Gift boosts Elmhurst U jazz programs
A generous donation from Elmhurst Jazz Band alumni and longtime supporters of its well-known Jazz Festival who want to be anonymous will support the festival and two scholarship programs for jazz band students.
The $265,000 gift will support the Jim Cunningham Jazz Scholarship, which recognized the founder of the festival, and the Doug Beach Jazz Scholarship Fund, which honors the band’s longtime director and his contributions to both the profession and the university.
During the festival, top university and college bands from around the country perform and participate in master classes with top names in professional jazz. The Elmhurst University Jazz Band has performed all over the world and participated in festivals across the United States, including the Chicago Jazz Festival.
Festival director Chris Parsons, himself an alum of the Jazz Band, is pleased by the donation. “For almost 60 years, the Jazz Festival has been an important cultural event on the campus’s calendar, inspiring thousands of students and jazz fans throughout that time,” he shared via a news release.
Trout fishing to open in area preserves
The 2026 spring inland trout fishing season opens April 4 at Cook County Forest Preserves including Axehead Lake and Belleau Lake in Park Ridge, Sag Quarry East in Lemont, Horsetail Lake in Palos Park and Green Lake in Calumet City.
About 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout will be stocked by the Forest Preserves of Cook County at Sag Quarry East and 1,5000 pounds at Axehead Lake and Belleau Lake. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will stock 600 pounds at Horsetail Lake and 700 pounds at Green Lake. All are “catchable” trout ranging from a half-pound to one pound.
Fishing for or possessing any kind of trout is not legal March 15 until 5 a.m. April 4. In addition, the trout lakes will be closed to all fishing from March 30 until sunrise on April 4, allowing the trout to disperse throughout the lakes before the season opens.
During the season, five trout per day may be caught with no size restrictions. Those fishing can use no more than two lines with no more than two hooks per line.
Anyone 16 and older must have a valid Illinois sport fishing license with an inland trout stamp. Illinois residents who have a disability don’t need a sport fishing license but must have a State of Illinois disabled ID card showing a Class 2 or 2A disability or a veterans disability card. Also not required to have a license are Illinois residents who are on active military duty who are home on leave.
A fishing guide that includes maps showing depth and location of lakes as well as fish species, is found at fpdcc.com/fishing. Information also is at 708-403-6951.
Franklin Park’s Park District brochure ushers in digital era
The Park District of Franklin Park has gone digital with its Spring Into Summer 2026 brochure.
It’s hoped that the change will make finding and registering for programs a little easier and faster. “With a few clicks, residents will be able to browse programs, check dates, and register online from their phone, tablet, or computer,” a news release notes.
A “digital-first” brochure allows the district to reinvest savings into programs, parks and events; offers more convenience for residents who already check programs or sign up online; and allows the district to make changes or provide updates in real time.
The park district still will mail seasonal newsletters with updates and announcements and send reminder postcards for when new brochures can be viewed.
Those who want a print version can pick one up at all park district facilities or ask to have one delivered to their home by calling 847-451-8141 with their name and address or by emailing csaponieri@fpparks.org.
Audition workshops for ‘Mary Poppins Jr.’ set in Westmont
Free audition workshops are available for boys and girls 7 to 17 years old to prepare for the Academy of Music and Art’s spring production of “Mary Poppins Jr.,” planned for June 11-14 in Oakbrook Terrace.
A beginner workshop for those with little to no experience takes place at 6 p.m. April 7 and one for returning performers with prior theater experience is set for 7 p.m. April 7. Both are held at 350 E. Ogden Ave. in Westmont.
Youths will learn basic signing, choreography and audition techniques in an educational and supportive environment with the goal of feeling confident and prepared for auditions.
Advance registration is required by visiting academyofmusicandart.com/free-audition-workshops1.html.
Catch baseball game at Old Joliet Prison
The limestone historic building known as Old Joliet Prison, which was built before the Civil War, will come to life for a one-time exhibition baseball game April 30 between the Joliet Slammers and another Frontier League team.
“The Big House Ballgame,” hosted by the Joliet Area Historical Museum and the City of Joliet, is part of the official Route 66 Centennial Kickoff celebration. The yearlong celebration will feature exhibitions and communitywide activities throughout the city, highlighting Joliet’s role as the Illinois gateway to Route 66.
The event brings professional baseball to a historic site where inmates played games instituted in 1914 by Warden Edmund Allen in an attempt to “build morale among the inmates and promote good behavior,” according to a news release. It continued for almost a century until the prison closed in 2002.
The Joliet Historical Museum has offered tours of the Old Joliet Prison Historic Site since 2018. To be added to the waitlist for the chance to buy tickets, visit jolietslammers.com/bhbg or email bighousebaseballgame@jolietslammers.com.
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