ESO presenting Día de los Muertos concert, celebration

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra will mark the Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, with a concert and community celebration beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at The Hemmens Cultural Center in downtown Elgin.

Pre-concert activities include free facepainting and crafts, lobby entertainment and a talk on the history of Día de los Muertos, which starts at 6:30 p.m., according to a news release.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., with vocalist José Carlos Díaz performing special arrangements of popular boleros and a performance by the BFH dance ensemble (formerly known as Ballet Folklórico Huehuecoyotl).

Tickets cost $25; students pay $5. They can be purchased at www.ElginSymphony.org. Free youth tickets for children age 17 and under with a paid adult ticket are available.

‘Nurtured by Nature hikes’ in Kane County focus on awareness

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County will offer a free “Nurtured by Nature” hiking series in November that incorporates gentle stretching, deep breathing and a focus on awareness.

All programs are from 10 to 11 a.m. and scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 2, at Oakhurst Forest Preserve, 1680 Fifth Ave. in Aurora; Sunday, Nov. 30, at Raceway Woods Forest Preserve, 17N702 Western Ave. in Carpentersville; and Sunday, Dec. 28, at Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve, 5S002 Merrill Road in Sugar Grove.

It’s open to people 18 and older. Advance registration is required.

To register, go to www.kaneforest.com/register, call 630-444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com.

ECC holding rally, vigil for Domestic Violence Awareness

As part Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Elgin Community College will hold a rally and candlelight vigil from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Seigle Auditorium, Building E, Room 125, at the ECC campus in Elgin.

The event will discuss how domestic violence impacts several aspects of a person’s life followed by reflection and a candlelight vigil, according to the ECC website.

Free and open to the public, it is presented in partnership with the Community Crisis Center.

For more information, go to elgin.edu/calendar/student-life-events/domestic-violence-awareness-month-rally-and-candlelight-vigil.php.

Nature walk offered Saturday at Kenyon Farm Forest Preserve

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County will host a free walk with a naturalist from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Kenyon Farm Forest Preserve, 8N700 Barry Road, South Elgin.

Designed for people who like active hiking, the naturalist will occasionally stop along the route to interpret the ecology. It is open to anyone 18 or older.

To register, call 630-444-3190, email programs@kaneforest.com or go to www.kaneforest.com/register.

Rise Jones, founder and executive director of Hamilton Wings in Elgin, died unexpectedly on Dec. 7. A website where people can leave memories about Jones has been established. (Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce)

Rise Jones tribute Saturday at Evangelical Covenant Church

A concert in tribute to the late Risé Jones will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Evangelical Covenant Church, 1565 Larkin Ave., Elgin.

A selection of numbers Jones sang over the years will be performed by Jeorge Holmes, Char McAllister and Murna Hansemann, according to a social media post. A reception will follow at 6 p.m.

Money raised through donations will go to the Hamilton Wings Endowment Fund.

Jones, 58, died Dec. 7. She was executive director of Hamilton Wings, a program that provides after-school programs for underserved children in the Elgin area. She also served on the boards of several organizations, including YWCA Elgin, Elgin Community College and the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce.

TJ Borst poses for a photo with her family at the Oct. 19 Chicago Bears’ “Crucial Catch” game at Soldier Field. The Elgin woman was one of 10 Advocate Health Care breast cancer patients recognized at the game. (Advocate Health Care)

Elgin woman among those honored at Oct. 19 Bears game

Elgin resident TJ Borst was among 10 Advocate Health Care breast cancer patients who were recognized at the Chicago Bears’ “Crucial Catch” game on Oct. 19 at Soldier Field.

Borst, 45, received treatment at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, a news release said. She found a lump in her breast in fall 2024 despite it not being detected in a mammogram and ultrasound a few months prior, the release said.

She underwent a double mastectomy earlier this year and recently began radiation therapy. Borst’s care team says she has remained upbeat and a “ray of sunshine.”

“It’s been a really tough year, but the Sherman team made this experience as positive as it could be,” Borst said in the release. “I’m grateful to the doctors, nurses, techs and everyone who supported me.”

Trick-or-treating hours set for Elgin, other local towns

Elgin and surrounding communities have set the following recommended trick-or-treating hours for Halloween Friday, Oct. 31.

Algonquin, Batavia, Campton Hills, Carpentersville, East Dundee, Elgin, Geneva, Gilberts, South Elgin, St. Charles, Wayne and West Dundee recommend trick-or-treating from 3 to 7 p.m. The hours in Sleepy Hollow will be from 3 to 8 p.m.

Kane County recommends people leave their outdoor lights on until while they are handing out candy so trick-or-treaters know which homes are welcoming visitors.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/27/elgin-muertos-rise-concert-trick-eso-hikes/