Vendors are encouraged to file their applications for the Oswego Country Market by the April 15 early bird deadline.  For more information,  visit www.oswegolandpd.org. (Chronicle Media file photo)

Aurora

‘West Side Story’ opens at Paramount Theatre

“West Side Story” opens at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre starting March 16 and will run through April 24. Musical lovers will delight as the love story is told through song during this 2 hour and 30 minute show. Set in a blue-collar neighborhood on New York’s Upper West Side, a turf war has broken out between the Jets, a white gang, and the Sharks, a Puerto Rican Gang. Maria and Tony, members of rival gangs, meet at a local dance and love quickly follows. What will happen to the couple that are stuck in a romance nobody wants them to be in.

The show is raged PG. Tickets start at $41. For more information, call (630) 896-6666 or visit paramountaurora.com.

Girl Scouts Sports Sampler at Rush-Copley Healthplex

The Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois have partnered with the Rush-Copley Healthplex to offer an evening out for girls interested in sampling new sports, or those who want to come enjoy their favorites. Girl Scouts will be able to try wall climbing, table tennis, badminton, tennis, basketball, swimming, and even pickle ball. The event provides an opportunity to explore the fun of physical activity in a safe, supportive environment, while having fun with friends.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 12 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Rush-Copley Healthplex, 1900 Ogden Ave., Aurora. The cost to attend is $25 per Girl Scout and $5 per adult. The registration fee includes an event fun patch, pizza and a drink. To register for the Rush-Copley Sports Sampler event visit: www.girlscoutsni.org/sportssampler.

Downtown Volunteer Rally

Community members and local organizations looking to fill volunteer vacancies are invited to attend the Downtown Aurora Volunteer Rally from 1 to 3 p.m. on March 12 at the Riverfront Playhouse, 11 S. Water St. Mall, Aurora. There, interested participants can learn about a variety of volunteer opportunities being offered by local organization. Organizations in need to volunteers are asked to send a representative, as well as information about their volunteer opportunities in/near the downtown area. The rally is organized by the Riverfront Playhouse and Culture Stock bookstore. For more information call (630) 897-9496 or contact Cherilyn Winters at cwinters@riverfrontplayhouse.com.

Montgomery

Village hosts photo contest

The village of Montgomery is calling for amateur and professional photographers to enter its “Montgomery: It Feels Like Home” photo contest. The winning pictures will be featured on the village’s website, www.ci.montgomery.il.us, and on the village’s Facebook page. The top three photos will be displayed at Montgomery Fest where community members will vote to select a winner.

Photographs can be taken using any brand of camera or lens. Submissions taken through July 8. The three categories for the contest are: environment, people/activities, and architecture. Photos should portray the “community-friendly life of a Montgomery resident and can involved people, places, objects and action shots from any season.

“We are looking for photos that capture the natural beauty of Montgomery, such as the river, parks and wildlife, as well as the people and places that make Montgomery a great place to life, ” said Jeff Zoephel, village administrator. “We are looking for a wide range of photos that illustrate all the variety our village has to offer.”

For more information, visit the village’s website.

Village Easter Egg Hunt

The village of Montgomery and the Community Christian Church are teaming up for a community Easter Egg Hunt on March 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The morning kicks off with an Easter Egg Hunt at Montgomery Park, and will be followed by activities, snacks and pictures with the Easter Bunny at Montgomery Village Hall, 200 N. River St.

All participants should be at the park (N. River St. and W. Mill St.) by 10:15 a.m. for the hunt. The hunt will be divided in three age groups: Ages 1-3, 4-6, and 7-10. Then, participants can head to Village Hall for activities including a cakewalk, cookie decorating, face painting, a Fire truck from the Montgomery and Countryside Fire Station, police car from the Montgomery Police Department and more. There will also be treats, popcorn and refreshments.

Sandwich

Coloring and Cocoa

As a result of the program’s popularity, Coloring and Cocoa at the Sandwich Library will be hosted three times a week throughout the month of March. Participants are invited to color their stress away every Monday at 6:30 p.m., and on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. All materials are provided to participants. The event is an adult-only affair meant to help participants relax and unwind with some coloring and a cup of cocoa. If you would like to, or must, bring your child, Monday nights are idea, as Bedtime Stories, a Monday night story time program, begins at the same time as the adult coloring event. The library is located at 925 S. Main St., Sandwich. For more information, call (815) 786-8308 or visitwww.sandwichpld.org.

Oswego

Optimist Club Mardi Gras

Get your tickets while they last. Only 300 tickets will be sold to the Oswegoland Optimist Club Midwest Mardi Gras event to support the Susan Kiley Memorial Scholarship and other community businesses.

The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on March 19 at the Whitetail Ridge Golf Course in Yorkville, and will feature food, fun and dancing.

Music will be provided by the Dave Katz Jazz and Dixieland Band and Swing Assembly, a 12-piece band made up of many local educators.

The night will also hold silent auctions, a bayou buffet, and raffles.

Tickets are $40 for one, $75 for a couple and $350 for a table of 10. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.oswegooptimists.com/.

Vendors sought for Oswego Market

Vendors are being sought for The Oswegoland Park District’s Oswego Country Market, which will be back in downtown Oswego come summer.

The Sunday morning market opens from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday from June 5 until Sept. 25 on Main Street and in the parking lot between Tripp Insurance and the Village Grind. Vendors are welcome to sell everything from locally grown produce, to naturally raised chicken, beef, and pork, Wisconsin cheese, and all sorts of specialty food items. Selected artists and artisans will also offer their wares throughout the season.

If you are interested in participating as a vendor,  visit www.oswegolandpd.org to download the guidelines and application, and return your completed application with your proof of insurance and payment. The early bird deadline for vendor applications is April 15.

The Oswegoland Park District is also accepting applications from community groups who would like to promote their organizations, musicians who would like to play at the market, and groups of volunteers who would like to take part in our new “Market Muscle” program to assist people in carrying their heavy bags to their cars. If you have questions about the market, contact Cori Veverka at oswegocountrymarket@oswegolandpd.org or (630) 554-4433.

Oswego Bunny Hop takes over downtown

Hop from shop to shop during the 17th annual Downtown Oswego Bunny Hop. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 19 along Washington Street and Main Street. Children are invited to bring their own baskets as they hunt for treats being offered at businesses downtown. Maps of participating businesses will be sold for $1 and are required to receive treats. Money collected will go to fund more downtown friendly events each year.

The event kicks off with the arrival of the Easter Bunny via fire truck at the Garden Faire at 10 a.m. Then, it’s time to hop from shop to shop collecting goodies. Returned maps can be brought to Page’s Popcorn, Lil’s Emm’s, or The Garden Fair for a chance to enter a drawing for a giant Easter basket.

–Kendall County Area News Briefs–