Name: Lake Forest Lake Bluff Running Club’s Free Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K/10k Fun Run/Walk
Start: 2026-11-26T08:00:00-06:00
Location: West Lake Forest Train Station (Corner of 43 and Everett Road)

West Lake Forest Train Station (Corner of 43 and Everett Road)

It’s that time of year again—the Lake Forest Lake Bluff Running Club’s Free Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K/10k Fun Run/Walk!
It is FREE, FUN, stroller/dog friendly—and open to ANYONE who wants to come out 8am Thanksgiving Day! 
LFLB Running Club has hosted this free event as a way to support our greater community of runners/walkers and as a voluntary fundraiser for the Northern IL Food Bank. Over 500 usually attend. A great way to start out your Thanksgiving celebrations.Please consider contributing to the Northern Illinois Food Bank through this event's fundraising campaign. (Last year we set a record donation of $21,456!) <a href="https://support.solvehungertoday.org/fundraiser/7665505" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://support.solvehungertoday.org/fundraiser/7665505</a>
Visit lflb.org to find out more about this event and our regular Saturday morning run as well!

Local Event: Lake Forest Lake Bluff Running Club’s Free Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K/10k Fun Run/Walk

Lake County

Rachel Barnes

Chicago Metropolitan Area

Lake Forest-Lake Bluff

Illinois

Lake Forest Lake Bluff Running Club’s Free...

It’s that time of year again—the Lake Forest Lake Bluff Running Club’s Free Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K/10k Fun Run/Walk!
It is...

Lake Forest Lake Bluff Running Club’s Free Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K/10k Fun Run/Walk

Gorton Center

<h3>Noiś Saxophone Quartet</h3>
Think you know what a saxophone quartet sounds like? Noiś is here to change your mind.
Musical America calls Chicago’s Noiś Saxophone Quartet “the American saxophone quartet du jour.” Now the quartet celebrates its 10th season by doing what it does best: taking four saxophones places you never expected them to go.
For its Rendezvous Arts debut, Noiś brings a bold and wide-ranging program. Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 5 and Paquito d’Rivera’s Wapango burst with rhythmic energy. An unexpected Schumann arrangement shows off a completely different side of the quartet.
Then Noiś turns to the music of today. Works by Sarah Kirkland Snider, Emma O’Halloran, Augusta Read Thomas, Shelley Washington, and Travis Laplante each bring a distinct voice. Noiś moves effortlessly from intimate and atmospheric to playful, explosive, and exhilarating.
Over the past decade, Noiś has premiered more than 120 new works. Along the way, the quartet has built a national reputation for redefining what four saxophones can do.
Now we get to experience them up close.
Four saxophones. Ten years together. One seriously unexpected hour of music.

Local Event: Rendezvous Arts: Noiś Saxophone Quartet

Rendezvous Arts: Noiś Saxophone Quartet

Noiś Saxophone Quartet
Think you know what a saxophone quartet sounds like? Noiś is here to change your mind.
Musical America...

Citadel Theatre

On one fateful Christmas Eve, George Bailey teeters on the edge of despair, until an unexpected visitor reveals the extraordinary impact of his life. Told as a lively 1940s radio broadcast, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play blends humor, nostalgia and heart into a timeless reminder that the choices we make can change everything.

Local Event: OPENING NIGHT: It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

OPENING NIGHT: It's a Wonderful Life: A Live...

On one fateful Christmas Eve, George Bailey teeters on the edge of despair, until an unexpected visitor reveals the...

OPENING NIGHT: It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

<h5>Reiki Accelerated Class 1 and 2</h5>
Discover the Healing Power of Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice that supports physical, emotional, and mental balance. It uses gentle touch to channel universal life energy into the body, helping to promote relaxation and reduce stress. The word&nbsp;Rei&nbsp;means “universal life,” and&nbsp;Ki&nbsp;means “energy,” so Reiki literally translates to&nbsp;Universal Life Force Energy.
This holistic practice is based on the belief that all living things are sustained by a vital life force. When this energy flows freely, the body can maintain health and balance. Through Reiki, practitioners aim to restore this flow, facilitating healing at physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.
Using the practitioner’s hands, Reiki energy is transferred to the recipient, calming the nervous system and enhancing overall well-being. Many find it to be a deeply soothing and grounding experience.
<h5>What You’ll Learn in Our Accelerated Reiki Class</h5>
Our&nbsp;Accelerated Reiki Class&nbsp;is open to everyone and includes both Reiki Level I and Level II certifications. In this course, participants will:
<ul><li>Learn the core Reiki symbols and their meanings</li><li>Receive clear, step-by-step instruction from an experienced teacher</li><li>Gain hands-on practice with energy work</li><li>Earn a Reiki II certificate upon completion</li></ul>
You’ll leave the class with the knowledge and confidence to practice Reiki on yourself, others, and even animals.
Meet Your Instructor: Melissa MacTaggart
Melissa MacTaggart is a certified Reiki Master Teacher who has trained in the Usui method—the oldest form of Reiki. She studied at Zaanti Reiki and Sat Nam Yoga in Chicago and founded Blossom and Bee Reiki in 2018.
Melissa has led Reiki workshops in both Los Angeles and Chicago. Her passion for energy healing began in her teenage years, sparking a lifelong journey into the mind-body connection. Today, she considers Reiki her most beloved modality because of its transformative, radiant power. Her mission is to help others discover peace and balance through energy work. Melissa’s mantra is, “Let’s move energy together.”

Local Event: Accelerated Reiki Levels I & II

Accelerated Reiki Levels I & II

Reiki Accelerated Class 1 and 2
Discover the Healing Power of Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice that supports...

Central Street

Please join Central Street Evanston on November 14, 2026 for the annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.centralstreetevanston.com/holiday-stroll-tree-lightng" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">holiday stroll and tree lighting</a>. Kick off the holiday season early with a memorable day&nbsp;of shopping and dining, special entertainment, surprises, and holiday&nbsp;cheer. Enjoy shopping and dining promotions all day long, with an afternoon of festivities including a&nbsp;visit from Santa, strolling alphorns, free trolley rides,&nbsp;holiday festivities, caroling, elves, music and more. 5 PM tree lighting ceremony in Independence Park.&nbsp;Come celebrate peace, love &amp; light on Central Street. <a href="https://maps.northwestern.edu/txt/facility/275" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Free Parking</a> at the Ryan Field West Parking Lot at Ashland Avenue &amp; Central Street. <a href="https://www.centralstreetevanston.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Visit the Central Street website</a> for more information.

Local Event: Central Street Evanston Annual Holiday Stroll and Tree Lighting

Cook County

Evanston

Central Street Evanston Annual Holiday Stroll...

Please join Central Street Evanston on November 14, 2026 for the annual holiday stroll and tree lighting. Kick off the holiday...

Central Street Evanston Annual Holiday Stroll and Tree Lighting

Let your little animal lover bring their imagination to life! In this hands-on, pretend-play craft experience. Children will pick their own pet, decorate and personalize it, create their own grooming supplies, and build a cozy bed or house for their new furry friend.
To finish, each child will officially adopt their pet with a special adoption certificate and take their creation home. It’s a sweet mix of creativity, imaginative play, and hands-on making that encourages kids to care for, nurture, and use their imagination with their new pet!

Local Event: Paws and Palettes 

Paws and Palettes 

Let your little animal lover bring their imagination to life! In this hands-on, pretend-play craft experience. Children will...

Starbucks Reserve

Join The Northshore Chess Club EVERY Saturday from 1-4PM at our “Saturday Chess at Starbucks” events at the Lake Forest Starbucks (672 N Western Ave, Lake Forest, IL). Check <a href="https://www.meetup.com/northshorechess/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.meetup.com/northshorechess/</a>&nbsp;to join the club, to post comments, ask questions, and RSVP for events.
Please RSVP, come play, and learn something to improve your chess! If you’re a beginner please review the rules of chess (like En Passant) before you come. There’s a PDF on <a href="https://www.chesshouse.com/pages/chess-learning-resources" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">chesshouse.com/pages/chess-learning-resources</a> (Rules of Chess).
Note: we have a maximum of 15 spots per event, so if you can’t come please cancel your RSVP to allow someone else to come! All ages, genders, and levels welcome!
PS-Dues are $5/YEAR (after a 1 month trial), to defray my Meetup subscription, paid either through Meetup.com, or better yet you can pay me cash and I'll mark you as paid! -Carlos Cardona, Owner, <a href="https://carloscardona.myportfolio.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Carlos Cardona Photography</a>

Local Event: Northshore Chess Club at Starbucks

Northshore Chess Club at Starbucks

Join The Northshore Chess Club EVERY Saturday from 1-4PM at our “Saturday Chess at Starbucks” events at the Lake Forest...

For 17 years, Local Legends has been one of the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff’s most anticipated traditions. Each year, the event honors a remarkable individual whose work has left a lasting mark, and part of what makes it special is that you never quite know who it will be. Across nearly two decades, Local Legends has celebrated an ever-surprising range of voices, and the annual reveal has become a moment our community looks forward to together.
More than a celebration, Local Legends sustains the work of the History Center throughout the year, supporting the preservation, programs, and stewardship of our community’s history for generations to come.
Seats are filling up quickly, so if you've been meaning to get your tickets, now is the time!
This Year’s Honoree: Rebecca Makkai
We are especially proud to honor an author with deep roots in our own community. Rebecca Makkai grew up in Lake Bluff, and has gone on to become one of the most acclaimed novelists of her generation. Her 2018 novel The Great Believers, set during the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Chicago, was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and won the ALA Carnegie Medal, the Stonewall Book Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. The New York Times named it one of the ten best books of 2018, and later included it among the best books of the twenty-first century.
Her 2023 novel, I Have Some Questions For You, was a New York Times bestseller. She is also the author of the novels The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House and the story collection Music for Wartime, and is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow. Now based in the Chicago area, she remains closely tied to the region that shaped her, which makes her a fitting choice to celebrate as this year’s Local Legend.
This year’s event
This year’s celebration takes place Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, and will see Rebecca be interviewed by WGN Morning News Anchor, Larry Potash. The setting is an intimate interview that encourages the sharing of little-known stories, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and insights missing from standard biographies.
Patron sponsors of all levels are invited to a special cocktail event the day before, on Friday, November 13, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm to be held at the Armour Estate on the Lake Forest Academy Grounds.
New this year, sponsors at the $2,500 level and above are invited to an intimate author luncheon and book talk with Rebecca Makkai at the History Center on Friday, November 13, at 12:00pm. We’re introducing this gathering for the first time in 2026, and we hope it becomes a lasting part of the Local Legends tradition. Details about both events will be sent to each patron sponsor.Thank you to our media sponsor Forest &amp; Bluff!<figure><img src="https://cdn20.patchcdn.com/users/22985980/20261105/124921/forest-bluff___05124920198.jpg">﻿</figure>

Local Event: Local Legends 2026 Honoring Rebecca Makkai

Local Legends 2026 Honoring Rebecca Makkai

For 17 years, Local Legends has been one of the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff’s most anticipated traditions. Each...

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Lake Forest-Lake Bluff|Local Event

Lake Forest Lake Bluff Running Club’s Free Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K/10k Fun Run/Walk

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