Out & About: Looking to get outside this spring? Local activities abound.

Southside-Irish-Parade

South Side St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 17 @ 12 PM
southsideirishparade.org

Calling all lads and lasses! Experience the luck of the Irish and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at one of the largest community-based celebrations outside of Dublin, Ireland. It will kick off at noon at 103rd and Western Avenue, marching south to 115th and Western, and it will last approximately two hours.

Photo courtesy of Village of Hinsdale

Hinsdale Easter
Egg Hunt
March 23 @ 10:30 AM
Robbins Park
VillageofHinsdale.org

The Easter Bunny is planning a special stop at Robbins Park on March 23 with lots of eggs for all the kids to find. This spring favorite is a great chance for families to have some free fun and for kids to engage in some friendly competition. The first group (ages 3 and under) will start at 10:30 AM. Other age groups will follow. This event is best for children 11 and under.

Guys and Dolls
Drury Lane Theatre April 10 – June 9
DruryLaneTheatre.com

Escape for an evening to 1950s New York City to experience one of Broadway’s best. Guys and Dolls tells the unlikely love stories of gambler Sky Masterson and missionary Sarah Brown, along with nightclub singer Miss Adelaide and her fiancé, craps game organizer Nathan Detroit. This classic musical won the 1951 Tony Award for Best Musical. Showtimes vary by date.

Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club
Disco Dreams
April 20 @ 7 PM – 11 PM
Pella Signature
HJWC.us

Join the Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club at their annual benefit presented by CD Peacock to celebrate local organizations, while supporting and raising money for 2023-2024 grant applicants. Guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, a DJ, as well as a surprise live entertainer and silent auction. Tickets can be purchased on HJWC’s website.

Earth Day Park
Clean-up Day
April 22 @ 4 PM – dusk
VillageofHinsdale.org

Spend an evening keeping Hinsdale beautiful in honor of Earth Day. The community will participate in projects like planting or debris removal. Residents can request to work on a park they feel needs attention. This is a great event for all ages, and it’s a great opportunity for scout groups, church or service organizations, and businesses to give back to the community.

Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club Denim & Diamonds
April 27 @ 7-11 PM
DGJWC.com

Grab your favorite jeans and jewels to join the Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club at their annual fundraiser. This year, proceeds go towards the DGJWC Charity Fund and Young Hearts for Life. Support the ladies of the group by contributing to their mission of helping others throughout the community.

Firefly Race Series
May 3 and May 4
MortonArb.org

Put on your running shoes and support the Morton Arboretum by participating in the Firefly Race Series. Enjoy a challenging and scenic course along the Arboretum’s East Side, while supporting their mission of promoting a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world where people and trees thrive together. Participants may run or walk, but most importantly, they want everyone to enjoy the beautiful landscape in spring bloom.

Photo courtesy of
Westmont Park District

Westmont Park District’s
“Race to the Flag”
May 19 @ 8:00 AM
Ty Warner Park
RacetotheFlag.org

For a fun and active Memorial Day weekend activity, sign up for Westmont Park District’s “Race to the Flag” benefitting the People’s Resource Center. Proceeds from the 5K run/walk event benefit neighbors in need right here in our community. As a partner in the community, PRC helps to meet neighbors’ basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing assistance services. The race is a tribute to the people who selflessly serve our country.

Oak Brook Historical Society Presents: Fullersburg from 1832 to 1862
May 19 @ 2PM
Oak Brook Public Library
OakBrookHistory.com

Join the Oak Brook Historical Society and the Fullersburg Historic Foundation as they present on the Fullersburg Historic District, one of the oldest settlements in DuPage County and the only settlement between Chicago and Naperville along Old Plank Road (Ogden Avenue) in the mid-1830s.

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Kristina and Matthew Bailey began reading books to their son, Owen when he was six months old— they haven’t stopped.
Owen turned 4 in June and recently received an award from the Clarendon Hills Public Library for having had 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten.

The library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge is one of a few reading challenge programs offered in Clarendon Hills, where the Bailey family has lived for the past 2 1/2 years.
Kristin Bailey said she saw an ad about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge and decided it was a good fit for Owen.

“He’s always been really into books,” Bailey said. “He had a natural interest in books at nine months old. That’s when COVID started, and he didn’t get out much, so reading books to him worked out very well. He’s a naturally curious kid, and imagination-building is important. The reading allows him to learn and explore new things, and he really wants to learn to read now.”

Krista Devlin, the Clarendon Hills library’s youth services librarian, said there’s a specific reason The Friends of the Library-sponsored 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge was started in 2022.

“Reading aloud to a child is one of the best ways to help develop important early literacy skills, which will prepare them for kindergarten,” Devlin said. “It is also a great way to bond with your child and to encourage a love of reading.”

Devlin said Owen was the second child to reach the challenge of having 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten. He was awarded a certificate, a crown, and his picture was taken to recognize his accomplishment.

Bailey, who said she is “a big reader,” said her family usually goes to the library once a week. Reading three books each night to Owen, along with a book before nap time, is the household normal.

“Consistency in our routine has been good and is important,” she said, adding that Owen’s two sisters, ages 2 1/2 and 1

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