Wine & Dine experience at Acquaviva Winery, 47W614 Route 38, Maple Park, IL. Discover the winery's home-grown grapes, production process, and award-winning wines. Then, indulge in a sampling of six exquisite wines that have earned top honors! Tour & Tasting: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Cost: $25 plus optional lunch. Want to keep the fun going? Let Ann Butcher (butch5@comcast.net) know if you'd like to join the group for lunch at 12:30 PM (lunch cost not included). Shop & Sip: Take home your favorite wines with exclusive purchase opportunities after the tour. Activity Level - On your feet

Reservation Deadline: August 22, 2025

Co-Facilitator: Susan Foody

In this hands-on Lab activity, participants will explore green chemistry by creating a biodegradable plastic using common kitchen ingredients. This course will introduce the concept of bioplastics (plastics made from renewable resources like plants, instead of petroleum) and encourage discussion on how chemistry can support sustainability. Location: SciTech in Batavia

Co-organizer: Mary Hauge

As a follow up to the LLI class, "Our Potawatomi Neighbors", participants will enjoy a 30 minute pontoon boat ride on Shabbona Lake followed by lunch at the lakeside restaurant. Come and see the land of Chief Shabbona and our Potawatomi neighbors, who recently re-aquired the park. Before the boat ride, you will choose a lunch entree and drink from a selection of choices. After the boat ride, your order will be ready for pick up. Event will run rain or shine with plenty of parking close to the dock and restaurant. - 10:30 arrival to put in food orders for lunch. Cost: $47 which includes boat ride and lunch. Activity level: On Your Feet

Reservation Deadline: September 10, 2025

Co-organizer: Mary Hauge

Repeat of Outing listing for Sept. 22

As a follow up to the LLI class, "Our Potawatomi Neighbors", participants will enjoy a 30 minute pontoon boat ride on Shabbona Lake followed by lunch at the lakeside restaurant. Come and see the land of Chief Shabbona and our Potawatomi neighbors, who recently re-aquired the park. Before the boat ride, you will choose a lunch entree and drink from a selection of choices. After the boat ride, your order will be ready for pick up. Event will run rain or shine with plenty of parking close to the dock and restaurant. - 10:30 arrival to put in food orders for lunch. Cost: $47 which includes boat ride and lunch. Activity level: On Your Feet

Reservation Deadline: September 10, 2025

Co-organizer: Evelyn Porter

Registration Deadline: August 22, 2025

Join your fellow LLI members for an afternoon of theatre and learn more about the events of 9/11 outside ground zero. This musical at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora portrays the lives of passengers rerouted from the United States airspace to Newfoundland while the attacks occurred. During that historic time, 38 airplanes carrying 6,579 people from 100 countries spent days in the small town of Gander. This is a moving show that will remind us of the kindness of strangers. 

Please meet outside the Paramount at 1:00 on the day of the performance, Oct. 1, 2025, to pick up your ticket(s) from Carolyn Hopkins (630) 212-8211. 

Parking available on the street, in the Stolp Island Parking Garage ($3-$4), or Valet parking ($17-$22)

Doors open 1:00, Show starts 1:30. Activity level-Easy Going

Co-organizer: Susan Foody

Participants discover how sound travels differently in water than in air - a concept that's crucial in marine science. Crucial especially when studying animals like whales and dolphins or using underwater technology like sonar.

Location: SciTech in Batavia

Throughout Aurora’s history, certain fires have left an indelible mark on the community—blazes so massive and devastating that they became stories passed down through generations. Burned Into Memory explores the city’s most infamous infernos, from the destruction of the Stolp Woolen Mill to the Cottonmill Fire, the tragic Woolworth Fire, and many more. Through historical accounts, photographs, and firsthand recollections, this presentation delves into the impact these fires had on Aurora’s landscape, its people, and the lessons learned from each disaster. Presented by Tracy Duran, Board Vice President of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum.

Location: Aurora Regional Fire Museum, second floor.

Activity Level - On your feet

Co-organizer: Carolyn Hopkins

Participants will tour the exhibit "Eye to Eye" which will feature the work of over 30 different artists. Once a rare luxury, good portraits are now part of our everyday existence. What are the stories the artists tell when they capture one's likeness? A second exhibit, "Pokagon Potawatomi Black Ash Baskets: Our Storytellers" explores the artistry, tradition, and importance of basketmaking among the Pokagon band of the Potawatomi people. Activity Level - On your feet

Session 1 (Please register for just one session)