First Congregational showing silent ‘Phantom of the Opera’
First Congregational Church of Elgin will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1925 silent film version of “The Phantom of the Opera” with a free screening at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at the church, 256 E. Chicago St.
Acclaimed silent film organist Ben Model will provide live accompaniment on the church’s pipe organ, and the movie will be preceded by the 1928 animated short, “Koko’s Haunted House,” according to a news release. Attendees are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes.
Ben Model, who lives in New York City, accompanies silent films at venues and festivals around the country. According to the release, he is credited with finding the lost silent film “The House of Wonders,” made in 1931 by the Elgin National Watch Co., and writing and performing a score to go with it. The movie can be found on YouTube and at the Elgin History Museum on a gallery monitor.
A free-will offering will be taken at the event to support First Congregational’s concert series. For more information, call 847-741-4045 or email [email protected].
Gail Borden Public Library holding state resources fair
A state resources fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in the Meadows Community Rooms and the parking lot of the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.
Hosted by state Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, the event will be a “one-stop shop for Illinois’ essential services,” according to the library’s website.
An Illinois Secretary of State’s mobile driver services facility will be on site to offer limited driver’s license and identification services, including state IDs and REAL IDs. To make an appointment, go to signup.com/go/dmroQca.
The community rooms will include booths for Moeller’s office and the state’s offices of Professional and Financial Regulation, Department of Aging and Department of Human Services.
Services offered will include assistance with the Illinois Treasurer’s Office I-Cash program for retrieving forgotten assets; organ donation signup through the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office; and IPass applications through Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.
To register to attend, go to attend.gailborden.info/event/14067504.
‘Haunted’ car show Saturday at Dundee historical museum
The third annual Historically Haunted Car Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Dundee Township Historical Society Museum, 426 Highland Ave., West Dundee.
Car owners who want to enter the competition will be charged $20 but there is no admission to view the vehicles, according to a social media post. Dash plaques will be given to the first 50 car entries, and trophies presented for best car by decade, spookiest car, best of show and best Halloween costume.
Proceeds benefit the Dundee Township Historical Society. For information, call Humberto Garcia, 847-800-5124.
Elgin holding the Great Hawthorne Pumpkin Hunt
Elgin Parks and Recreation Department will host the Great Hawthorne Pumpkin Hunt from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Hawthorne Hill Nature Center, 28 Brookside Drive, Elgin.
The family-friendly event will allow participants to explore and enjoy nature while stopping at educational stations, searching for hidden pumpkins, creating seasonal crafts and taking home free mini pumpkins, a social media post said.
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Registration is $10 per child for Elgin residents and $12 per child for nonresidents. To register, go to bit.ly/HawthornePumpkinHunt25. For information, call 847-531-7055.
Fall Family Fun Fest at Izaak Walton Reserve
Hanover Township Department of Youth and Family Services will hold a Fall Family Fun Fest from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Izaak Walton Youth Center & Reserve, 899 Jay St., Elgin.
The free event will feature games, a bounce house, music, free snacks and seasonal crafts. Costumes are encouraged to participate in the Costume Contest Raffle.
“Our fest is a great opportunity to get the family together for some outdoor, fall fun,” Erin Brumfield Grima, youth and family services director, said in a release. “Have a doughnut and some cider, complete a fall craft and take a family snapshot at our fall themed photo display.”
For more information, call 630-483-5799 or email [email protected].