Park district adds preconcert demos to summer concerts

Dundee Township Park District will offer demonstrations of two of the programs it offers prior to its 7 p.m. Tuesday summer concerts in July.

Each will start at 6 p.m. and last 45 minutes. They include:

July 1 — Salsa lessons will be offered before the Latin Swing Factor concert in Lions Park, 570 Penny Road, East Dundee.

July 29 — Fox Valley Twirl will perform prior to the Centerfold concert in Lions Park.

For the full schedule of concerts, go to buff.ly/KV14ypB.

U-46’s production of ‘Man of La Mancha’ opens Thursday

The School District U-46 summer theater production of “Man of La Mancha” will run Thursday through Saturday at the Streamwood High School auditorium, 701 W. Schaumburg Road.

More than 75 students and employees from across the district’s five high schools make up the cast, musicians and technical crew for the musical, according to a U-46 newsletter.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon Saturday. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online through Booktix or at the door.

Janus Theatre to present ‘The Ibsen Project: Hedda’

The Janus Theatre Company opens its 27th season with “The Ibsen Project: Hedda,” running Friday through Sunday at the Elgin Arts Showcase, 164 Division St.

Actors will perform Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” with scripts in hand, according to the Janus website. For an added twist, each performance will feature a different translation of the Norwegian playwright’s work.

The production is part of this year’s “Season of Outsiders” and features classic stories from the past brought to life for today’s audiences, the website said. It is sponsored in part by the city of Elgin and Elgin Cultural Arts Commission.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10.

For tickets, go to hedda.eventbrite.com. For more about Janus’ season, go to janusplays.com.

Duke’s Blues Fest being held in Carpenter Park over the weekend

Duke’s Blues Fest will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday at Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave., Carpentersville.

In addition to live music, the annual free festival will feature various food vendors, including southern cuisine, according to the event’s social media post. Money raised goes to benefit nonprofit Taste the Love.

Acts scheduled to perform Friday are Guitar Tony, Topeka Smith, The Johnsons, Michael Charles, Gloria and Ruth Ward and Tammy’s Blues & Soul. Saturday’s lineup will feature Blues Hart, The Cat Gaddis Project, Luke RePass, Carlisle Guy, the NuBlu Band and Sharay Reed.

For more information, call 224-699-9030.

Prairies spotlighted at Geneva natural resources lecture

Illinois’ prairie ecosystems will be the topic of a Geneva Natural Resources Committee lecture at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Geneva Public Library, 227 S. Seventh St.

A Geneva Park District naturalist from Peck Farm Park will discuss the common characteristics of Illinois prairies and examine the different plants and animals found in prairies and methods land managers use to preserve them, event organizers said.

The program is free but registration is recommended. For more information, go to the Geneva Public Library District’s website, www.gpld.org.

— Mike Danahey