This autumn, the Northbrook Park District is offering a lineup of events and programs that officials say is sure to please children and adults of all ages.
According to a news release, the spirit of the season kicks off in September with Northbrook Brewfest, an event for people ages 21 and up on Sept. 7 at Village Green Park in partnership with the Village of Northbrook.
That same weekend, people can enjoy nature and watch painters at work outdoors during the park district’s first “Paint the Prairie” event, to be held in conjunction with the Village of Northbrook’s arts commission at Techny Prairie Park and Fields, the release said.
Autumnfest always draws big crowds at Meadowhill Park with pumpkin picking, hayrides, music, food, arts and crafts and a lot more on Oct. 4, all with the backdrop of nature’s beautiful fall colors, the release said.
In the festive spirit of Halloween, pets and their “parents” can don matching outfits for the Halloween Pet Parade, and humans can participate in the good-natured Halloween 3K Fun Run, where the best costumes will receive prizes at the end, according to he release. Both events take place on Oct. 25.
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In November, anyone ages 6 and up can show off their basketball moves during the all-ages Turkey Shoot free-throw contest on Nov. 22, while the little ones always enjoy displaying their creative building skills during the Thanksgiving Lego Party on Nov. 27.
The release said families can celebrate the holiday spirit by enjoying Breakfast with Santa, a Holiday Craft Fair, and Shine: A Chanukah Celebration, all taking place in December.
The Park District is also dedicated to presenting the highest-quality programming for everyone’s recreational and fitness needs, the release said.
Park officials said families still have a couple of months to enjoy outdoor golfing at Heritage Oaks Golf Club and Anetsberger Golf Course, with classes for all ages and skill levels. Heritage Oaks also has an indoor golf simulator to hit the links during the winter months.
To stay active, children and adults can try out a new sport, with beginners always welcome, the release said. The Park District’s lineup for youths features soccer, cycling, basketball, skateboarding, lacrosse and more. Adults have just as many options, such as soccer, softball, tennis and pickleball.
The Northbrook Sports Center offers skating lessons and classes for people of all ages, with added class times for youth hockey due to popular demand, according to the release. There are also times for public skating, Cosmic Skating to the tune of DJ music starting in November, and special events like Kooky Spooky Skate on Oct. 26 and Skate with Santa on Dec. 21. Get started with “Try Skating for Free” on Aug. 17 and Nov. 23, and “Try Hockey for Free” on Nov. 2.
Young children and seniors can enjoy a variety of enriching programming at the Leisure Center.
For the little ones, the park district offers parent-tot sports, pee wee soccer, and lil’ dribbles, the release said. Seniors can enjoy events like a dinner dance party, educational workshops, visual arts like ornament making, and games like canasta and bingo.
According to the release, the state-of-the-art Techny Prairie Activity Center offers fitness opportunities for all ages. New specialty classes at TPAC this fall include OsteoFit Fusion, Weightlifting 101 and Yoga for Arthritis. TPAC also features more than 50 weekly group fitness classes such as cycling, yoga, barre, Body Pump and mat Pilates, all included with membership.
The release said Northbrook Theatre’s upcoming season will present several exciting productions: “High School Musical Jr.,” presented by Northbrook Theatre Youth Company; “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” presented by Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences; and “A Christmas Story” for all audiences.
There are theater classes for young aspiring playwrights, actors, singers and dancers, and the lineup for seniors includes a new Reader’s Theatre, where individuals get assigned roles to read classic and contemporary plays as a group.
Resident registration opens at 9 a.m. July 31; non-resident registration opens at 9 a.m. Aug. 7. The complete program guide will be mailed to residents and posted at nbparks.org on July 19.
To find out more and register for classes and programs, visit nbparks.org.