Scot culture in all its off-kilter eccentricity will be celebrated Saturday at the 10th Annual Chicago Highland Games & Scottish Festival. There will be lots of throwing events, in which competitors toss hammers, sheaves of hay, tree trunks, aluminium beer kegs and clachnerts (heavy stones) as far as they can. Also on tap: a bagpipe and drum competition, traditional dance performances, a live music stage, rugby match, children’s games, crafts, and ethnic food and drink. The festival takes place at the Oak Brook Polo Grounds, 31st Street and York Road, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $8; children under 10 are free. Call 708-442-7293.
– Hugh Hart
BELLS ARE RINGING
The bells will be ringing when David Osborn performs the first in a 10-week series of free concerts at the Chicago Botanic Garden. At 7 p.m. Monday he will perform a program that includes music from Mozart and folk songs from France and Appalachia on the Butz Memorial Carillon, a musical instrument that is made up of 48 bronze bells that have a range of four octaves. Concertgoers can tour the bell tower at 6 p.m. before each concert and will be able to picnic on the lawn during the performances. The garden is on Lake Cook Road, one-half mile east of the Edens Expressway. Admission is free; parking is $4. Call 847-835-5440.
– Nancy Maes
HUNGARIAN BIRTHDAY
On Saturday, Hungarian-Americans from around the Chicago area will commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of Hungarian settlement and the 40th anniversary of the 1956 uprising against Soviet domination. At the State of Illinois Center, more than two dozen sculptors, photographers and businesses will have displays, and there will be educational and visual exhibits on this still little-known but beautiful Central European country. The celebration, featuring poetry in Hungarian and English, folk dances and music, runs 4-9 p.m. at 100 W. Randolph St. Food and drink will be provided by Paprikash Hungarian Restaurant, and admission is free; 312-282-9265.
– David McCracken
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JEWISH FOLK ARTS
In celebration of Jewish culture and art, the 9th annual Greater Chicago Jewish Folk Arts Festival will offer continuous entertainment on two stages, a storytelling tent, a kosher food court, children’s activities, a book fair, information booths and more. Highlights include a performance by Shari Lewis and Lambchop, music by the Klezmatics and storytelling by members of the National Jewish Theater. The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Cook County Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve, Devon Avenue at Milwaukee and Nagle Avenues. In case of rain, the site will be Niles West High School, 5701 W. Oakton Ave., Skokie. Suggested donation is $2; free for children. Call 847-329-1996.
– Shirley Henderson
GAYLE FORCE
Basically, it’s still down to the floor, says a spokeswoman for Crystal Gayle about the country singer’s trademark mane of black hair. Gayle will show off the hairdo and sing tunes with a seven-piece band Friday and Saturday at Drury Lane Theatre, 2500 W. 95th St., Evergreen Park. Fans can expect “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” of course, and other songs from the late ’70s and early ’80s when Gayle scored more than a dozen country hits. She’ll also perform material from “Some Day,” a Grammy-nominated collection of gospel tunes recorded last year. Gayle performs at 2 and 8:30 p.m. Friday, and 6 and 9 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for dinner and show range from $44 to $49; admission to the show only is $29-$32. Call 708-422-0404.
Hugh Hart