Your Weekend Top 10
String band to perform - The Coon Creek String Band will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Byron Forest Preserve, on the Heritage Farm outdoor stage, or in the Jarrett Prairie Center if it rains. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Admission is free. Go to www.byronforestpreserve.com for more information.
Toy show Sunday - The 24th annual Farm Toy & Tractor Show is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Ashton High School. There will be exhibits, buying, selling and trading of toy tractors, apple cider doughnuts, lunch stand and a craft show. There’s also a car show from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $1 for ages 11 on up.
Shoot ’em up - The annual Cowboy Rendezvous starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Sinnissippi Rod and Gun Club west of Sterling at 23181 Moline Road (state Route 2), between Como and Lyndon. Expect re-enactments, gun twirling, quick draw, roping contests and more. Admission is $5. Call Rowdy, 779-245-8034, or Boone, 815-213-0834, for more info.
She’s with the House band - Rock Falls teen sensation Drew Dawson will be the guest vocalist Saturday with the Starlight’s House Band at Starlight’s Theatre & Lounge, 314 First Ave., Sterling. The music will cover many genres including blues, soul, R&B, classic rock and Latin. Showtime is 8:30 p.m., with a $5 cover charge.
Not a second too soon - Second Saturdays is back. Get your fill of art and entertainment from 6 to 8 p.m. at multiple venues between West River and Third streets, and Peoria and Galena avenues in downtown Dixon. Go to www.second-saturdays.com or call 815-285-3496 or 815-285-0014 for a detailed list of events.
Rockin’ cats - Cabela’s King Kat Catfish Tournament, back in town this weekend, wraps up Saturday night with music and food in the Beanblossom parking lot on River Road in downtown Dixon. The fun starts at 6 p.m., Rocksters will perform at 8:30. Admission is $5. For more information on the tourney, go to www.kingkatusa.com or call Dave Rodebaugh at Kodiak Sports, 815-284-3075.
The scoop on a social - Free ice cream and tours of the Sterling Rock Falls Historical Society Museum on the Dillon Home grounds, 1005 E. Third St., Sterling, will be provided from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday. The event is part of CGH Medical Center’s centennial celebration. The old-fashioned ice cream social will include ice cream, pie, cake, lemonade, and iced tea. Tours will be led by Drs. Darroll Erickson, Tom Sellett and Tim Sullivan. Medical memorabilia includes doctors’ bags, nursing uniforms, surgical tools and the hospital’s original charter.
Combat in the Cage - A mixed martial arts battle extraordinaire, “Combat in the Cage 1,” featuring 10 fights, is coming Saturday to the Historic Dixon Theatre. Assigned-seating tickets are $25 at the door or at 779-245-8094. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the theater, 114 S. Galena Ave.. The fights, sponsored by Combat Zone, begin at 7 p.m. An after-party event is planned at Spurgeon’s Bar and Grill, 215 W. First St. Dixon.
Fireworks in Ashton - Ashton’s annual summer celebration is Saturday and Sunday throughout the friendly little town. On Saturday, there’s the Cole Family Memorial Walk, horseshoe contest, beanbag tournament, Bessy Bingo, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, youth Olympics, talent shows, bed races, and an entertainment garden featuring live performances. Sunday features a parade, more entertainment, a community church service, and at 11 a.m., fireworks on the high school grounds around 9 p.m. Go to www.ashtonusa.com for all the details.
Two days of fly-ins - Two fly-ins, complete with vintage vehicle shows and all-you-can eat pancake breakfasts, are on tap this weekend. The first one is Saturday at Ogle County Airport, on Route 64 between Oregon and Mount Morris; the second is Sunday in Rock Falls at the Whiteside County Airport. Both events start at 7 a.m. and are sponsored by local Experimental Aircraft Association chapters.
