, visit wistatefair.com.
More: Wisconsin State Fair debuts new hours at the 171st annual event
Have a day in the park with your pup
You can bring your dogs to Bark in the Park from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the recreation path near Midway Village, 6799 Guilford Road.
The event features goods and services from local businesses and nonprofits that serve pets, pet-safety demonstrations and more.
M0re: Bring your pups to Bark in the Park on Saturday in Rockford
Celebrate Italian culture at Festa Italiana
The Greater Rockford Italian American Association will host the 43rd Festa Italiana on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Boylan Catholic High School, 4000 St. Francis Drive, Rockford.
The event features traditional Italian dance and food, there are carnival games and rides, bocce and more activities.
It runs 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
More: festaitalianarockford.com
Watch 'Encanto' in Davis Park
Friday Night Flix in Davis Park will show its third movie of the summer series this week. Davis Park, 320 S. Wyman St., opens at 7 p.m. for the free showing of "Encanto," a computer-animated Disney musical comedy. The movie begins at dusk.
Get muddy to help clean up this town
Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, an environmental resource center that works to reduce waste and increase recycling, will host a mud volleyball tournament starting at 8 a.m. Saturday at Riverside Park, 100 River St., Roscoe.
More info: knib.org
Honor veterans with a new memorial
The LZ Smoke Brothers will unveil a new memorial at 2 p.m. Sunday at the LZ Peace Plaza on the Perryville Path loop near Central Christian Church, 6595 Guilford Road, Rockford.
The LZ Operation Purple event is being held in conjunction with National Purple Heart Day, which is recognized on Aug. 7. A Purple Heart is awarded to military members who are wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.