Experience Level: Beginner (all ages)

Learn more about birdwatching at an Intro to Birding and eBird on Fridays, Feb. 21 and 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in The Studio and outdoors.

Allerton Natural Areas Manager Nate Beccue will help students learn about bird identification during the cooler months, when fewer species are on the landscape. Participants will learn how to identify year-round residents as well as winter visitors by focusing on distinctive features like plumage patterns, feeding behavior and vocalizations.

Winter species at the Park typically include woodpeckers, nuthatches, owls and finches, each adapted to survive the harsher conditions.

A key aspect of the course will be learning to use eBird, a tool for birders developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which allows users to log their sightings, track seasonal patterns, access local checklists and help anticipate which species are likely be seen. The app also includes real-time data to help birders identify hot spots within the Park, making it easier to locate wintering birds. It also helps in global conservation efforts by compiling valuable data about bird populations and trends.

Each class will be split between learning in the classroom and birding in the field. A limited number of binoculars will be available on a first-come basis. At times the hikes will leave the trails, so please dress accordingly.

$20/person (all ages). Register by Feb. 17. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email Nate Beccue at nbeccue@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

Experience Level: Beginner

Enjoy a day of weaving at Weaving a Mantel Basket on Friday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium.

In this workshop, instructor Bonnie Rideout will start students off with a ‘D’ handle and a woven, filled base and teach the techniques of twining, start/stop weaving, decreased weaving and the use of an overlay.

All students will go home with a useful Mantel-style basket with an accent color of black.

$90/person. Register here by Feb. 6. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Bonnie Rideout wove her first basket in 1994 and quickly caught the “basket bug.” She created a business — Bonnie’s Baskets in Decatur — in 2006 to teach others to weave. She is also a traveling instructor and has taught weaving in 18 states.

Find out more about Bonnie on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Etsy pages.

Experience Level: Beginner

Take part in a new wine education class at Talking & Tasting Wine on Friday, Feb. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion Solarium.

Renowned wine educator and television personality Mike Lee will lead this delightful and delectable wine class, where he will walk students through the art of wine tasting as an introduction to Wines of the World. 

Each class will include tastings of 5 to 6 wines. You must be at least 21 years old to participate. Consider making it a weekend getaway and book a room overnight as part of Allerton's Weekend Wind Down series.

$60/person (Ages 21+). Register by Feb. 12. All sales are final.

Weekend Wind Down room rates are $110/night. To make a reservation, please call 217-333-3287.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the Instructor

Mike Lee is an accomplished wine, spirits, and beer educator with 9+ years in the alcohol industry. Having achieved the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (London) Certified Educator achievement in Wine, Lee is certified to teach levels 1 and 2 internationally. With experience with class sizes large and small, he is known for his ability to adapt to any learning environment with excellent facilitation skills.

Experience Level: Beginner

Looking for an easy-to-learn and fun instrument to keep your mind active? Then enroll in Beginning Mountain Dulcimer on Saturdays, Feb. 22 through March 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in The Studio.

Playing the dulcimer requires only a love of music and a desire to create beautiful sound. It is a simple instrument that requires little musical knowledge. In this course, instructor Lou Ann Koebel will lead you through basic chords and strum patterns that will give you the ability to play rounds, fiddle tunes and much more!

$225/person (Ages 12+; 12- to 15-year-olds must be accompanied by a registered adult.) Register by Feb. 17. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Lou Ann Koebel currently leads a weekly dulcimer jam for the East Central Dulcimer Illinois Dulcimer Club at Lincoln Square. She also plays in a local band that visits and performs at local assisted living facilities.

Last fall, she taught a beginning dulcimer class for The Farms, where she had a wonderful time teaching the group and realized her love of teaching and passing on the tradition of playing a mountain dulcimer. Lou Ann also plays at area music festivals.

Experience Level: Beginner

Gather with your fellow dulcimer musicians and create some music at Mountain Dulcimer Jam Sessions on Feb. 22 from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. in the Studio. This gathering is perfect for those who have taken Beginner Mountain Dulcimer at The Farms and want a space to practice with fellow players.

$5/person. Register a day prior to each jam session. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Lou Ann Koebel currently leads a weekly dulcimer jam for the East Central Dulcimer Illinois Dulcimer Club at Lincoln Square. She also plays in a local band that visits and performs at local assisted living facilities.

Last fall, she taught a beginning dulcimer class for The Farms, where she had a wonderful time teaching the group and realized her love of teaching and passing on the tradition of playing a mountain dulcimer. Lou Ann also plays at area music festivals.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn the basic mechanics of using a spinning wheel to make your own yarn at Learn to Spin Yarn on Monday, Feb 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio. 

After a brief introduction from instructor Stephanie Block, students will have time for hands-on spinning practice and the opportunity to spin alpaca fiber into yarn using Ashford scotch tension Traditional or Traveler wheels. Discussion of fiber production and preparation methods will also be included.

$100/person. Register by Feb. 20. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement. She has been producing popular yarn from her own alpacas for more than eight years. Stephanie’s spinning style is self-taught, and she is continuously learning so that she can share that knowledge with others.

Experience Level: Beginner

Step back in time with turn of the century dances at Historical Dancing on Mondays, Jan. 27 through March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion.

In this elegant setting, instructor Jeanette Watts will teach1900-era ballroom styles including the waltz and two-step, reflecting the graceful movements that captivated society early in the 20th century. Perfect for history enthusiasts and dance lovers alike, this course offers a unique opportunity to experience the elegance and charm of the Gilded Age.

$90/person for the entire series or $30/class. Register for the series by Jan. 24 or three days before each class. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Jeanette Watts has been teaching historical dances for over 20 years. She is the founder of the Terpsichorean Delights Dance Assembly in Dayton, Ohio, Queen City Vintage Dance in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent covid writing an 8-volume series of instructional dance manuals for historical museums.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

See the complete Spring Session schedule here.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn to draw, shade and create texture at Beginning Pen & Ink on Thursdays, Feb. 27 through March 20 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Sally Walsh will teach the basics of hatching, dots and varied line to help students learn how to create texture and visual interest.

$65/person*. Register by Feb. 17. All sales are final.

*Students should bring:

— Spiral bound sketchbook or mixed media pad (9”x12”)
— Pencil— Kneaded eraser
— See through plastic ruler
— 1 to 3 black roller ball, gel or felt tip Sharpie-type pens with varying tip sizes.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Sally Walsh is a retired art teacher from Richland Community College in Decatur. She has more than 30 years of teaching experience and has led previous art classes at Allerton.