Local Scene: Art, shopping opportunities set for Mother’s Day weekend in Illinois Valley

Here are five things to do this weekend:

1. Art Night: The gallery at the Prairie Arts Center, 24 Park Ave. E, Princeton, will host activities beginning from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday to view paintings by Rebecca Kautz. The show is titled “Homes of Strangers.” Kautz is from Princeton but now resides in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where she is an artist and art lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At 7 p.m., the performance in the theater will begin. This event will feature Kevin Roy Kramer and Friends. Kramer is a working musician who has devoted the past two decades to performing, writing, recording, studying, teaching and DJ’ing music to audiences in many locales and venues. This performance also will be a collaborative effort with colleagues. The cost of admission is $10. Children 12 and younger are admitted for free.

2. After Hours Teen Trivia: Seventh through 12th grades. Bring friends to this after-hours trivia night at the library, 1010 Canal St., Ottawa. Enjoy a popcorn bar, win awesome prizes and test your knowledge on all different topics. Teams should comprise three to five people. Registration is required. Register with the Reddick Library Children’s Department at 815-434-0509.

3. Art showcase: NCI ARTworks will host an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday for the art of Collette Yelm, Judith Gosse and Jacqueline Joann at the NCI ARTworks gallery in the Westclox Event Center in Peru. The opening reception is free, and all are welcome. Gosse is an illustrator and designer who grew up in Princeton. Gosse also worked in Washington, D.C., for several years illustrating for the Department of Defense and the FAA, among others. Yelm works with acrylics at drip painting.

4. Mother’s Day Flea Market: The event is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W. Peru St., Princeton. Admission is free. Everything from crafts to antiques, household decor and flea market items will be offered for sale. There will be a concession stand in the building with breakfast and lunch items. For information on upcoming events, visit the bureaucountyfair.com calendar of events or call 815-303-2905.

5. Thrive on Main: Several entrepreneurs in Sheffield are hosting an Etsy-inspired market, Thrive on Main, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11. Thrive on Main has become a spring-favorite event drawing people to Sheffield for the past six years to shop vendors, boutique trucks, fresh florals, local food and home decor.

Would you like your event highlighted in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Illinois Valley’s community calendar at shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/local-events.