Plant Sales, GLASA Benefit, Wine Stroll

Want to try something unique this weekend? Check out one of these great events in Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Libertyville.

• Lake Forest Preservation Foundation and Ragdale Foundation Wine Stroll

When:
Where: 1230 N. Green Bay Road, Lake Forest
Fee: $30
Info: www.LFPF.org

Mark your calendars for the first wine stroll of the season. This popular Preservation Foundation event will take place on Friday, May 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Ragdale, located at 1230 N. Green Bay Road in Lake Forest. Guests will tour the Arts and Crafts summer home of noted architect, Howard Van Doren Shaw, along with the Artist Studio and gardens (weather permitting). This historic property, built in 1897, has recently undergone a $3.2 million one-year renovation and will re-open in June of 2012, when it will continue to serve as one of the nation's most renowned residency programs for writers and artists. Guests will be treated to a self-guided tour of this amazing property after hearing an historic overview by the speaker. Docents and architects will be stationed throughout the house to share information and answer questions. Admission to this Friday event that includes wine and appetizers is $30. for members and $40 for non- members. Park in the former Lake Forest Municipal Building Lot, located at 110 East Laurel. Transportation will be provided to the house. Proceeds will benefit Ragdale. To reserve using PayPal, visit www.LFPF.org. Or call (847) 234-1230 for other payment options.

• Kindershop

When:
Where: Lake Forest Rec Center, 400 Hastings Road
Fee: free
Info: http://­kinde­rhavenpare­ntboard.­weebly.­com

Re-Sale toys, baby gear and much more. Sales benefit Kinderhaven Preschool Academy.

• The Big Parrot Head 2

When:
Where: Lake Bluff Park District, 355 W Washington Ave, Lake Bluff
Fee: $75
Info: www.glasa.org/thebignight

Break out your flip flops as the attire is casual Caribbean. The Big Parrothead Night 2 is an event you wouldn’t want to miss. This event serves as the major fundraiser to assist Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Assoication (GLASA) in providing quality adaptive sports programs for children, teens, adults and injured military that have a physical disability or visual impairment. Proceeds from this event will help GLASA provide year-round, daily adaptive sports programming and financial assistance for over 30 percent of GLASA athletes through the Athlete Scholarship Fund. Our goals are to help increase the overall health and wellness of our athletes, assist with funding of athlete scholarships and to expand outreach to surrounding communities, such as Waukegan and North Chicago.

• Plant Sale in Lake Forest

When:
Where: 350 N. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest
Fee: Free to attend
Info: www.lfola.org

Lake Forest Open Lands is holding its annual plant sale. Native plants and trees will be available for purchase with experts on hand to answer any questions. Gardeners of any ability are encouraged to stop by not only to learn more about native Illinois plants, but also to check out the selection.

'Lend Me a Tenor' in Lake Forest

When:
Where: Citadel Theatre Company, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest
Fee: $35
Info: www.citadeltheatre.org

Swing into spring with Citadel Theatre’s rousing rendition of Ken Ludwig’s hilarious farce, Lend Me a Tenor. The play opened May 4 and runs through June 3, with 8 p.m. performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Robert Estrin is the director and Ryan Elliott the producer of this fun farce, a sensation in previous runs on Broadway and in London’s West End. The hilarity is set in 1934 as the Cleveland Grand Opera Company welcomes world famous tenor Tito Morelli to perform for the gala season opener. All is ready for the sensational entrance of the renowned songster, the orchestra cued up for his entrance, the stage set, but with just minutes to curtain, Morelli has gone missing. Stuck in a predicament, the general manager coaxes his assistant Max into going on as Morelli for the performance. Soon the door-slamming farce spins out-of-control, both onstage and off, with mistaken identities, striking comic appearances, and plot twists galore.

• Holocaust Survivor to Speak

When:
Where: , 501 Valley Park Drive, Libertyville
Fee: Free
Info: www.gracelutheranlibertyville.org

Women of Grace Lutheran Church invite you to join them for an evening with Celia Leib, a “Child Survivor of the Holocaust.” Celia has been telling her story about her struggle to survive in the most dangerous time in history to be of the Jewish faith in Eastern Europe. Celia was fortunate to have escaped life in a concentration camp, but spent many of her younger years moving from one orphanage to another, or hiding under dangerous and desperate conditions during World War II. Hear about her incredible journey and how it has influenced her life and her family. A free will offering will benefit the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center located at 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie.

• Liberty Town Productions Presenting Play

When:
Where: , 481 Peterson Road, Libertyville
Fee: $20
Info: www.libertytownproductions.com

Libertyville’s not-for-profit entertainment company, Liberty Town Productions, is throwing down the gauntlet to entice audiences to attend its production of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, May 18, 19, 25 and 26. Last Five is the all-sung story exploring a five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein (Weppler), a rising novelist, and Cathy Hyatt (Alcorn), a struggling actress. Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order, while Jamie's is told chronologically. The characters do not directly interact except at their wedding in the middle when their timelines intersect.

• SWALCO Chemical Waste Event

When: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19
Where: Vernon Hills Metra Station, U.S. Route 45 and Ranney Avenue
Fee: Free, for Illinois residents only
Info: Visit www.swalco.org or call 847-336-9340

Items that will be accepted at the event include: aerosol products, antifreeze and motor oil, fertilizers/herbicides/pesticides, fluorescent light bulbs/CFLs, furniture stripper and varnishes, oil-based paints and paint removers, and prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements for both people and pets.

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