Arts & Entertainment
Des Plaines Weekender
The big buzz this weekend is Fall Fest. Once you've sugared up the kids and used them as an excuse to whirl around on a few carnival rides there's still plenty to do this weekend.
FRIDAY
6 p.m. Friday through 6 p.m. Sunday
Find out what's happening in Des Plainesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lake Park
Free
Find out what's happening in Des Plainesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Indulge in sinful fried fair food, turn your stomach upside down on the carnival rides, then pose in front of Detroit's finest at the car show before checking out the vendors, live music, scarecrow contest, and more.
SATURDAY
8:00 a.m.
Lake Park
Free
This two hour long all-ages bike ride takes you through the 8 wards of Des Plaines. Since it both begins and ends at Fall Fest it's a great way to get the entire family out for a day in the community.
Drop-In Intermediate Chess Workshop
10:45 a.m.
Des Plaines Public Library
Free
If you need a little quiet contemplation before braving the crowds at Fall Fest then come to the public library to sharpen up your chess skills.
This is a relaxing hour for parents of children with Autism. While you visit the library, your children with autism get to spend a monitored hour with specially trained therapy dogs from Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy.
12:00 p.m.
Lake Park
Free
If you love fishing this is a great way to do a good deed while relaxing with your rod and reel. They provide the bait, you provide your own fishing gear, and the lake provides you with plenty of fish to brag about.
"This contest is for the health of the lake," said Gene Haring, director of marketing for the Des Plaines Park District. "It's not a catch and release contest. We're trying to extract as many of the carp and the white crappie from the lake as we can. Bring them in for prizes. Everyone who participates helps the health of the lake. The carp stir up silt at the bottom of the lake and that makes it harder for the other fish to breathe. The white crappie eat minnows and the small bass, so the rest of the fish population never has a chance."
SUNDAY
1:30 p.m.
Des Plaines Public Library
Free
This Sunday the Friends of the Library are showing Bright Star, Jane Campion's film about the last three years of poet John Keats life.
The Chicago Human Rhythm Project
2:00 p.m.
Footlik Theater, Oakton Community College Des Plaines Campus
$20
Spend a day celebrating American percussion and rhythm ranging from tap dance to contemporary percussive arts. This is the place to be if you love a good beat. Proceeds support the Oakton Educational Foundation Student Scholarship Fund.
