Includes a dairy cattle show, demos on cattle care, feeding and milking, a milk-drinking contest, and live music. Also features a parade Saturday afternoon down Ayer Street, which is painted bright white. Plus, arts and craft show, horse shows, grilling competition, antique tractor display, two-mile and 10K milk runs, two-mile milk walk, junior dairy cattle show, talent show, hot-air balloon launch, bed races and a fireworks show Sunday evening.

Features the US Navy Blue Angels (tentative), civilian performers and static airplane displays.

See gardens, woodlands, wetlands and prairies in a tram tour. 60-minute and 30-minute tours explain the rich Arboretum history, and describe the trees and plants you'll see. There's also an opportunity to see lovely wildlife in a native habitat.

The dedication includes remarks, followed by a ribbon cutting, tours of the garden and two activity stations for children. Staff demonstrate how the garden will be used for a variety of programs that connect children with nature.

The new Railway Garden, a G-gauge model railway running through a 2.5 acre site, opens April 30. Visitors enter through a 1920s-era railway depot to see trains running through a garden of miniature plants, water features and a variety of landscapes. May 1 through October.

Drop in anytime between 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the conservatory's Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden to plant an imaginary garden, build a tropical habitat, help water the plants, or read a book under the tropical canopy. Runs through entire 2012.

Family Scavenger Hunt: GPS Special  | Ringwood

Visit waypoints and answer questions to complete the scavenger hunt and claim your prize. Bring your own GPS unit. If you do not have one, the Conservation District has a limited number of units to loan on a first come, first served basis. Participants should have working knowledge of a GPS unit. No lessons provided.

Turtle Time  | Chesterton

Come to the Nature Center for a look at the turtles that call Indiana Dunes home.

Second Grade Community Leader Eliot leads guests in a presentation about the National Geographic Society, respecting wildlife and a free craft. River Trails Nature Center Rangers can answer questions and offer useful information.

Walk along a winding trail and view gigantic animatronic bugs, plus more than 150 stationary insects, which will be part of six themed scenes. Guests can also see live creepy crawlies in Harry's Big Adventure: My Bug World! The interactive habitats feature several ecosystems to show how insects impact their surroundings, the environment, and human lives. Activities, including bug cooking demonstrations, cockroach races, a spider web climber, and other bug-themed entertainment is planned for guests throughout the summer.

Children can immerse themselves in backstage preparation, perform routines in center ring or manage the behind-the-scenes action of lights and sound. Plus, try making a circus balance toy or dress up like a clown.

The exhibition features selected "doodles" created by students from across the state.

Fun, learning adventure in gardening lets you explore the Wonder Works Organic Garden, examine all the different plants, inspect the different insects, remove unwanted growth and learn to use a variety of garden tools. Participating children may be able to take home a piece of freshly picked produce.

Meet costumed soldiers to learn about life during the Civil War, including live cannon firings and Civil War music. For $3, create a hand-dipped candle and Civil War toy.

From Fannie May to Brach's Candies, Tootsie Rolls, Frango Mints, Lemonheads and more, Chicago has a tasty history of making candy loved the world over. Learn about Chicago's sweet history and how candy and the City of Chicago grew up together. May 11-Sept. 18.

A special exhibit on the history of Girl Scouting, with special focus on Oak Park, River Forest, and Forest Park. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Exhibit tells the story of Girl Scouting and Boy Scouting in America.

Kids can make traditional Native American objects, including corn husk dolls, Northwest Coast button blankets, and other Native items, and engage in other activities related to Native culture.

Visitors become space adventurers and set off on a journey to discover the Universe in a way never done before. Travel a billion light-years and back, fly through space, orbit the Moon, zoom into a canyon on Mars, and soar through the cosmic web where a million galaxies shower down. The experience was created utilizing real telescopic data and the best scientific imagery.

Exhibit examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like, and displays animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns. Highlights include taxidermy specimens, an entire skeleton of a giant hoofed plant-eater, a life-size model of the largest land mammal that ever lived, one of the oldest fossilized bats ever found, and an impressive diorama featuring the swamps and forests of an island in the Arctic. Runs May 26, 2012-Jan. 6, 2013.

Learn about the American bicycle and Chicago's bike culture. The exhibition details the roots of America's most democratic and sustainable form of transportation and considers why human-powered locomotion could be the way of the future for our rapidly evolving urban environment.

Features a selection of jades used at the table, in the studio and as personal adornment. Qing Dynasty China produced exceptional carving for a growing jade market.

Visitors go on an interactive journey through the world of ancient Greece, where they can meet the gods, experience ancient Greek daily life and interact with the epic poem The Odyssey through more than 25 engaging interactive components, including climbing into a 13-foot tall Trojan Horse. Kids play and learn as they navigate rocky caves and open seas on "The Odyssey: A Hero's Journey" and e-mail home their Hero Record, belt tunes in the Sirens Karaoke Cave, discover which Greek god they are most like, match wits with Aristotle in a game of 20 questions, test their arm wrestling prowess in the Gymnasium and marvel at a working replica of the Antikythera Mechanism, believed to be the world's oldest computer.

Watch men painted blue do unusual performance art and original slapstick comedy. It's fun to sit in the front, but remember to wear a plastic poncho to avoid the flying food and liquids. Buy tickets at the box office, online, via Ticketmaster or by calling (773) 348-4000.

Family friendly show also offers breakfast buffet with Wizard of Oz characters on April 28, May 12, 19, 26 and June 16. Performances run April 25-June 16. Regular performances are at 10 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday starting on April 25 (excludes May 2, May 5, June 6, June 7, June 13, June 14). There will be two performances at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. April 28, May 12, May 19, May 26 and June 16.

From superheroes to undersea adventures, princesses to dinosaurs, Storytown takes children on an interactive, improvised adventure. The actors use kids' suggestions and ideas to create a different story each week. Kids design the setting and help shapes the story. Runs through the end of February 2013, then moves to Stage 773 in Chicago.

This is the beloved story of Peter, Wendy, Michael, John, Captain Hook, Smee, the lost boys, pirates and the Indians, and of course, Tinker Bell, in their adventures in Never Land. Performances are 1 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. Sundays from May 26-June 17.

The story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his apprenticeship to a band of pirates on his 21^st birthday, is released from his servitude. Soon after, he meets the fair maiden Mabel, daughter of Major-General Stanley. The two fall instantly in love; but, as always, obstacles threaten to cause trouble for young Frederic. It turns out Frederic was born during the leap year which means even though he is 21 he has only had 5 birthdays, and is in fact indebted to the pirates for 63 more years. Bound by his own sense of duty, Frederic's only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully. Performances run April 11-June 10. 

Join the antics of Brian Posen, Brian Peterlin, and Tim Soszko in their all silent comedy antics every Saturday. For tickets call the box office at (773) 327-5252 or visit www.stage773.com. Runs March 30-June 30.

Hope United Church of Christ will present Godspell, a musical based on the gospel of Saint Matthew, at 8 p.m. June 1, 4 and 8 p.m. June 2 and 1:30 p.m. June 3. 

In this physically stunning and emotionally charged program using suspended fabrics, bungee cords and tipping aerial hoops, ADC dancers masterfully breathe, rise, suspend and descend along the vertical dance floor. Appropriate for all ages. Performances are 7 p.m. May 17, 19, June 2, 9 and 2 p.m. June 10.

Kids 7-11 can enjoy the animated film Astérix chez les bretons in French with English subtitles. A snack is included. Parents are welcome.

Enjoy displays of exotic foliage and flowering tropical plants in the Wilder Park Conservatory during the summer months.

Halloween Hayrides  | Naperville

Dress up in your favorite Halloween costume (parents included) and come to Knoch Knolls Park or Seager Park. Each registered child ages 1-12 who checks in with the hayride coordinator will receive a Halloween goodie bag filled with treats and prizes. Bring your own food to cook over the bonfire or bring the fixings for s'mores. Hot chocolate and apple juice provided. Registration required. Oct. 20, 21 and 27.

There will be fires going in the Lagoon, balloon artists and refreshments for purchase. Bring your blanket.

Features guest speakers, a costume contest, and other fun, to support local vegans and vegetarians and raise awareness about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Exhibit includes bats, uniforms, contracts, team traveling suitcases and much more from Reggie Jackson. Items in the exhibit are presented in collaboration with the Mr. October Foundation for Kids, a non-profit organization to benefit at-risk children.

Multicultural exhibit offers children a chance to become acquainted with other children from around the world. Features children from 11 countries such as Russia, India, Tanzania and Egypt and showcases how they learn, work and play through interactive activities such as playing games, making crafts, learning words in another language and even putting on a puppet show.