Get out and Enjoy the Weekend

OO. It's going to be a brisk this weekend with perhaps a spot of rain. Wrap up a tad and get out and enjoy fall. Here are a few ways to do it.

Walk for Good Causes

Help Those with Diabetes

Woodlawn Memorial Park will be hosting a 5K Walk/Run this Saturday, September 22, to benefit the American Diabetes Association. The entry fee is $20 for adults and $15 for children under 18. Check-in is at 8 a.m., the walk starts at 9:30 a.m. Participants can register on the day of the event or by calling Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery at 708-442-8500. Woodlawn is located at 7750 W Cermak Rd.

Help the Animals

This Sunday, Sept. 23, is the annual Zoo Run Run to benefit conservation efforts at Brookfield Zoo. Check-in begins at 7:00 a.m. The first race begins at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $25 for Zoo members through Saturday, the last day of online registration; $35 on the day of the event. Non-Zoo members pay $30 through Saturday and $35 on the day of the race. There's no extra charge if you bring along your own rooting section. Some fine print: for free admission, guests must arrive with the runner and may not exit and return.

Online registration will close at 6 p.m. Saturday. To sign up, click here. The Zoo is located at 3300 Golf Rd., Brookfield.

Musically Speaking

Steely Dan fan alert. Deacon Blues will perform a tribute to Steely Dan at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, at Fitzgerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn. Tickets are $15 and available in advance at TicketWeb. 

Also at Fitzgerald's, if you want you music channeling the 40s, the John Burnett Orchestra  and vocalist Frieda Lee may be just your ticket. The ensemble will perform the sounds of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and others and standards once sung by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. The doors open at 5, the concert starts at 6. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 17 and under with a student ID.

And of course for folks who like the long-haired stuff (not modern music mind you), a program of Baroque and modern music will kick off this year's concert series at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at St. John Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Gaudete Brass Quintet will perform pieces by the German composer Heinrich Schutz and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Chinese composer Zhou Long.The final piece will be David Sampson's "Chicago Moves," a music journey depicting the rhythms of the City of the Big Shoulders. An offering will be collected. The church is at 305 Circle Ave.

Molly Malone's, 7652 Madison St., will have an open mic night for those of you who want the chance to perform. Session starts at 8:30 p.m.; it is free. Just show up.

Softball's OK

If you're really into softball - or just want to hang out for an hour or two and catch a decent game - come to the sixth OK Classic, starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday on the baseball fields at the Park District of Forest Park, 7501 Harrison St.

You can come in and out until the evening, as the championship game begins at 9 p.m. The tournament is free; food and drink and loads of other things for kids will be available.

The OK Classic is a one day, 20-team, co-ed, 14-inch, charity softball tournament in benefit of the Warriors at Opportunity Knocks, a non-profit organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities. The tournament is free.

Donate to Help a Cause

A collection of clothing and apparel of all types - in any condition - will be from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Oak Park Public Works building, 201 South Blvd. Items including shoes, belts, linens and towels then will be taken to Saver Thrift Stores, which sells goods for non-profits. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago.