Program nears
Tombstone tales return

History comes alive in Oakwood Cemetery Friday, Oct. 3, with the 19th annual Tales Tombstones Tell program presented by the West Chicago City Museum.

Lighted lanterns and luminarias mark the paths to fascinating stories told by costumed interpreters about former residents buried at West Chicago’s oldest cemetery at York Street and Oakwood Avenue.

Tours begin at 6:30 p.m. and start every 10 minutes, with the last one at 7:45 p.m. Tours last about 45 minutes, and no reservations are necessary. The program is appropriate for families, is based on historical fact and does not contain ghost stories.

Although the event is free, donations are encouraged. The program will be canceled in the event of inclement weather. For more information, call the museum at (630) 231-3376 or e-mail museum@westchicago.org.

Reception, classes
Artoberfest kicks off

Local artists celebrate Artoberfest all month at Gallery 200 in West Chicago, kicking off with a reception for the exhibition, followed by art classes in October. The fall palette highlights the wide variety of media on display by amateurs through award-winning talent. The show ranges from oil painting and jewelry making to photography and sculpting.

The public is invited to an opening reception for the 30 artists from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, with light refreshments and live entertainment at the gallery. Nonmember artists are invited to display and sell their works during Artoberfest for a $5 fee. It’s a way to introduce new artists to the gallery, which is celebrating its third birthday.

Saturday classes throughout Artoberfest include glass painting, necklace beading, pencil sketching and clay sculpting. On Oct. 11, a sketch of a treasured pet will be the inspiration for local artist Fredericka Howard’s drawing class. Pumpkin decorating on Saturday, Oct. 25, coincides with Downtown Trick or Treat from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more information, call the gallery at (630) 293-9550 or visit www.westchicago.org. Regular gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and 4 to 8 p.m. Friday.

Gallery Walk
Geneva to celebrate arts
Downtown Geneva’s First Fridays Art Gallery Walk is back from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, featuring artwork and festivities at seven galleries.

A directory is available from the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, www.artgalleriesgeneva.com, or at any of the participating galleries.

For more information, call the Geneva Chamber at (630) 232-6060.

Artist reception
Holz to exhibit at Fine Line

The Fine Line Creative Arts Center will present an opening reception in the Kavanagh Gallery for mixed-media artist Cheryl Holz from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

The exhibit titled “…in the name of the flora and the fauna” runs from Oct. 3 to Nov. 15 at 6N158 Crane Road, St. Charles.

Building layer upon layer in works largely inspired by nature, she integrates painterly surfaces with natural ephemera, from prairie grasses to dragonfly wings.
Visit www.fineline.org or call (630) 584-9443.