District 214 Community Education

Lucky you! You’ve been invited to the Dunn Speakeasy at the Jacob Henry Mansion in Joliet for the wedding of the year! In this “married to the mob” event, you’ll never know whom to trust. With the two families merging together, someone is bound to lose power, which means someone else will lose their life. Get on the trolley and solve this case with your fellow detectives. If you would like you can dress up for this crime family wedding: Flapper dresses, zoot suits, feather boas and headbands, pinstriped suits and fedoras are all appropriate. The mansion, built in 1873 on Joliet’s Silk Stocking Row by railroad magnate Jacob Henry, is a fully furnished mansion known for its beauty and old Victorian charm. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places where you will enjoy a great lunch during the event.!

This great holiday tour starts with a late afternoon departure as we are off to dinner at the landmark White Fence Farm Restaurant and its proclaimed "World's Greatest Chicken.” Beautifully decorated for the holidays, the restaurant has served travelers on historic U.S. Route 66 since 1926. The famous chicken is pressure cooked thoroughly before being flash-fried for only three minutes and delivered immediately to your table, along with the restaurant’s famous relishes, corn fritters and mashed potatoes and gravy. A special holiday treat follows at Morton Arboretum’s “Illumination: Tree Lights at the Arboretum." Illumination is a spectacular holiday lights display using amazing new technology. Walk along a paved path to see the trees glowing with dazzling LED lights. You will not only see them, but interact with them as well: You can hug a tree to make it glow brighter, sing to a tree and watch it change color and swipe your hand to make it do both. It’s a new experience at every turn! Enjoy a cozy fire and some hot chocolate and stop in at the Visitor’s Center to see other themed displays. Illumination is becoming a true yuletide tradition. (Illumination requires walking along a relatively level outdoor pathway about ¾ to 1 mile in length.)

Kick off the holiday season at the Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, to see a timeless classic! Based on the beloved Christmas movie, “Miracle On 34th Street” is a big brassy Broadway musical with a heart. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade needs a new Santa. Enter Kris Kringle – a sweet and jolly old man who claims that he is the real Santa Claus. Thus begins this funny, warm, tuneful, and inspirational musical as Kris has to prove his claim in court and teach his cynical neighbor and her daughter to believe in Christmas. You will be treated to lunch in the theater’s lovely restaurant before enjoying the matinee performance in the 700-seat theatre in the round. You’ll also have time to shop before the show in the popular gift shops, offering a complete selection of gifts and collectibles for all ages and occasions.