World of Faeries Festival event discontinued

This past summer’s World of Faeries Festival in South Elgin was the last one.

Event organizer Gloria Yeager recently posted to social media that she and her husband, David, have made the decision to discontinue the event, which had been held every August in Vasa Park for 19 years.

In the valedictory post, Yeager thanked sponsors, vendors, main volunteers Carol Posa, Juliet Ramey and Candy Rolsky and artist Sara Butcher Barrier, who provided the artwork for the event’s website and flyers.

The World of Faeries Festival combined elements of fantasy and Renaissance fairs, including music, children’s activities, food, drink and a variety of vendors.

Spooktacular trail coming to Camp Big Timber

The Halloween Experience Drive-thru Spooktacular is taking place weekends and on other select nights through October at Camp Big Timber, 37W955 Big Timber Road, Elgin.

The family-friendly attraction features seasonal scenes and larger-than-life decorations, with some reaching heights of up to 40 feet, according to the event website.

Tickets are $13 to $15 per person for scheduled vehicle entry times. Children under 2 are admitted for free.

For more information, see www.thehalloweenexperience.com.

St. Sophia of Elgin holding fall Greek food fest

St. Sophia of Elgin will be holding a fall Greek food festival from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20-22.

Food being sold will include gyros, Greek chicken, spanakopita, pastichio, avgolemono, Greek salad, baklava, galaktoboureko and rice pudding, according to the church’s website.

Vendors will also be featured and patrons can order carryout online. The church is located at 525 Church Road.

For more information, call 847-888-2822 or see www.st-sophia.com.

Batavia to host Halloween fest downtown

Batavia Mainstreet will hold BatFest, its annual Halloween-themed family event, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, in downtown Batavia.

The event will include a parade, downtown trick-or-treating, a costume contest, the annual Pumpkin Roll sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 6, magic and reptile shows at Congregational Church of Batavia, booths and performances at the Peg Bond Center, and other activities.

Batavia MainStreet is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing downtown Batavia, group officials said.

For more information on the event, go to downtownbatavia.com.

Drive-thru Halloween event at Randall Oaks

The Dundee Township Park District will be hosting a “Boo Thru” from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at Randall Oaks Park, 750 Randall Road, West Dundee.

Participants stay in their vehicles and drive through the park to receive treats handed out from vehicle trunks that have been decorated by park district staff and its community partners, according to the park district’s website.

Registration for 15-minute time windows is required. Cost is $6 per vehicle.

To register, go to www.dtpd.org.

Fox Valley literacy group seeks volunteers

Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley is looking for volunteers to help Fox Valley residents learn English.

A tutor training workshop will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Oct. 16, 18, 23 and 25, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles.

The workshop will cover the techniques used to teach adults English while discussing the issues they face when they are unfamiliar with American culture, according to a news release.

Volunteers do not need to know a second language or have teaching experience to be effective, officials said.

After training, each volunteer will be matched with one adult student. Volunteer tutors and their students meet for one hour each week at a time and public location that is convenient, the release said.

To register for the workshop, go to www.lvfv.org or call or text 630-584-4428.

Classical works on tap at concert

The St. Charles Public Library’s Sunday Concert Series resumes at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 with a performance by cellist Richard Bell and pianist Chiayi Lee, who will perform an hour of classical works by Bach, Bruch and Beethoven.

Bell grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and began studying the cello at the age of 10, according to library officials. For 30 years, he was the associate principal cellist for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Lee is an active pianist with an extensive performance background in both solo and chamber music, officials said.

The free concert is at the 1 S. Sixth Ave. library.

For more information, go to www.scpld.org or call 630-584-0076.

— Mike Danahey