Nov 1 – Central IL Arts Organization First Friday – 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Admission: Free. Get an intimate look at studios, galleries & arts organizations. Meet artists, musicians, neighbors & collectors. Tour includes 11 locations & spans a breadth of artistic media.

Nov 1 – Dia de los Muertos from 9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. at Peoria Art Guild, 203 Harrison St., Peoria. Proceeds benefit art education

Nov 2 – Get Covered Illinois Open House at the Peoria City/County Health Dept., Room LL100 -10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Learn about health insurance options: Affordable Care Act, IL Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid Expansion. Visit with In-Person Counselors to learn more about options for: uninsured individuals, young adults & families, people w/pre-existing conditions, self-insured, & individuals without access to affordable health insurance.

Nov 2 – One-Stop Christmas Shop @ Groveland Community Library – 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in Groveland, IL. This major fundraiser for the library takes place in the gym of the Groveland Missionary Church (corner of Springfield Rd & Sheridan Rd.) Christmas items, everyday items, & 30+ vendors. Indoor Shopping! Call 387-2816.

Nov 2 – Mary Macaroni Gives Free Concert at Peoria Public Library Kids Rock – 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the Peoria Public Library North Branch in the McKenzie Room. This free event is open to all ages. Call 497-2120.

Nov 3 – 4 – Annual Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon fundraiser @ Grand Army of the Republic Greenhut Memorial Hall. This fundraiser is for the continuing restoration & upkeep of this historic building at 416 Hamilton Blvd. Admission: $30 per person & includes a complementary soup supper w/dessert & beverages.BYOB. Advance ticket purchased is encouraged. Call 636-7022 or 674-6864.

Nov 4 – Wellmobile – 9:00 a.m. – noon. Get your cholesterol*, blood pressure, & spirometry (lung function) checked. Free. *Requires 8-12 hour fast.

Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26 – “Downton Abbey” Lunch date – 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Get ready for Season 4; bring your lunch & friend/s to watch Season 3. Free.

Nov 5 – Heart of Illinois Knitting Guild’s next meeting at: 9:00 a.m. @ Memorial Hall, Maple Lawn Homes in Eureka. Char Rickey will present Knitting with Beads. Call 472-7085 or email spinwool7@aol.com. There are materials requirements for this program.

Nov 6 – Methodist Methodist College of UnityPoint Health offers a Fall Open House – 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the College Campus at 415 St. Marks Court in Peoria. Meet college faculty, admissions staff, current students, program coordinators & financial aid representatives. A campus tour provided. Early admission deadline for high school seniors for the fall of 2014 is December 1. Applications can be completed online at www.methodistCOL.edu. For more info, call 672-5513.

Nov 7 – Page Turners Book Club @ 1:00 p.m. Discussing “The Three Weissmans of Westport” by Cathleen Schine.

Nov 7 – “College Admissions 101” 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Early application, Early decision, SAT subject tests. This seminar examines trends in college admissions & helps demystify the process. Designed for parents of high school sophomores and juniors. Free.

Nov 8 – 8th Annual Holiday Walk – 4:00 – 9:00 p.m. @ Junction City Shopping Center. Activities: Pictures w/Santa, Live Reindeer, Carriage Rides, etc. while enjoying Hors d’oeuvres, Face Painting, Live Performance & MORE! Kick-off the Holiday Season in Style and Experience Local!

Nov 9 – Bishop Hill Fiber Guild meets at 10:00 a.m. at the Methodist Church in West Jersey, IL. Those interested in fiber (spinners, knitters, crocheters, basket makers, beaders, weavers, etc.) are welcome to attend. Call 472-7085 or email spinwool7@aol.com

Nov 9 – Peoria Symphony Orchestra “Allure of Paris” – 8:00 p.m. @ Grace Presbyterian Church on Route 91. Call 371-1096 for ticket info.

Nov 9 – Peoria Poetry Club meets at Riverview Senior Living Community, 500 Centennial Dr., East Peoria. Bring a sack lunch at 11:30 a.m., read a poem at our noon roll call, & enjoy program at 1:00 p.m. For more info call 822-8308, or visit peoriapoetryclub.com.

Nov 9 – Old-fashioned barn dance at the Washington Middle School, Washington, IL. Live music will be provided by the popular Champaign contra band Euphor. Callers Jim Hicks and Gail Hintze teach all the dances so beginners are welcome. The fun begins at 7:00 p.m. Come fifteen minutes early for an introduction to barn dance basics. Admission is $5, with a $20 maximum for families. You are invited to bring a snack to share. For more info & directions, call 274-5358 or 274-2228.

Nov 9 – The IL Citizens for Better Education to host Forum for Understanding Common Core, Gateway Bldg, 200 NE Water St., Peoria. This free event @ 10:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Featured speaker: Shane Vander Hart from Truth in American Education. Public is invited to the forum on educational policy. Register at www.eventbrite.com.

Nov 9 – Senator Darin LaHood invites Peoria residents to the Electronics Recycling Fair – 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at: Kuusakoski Recycling, 2022 Townline Rd., Peoria. Items included: TVs, Computers, Monitors, Printers, VCRs, DVD players, and Telephones. Call 693-4921 for more info.

thru Nov 10 – Chrysanthemum Show “The Nightmare Before Christmas”- Sundays from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Luthy Botanical Garden, 2520 N. Prospect Rd., Peoria. Phone: 686-3362. Admission: $2.50/Adults 13+; free/ages 12 & under. Tues – Sat: 10:00 am – 5:00 p.m. Mon: Closed. Packed with hundreds of mums, this event makes a great escape from the fall chill & offers a peaceful respite before the holiday season begins. The Gift Shop will have selected merchandise marked down.

Nov 12 – “What’s Cooking in Dunlap … Appetizers 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Wondering what to serve while waiting for the Thanksgiving turkey -Appetizers! All ages welcome. Those under 12 should be accompanied by an adult. Sign up today! Registration required. Free.

Nov 13 – Community Make a Blanket Day to benefit Project Linus – at Jones Sewing Machine Co., 3410 N. Prospect Rd. Join anytime between 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Sewing machines & fabric squares provided. Bring your favorite notions and a sack lunch. Call 309-382-3672.

Nov 14 – The Peoria County Genealogical Society’s guest speaker will be Eric Miller at the Peoria Public Library North Branch at 6:30 p.m. He will show us the latest in cloud-based mapping using the GIS platform, GIS stands for Geographic Information System.GIS involves using software, hardware, and databases to create, maintain and view historical sites on maps. GIS can be used in locating grave sites, property information and record the longitude and latitude of those sites.

Nov 18 – Monday Morning Book Club – 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Have you been wanting to join a book club, but couldn’t because of a childcare dilemma? We will bring out our story time toys for the kids to enjoy while we adults discuss our monthly book. We will be discussing “Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli.

Nov 19 – The Peoria Knit and Crochet Guild will meet at the Peoria Public Library Lakeview Branch – 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Call 253-8104 for more info.

Nov 19 – “Historic Homes & Their Untold Stories” – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Dan Guillory, author of nine books, will offer a program entitled “Historic Homes and their Untold Stories,” based on his latest book, HousePoems. Book signing will follow.

Nov 20 – The Newcomers’ Club of Greater Peoria invites you to our monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at Denhart Baking Company, 101 Washington Square, Washington. Order off the menu. Open to the public. The Newcomers’ Club is open to all women who have lived in the Tri-County area for less than five years or have had a recent lifestyle change.For more info or to make a reservation please contact Jane at 691-7206 or email us at newcomerspeoriaillinois@gmail.com.

Nov 21 – Cyber Security” – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. “Stop…Think…Connect” is the catchphrase for this program. Learn safety tips for social networking. Internet safety & and security pointers for all internet users will be shared. Bring your cyber security questions! Registration requested. Call (309) 243-5716.

Nov 22 – Annual Santa Claus Parade – Dowtown Peoria. This is the longest consecutive holiday parade in the country. Features over 88 costumed characters and floats.

Nov 22 – 30 – Luthy Botanical Gardens Candlelight Walks @ Luthy Botanical Gardens, 2520 N. Prospect Rd., Peoria. Experience the beauty of the Poinsettia Show at night under the warm glow of hundreds of candles. Conservatory admission will be waived during the holidays.a

Nov 23 – East Peoria Festival of Lights Parade – The Festival of Lights has a variety of Christmas activities: lighted float parade, nativity scene, 4 mile run, and pageant.

Nov 28 – Dec 1 – Festival of Trees – Expo Gardens, 1601 W. Northmoor Rd., Peoria. Phone: (309) 691-6332. The Festival of Trees is a community-wide event with 50 beautifully-decorated trees and wreaths on display and for auction.

Nov 28 – Dec 31 – Winter Wonderland – daily in East Peoria, IL. The East Peoria Winter Wonderland is a 2-mile drive thru display where you can see almost all of the floats from the Festival of Lights Parade.

Nov 30 – Village of Peoria Heights: Small Business Saturday

Nov 30 – The 9th annual Christmas Jubilee Concert – a performance of favorite and classic holiday music that is presented as a live 1940’s radio broadcast, will be held at 7:00 p.m. at Five Points Washington. The concert is presented by GospelFest Ministries. Tickets are $15 for adults and students high school and under are free. Call 309-472-0027 for ticket reservations & info.