All-Nite Flea Market to return

The All-Nite Flea Market opens at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, and runs until 4 a.m. at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton.

It will be held at the upper part of the fairgrounds, regardless of the weather, with dealers in buildings, sheds, barns, tents and outdoors.

French crooner Michelet Innocent will perform in French, English, Spanish Creole and other languages. Magician Bruce Dicker will appear, and The Mini Cooper Car Club and Collectors Cars will be on hand, as will the St. Bernard Dog Rescue Service, Midwest Greyhound Adoption and Save a Pet.

Shoppers should bring flashlights and lanterns for the expanded market. Admission costs $6 for ages 13 and older.

The fairgrounds are on County Farm Road between routes 38 and 64. For more information, call (715) 526-9769 or visit www.zurkopromotions.com or e-mail zurko@frontiernet.net.

Foreigner to rock Mooseheart benefit

Foreigner will raise money for the Mooseheart Child City and School at its Sunday, Aug. 24, concert at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

Volunteers will offer compact discs for $20, of which $5 each will go to Mooseheart. Each sale includes a raffle ticket for a signed Les Paul guitar and the opportunity to meet Foreigner after the show.

The band, whose hits include “Cold as Ice,” “Jukebox Hero” and “Hot Blooded,” will star at 8 p.m. at 23 E. Galena Blvd. A preshow party package also is available, and provides a photo and signing opportunity. The lineup includes original member Mick Jones and Jason Bonham, son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.

For tickets, call (630) 896-6666. Visit www.theparamounttheatre.com.

The Paramount offers patrons some relief from gas prices this summer. Patrons who place new ticket orders during August and mention the word “relief” will receive $10 off any pair of tickets valued at $50 or more. Some of the season highlights include D.L. Hughley and Joy Behar in September; Howie Mandel, “Forever Tango” and Sinbad in October; Fab Four, “Nunsense” starring Sally Struthers, Frank Caliendo, STOMP and Bob Newhart in November; Jim Brickman and Wynonna in December; and “Footloose,” David Sedaris and “Movin’ Out” next year.

Youth Symphony auditions announced

With the accolades of being the 2007 Youth Orchestra of the Year and being led by the 2008 Youth Orchestra Conductor of the Year, the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra still has a few instrument openings for the 33rd season. Famed violinist Midori will be a guest collaborator with the group and with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra this fall.

The EYSO, an in-residence ensemble in the Arts Center at Elgin Community College, is home to five orchestras with nearly 300 students from 60 communities. It invites musicians in grades four through college age.

Auditions will continue through August until all openings are filled on the main campus of ECC, 1700 Spartan Drive. For details and to schedule an audition, call (847) 841-7700. Video auditions also are accepted. Audition requirements and an application, can be found at www.eyso.org.

Garfield Farm to show heirloom veggies

Garfield Farm Museum delivers a delicious taste of the past and future with its 19th annual Heirloom Garden Show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24.

Only those crops, fruits and vegetables that can survive well with a minimum of oil inputs, and hotter and drier extremes, and grow in less productive soils will be critical for such an uncertain future of change, said event planners. The Heirloom Garden Show reflects hundreds of years of breeding varieties of plants to meet different conditions. It will feature gardeners and produce growers from the Great Lakes region.

Many of the exhibitors are members of the Seed Savers Exchange of Iowa, which has expanded to an 889-acre site with 51 organic and isolated garden plots to prevent cross-pollination of the 3,000 varieties grown each year out of a 25,000-variety collection. Seed Savers annually receives a portion of the show’s proceeds.

The focal point of the museum, the 1846 brick tavern, will be open for tours. Food and refreshments will be available from Inglenook Pantry of Geneva.

For information, call (630) 584-8485 or e-mail info@garfieldfarm.org. The museum is five miles west of Geneva off Route 38 on Garfield Road. The historically intact former 1840s Illinois prairie farmstead is being restored as an 1840s working farm museum by donors and volunteers from around the country. Visit www.garfieldfarm.org.

Welsh festival coming to Oak Brook

The North American Festival of Wales is coming to Oak Brook as a four-day event featuring up-and-coming Welsh musical talent, prominent Welsh guest speakers, a Welsh film festival and other festivities.

Billed as the largest Welsh gathering in North America, it takes place from Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 28 to 31, at The Doubletree Hotel Oakbrook, 1909 Spring Road, Oak Brook. For further information, visit www.wngga.org.

The organization notes that Kelly Clarkson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Robin Williams and Tom Hanks are among the 2.5 million Americans of Welsh ancestry. Common surnames are Evans, Davies, Jones, Morgan, Price, Parry, Roberts or Williams.

Family gaming tournament on tap

Moms, dads, sisters and brothers can team up to compete in a free Family Gaming Tournament from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Blockbuster store, 2160 Bloomingdale Road, Glendale Heights.

Participating families will vie for the gold against other families in Wii Sports games, including tennis, bowling, baseball, boxing and golf. Winning families in each sport will be presented with medals on an Olympic-style podium.

There will be free popcorn and candy, with the first 50 participants receiving a free movie rental. One can enter to win a year of free Blockbuster rentals. The tournament is open to families of all ages.

Registration for family teams of two to six is first-come the day of the event.

Senior Orchestra seeks new members

The Senior Suburban Orchestra will open its ninth season with a rehearsal Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 2. The orchestra is composed mostly of retirees, and performs 15 concerts a year at schools, retirement communities and other public venues.

SOS rehearsals and concerts are always scheduled during daylight hours on weekdays. There are no weekend or evening performances. For several years, the orchestra has numbered about 40 players. Not all the musicians are seniors and ages range from people in their 30s to 80s, said Ron Baumgardner of Brookfield.

The orchestra plays a variety of music, from classical literature through Sousa marches to music from Broadway and Hollywood. This season will feature several pieces by Leroy Anderson, born 100 years ago. Most concerts include an audience sing-along. Music director and conductor is Dan Pasquale D’Andrea.

Rehearsals are held from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays at Fairview Village in Downers Grove. Musicians come from a variety of communities to participate, from Oak Park to Joliet to Wheaton. Orchestral musicians who might like to participate can learn more by contacting Lori Davis at (630) 530-2910 or LSD542000@yahoo.com. There are openings for oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, violin, viola, cello and double bass.

The SSO receives support from the Illinois Arts Council, DuPage Community Foundation, the village of Downers Grove and corporate and private contributions.

‘Youngest’ Beatles tribute band to play Lombard

Stockwood, called the world’s youngest Beatles tribute band, will appear Saturday, Aug. 23, at Lombard Cruise Nights.

It features Collin Berg, 15, as John Lennon; J.D. Fuller, 15, as Paul McCartney; John Morefield, 13, as George Harrison; and Evan Berg, 11, as Ringo Starr. The group won first place in a battle of the bands at a Beatles fest in Chicago in 2006 and 2007. In March, the group was voted Best Under 21 Band by NiteLife.org.

The free event takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. at St. Charles Road and Park Avenue. For more information, visit www.villageoflombard.org or call (630) 620-5718. For more on the group, visit www.stockwoodrocks.com.