Experience Level: Beginner 

Learn the skills of improvisation, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv on Thursdays, Sept. 10 through Oct. 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Music Barn. 

Instructor Kyle Tasch returns to The Farms to teach this popular course, which will be jam-packed with improvisational fun that uses both short-form games and long-form scenes. 

This will not be a class to sit down, hear lectures, and take notes.  Students will be performing as much as possible to emphasize the mechanics needed to act out an entertaining and meaningful scene on the spot with no lines. There are many elements of improv that are not only useful on stage, but also in everyday life – wherever you might be put on the spot! 

Students who have already completed this class are welcome to join again. Beginners and those experienced in improv are all encouraged to join! 

$25/class. Registration will close two days before each class. 

— Sept. 10
— Sept. 17  
— Sept. 24  
— Oct. 1
— Oct. 8  
— Oct. 15

Experience Level: All Levels

Create your own spooktacular basket at Basket Weaving: Little Boo! on Friday, Oct. 16 from 12-4 p.m. in The Studio. 

Instructor Bonnie Rideout will lead students through basketweaving techniques, including setting up a woven base, twining, start/stop weaving and shaping.  The color accents are chocolate brown, walnut, mustard and rust. An Amish-made leather handle finishes the basket, while a fall floral sprig and a Jack-O-Lantern adorn the front. This cutie is perfect anywhere you want to use it!

$75/person. Registration will close Sept 18 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

Experience Level: Some weaving experience required

Have you taken Beginning Weaving 1 and want to continue your craft? Do so at Beginning Weaving II on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium.

This 2-day class with instructor Sharon Bowles will be a continuation of Beginning Weaving I, but instead of everyone doing the same article, students will pick their own project, measure the warp, beam the warp, thread the heddles to their selected pattern, thread the reed, tie the warp to the cloth beam rod, wind bobbins and weave a sample of their selected yarn. Students will then weave samples from the other looms, giving them a wide variety of weave structures they can try out.

This course is a great way to continue your weaving journey!

$250/person*. Registration will close Oct. 10 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

Spend a full day learning about two-dimensional composition and how to create striking collages at Collage Weekend Intensive, Saturday through Sunday, Oct. 17 (Evergreen Lodge) & 18 (Studio) from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

In this full two-day intensive workshop students will learn about color theory, mix paint, create value and intensity scales, and generate a rich collection of experimental collage papers. Results are guaranteed to be frameable! Enrollment includes most materials including acrylic mixing paint set, paint brushes, mixing palette, bound hard cover sketchbook, cutting mat and precision cutting knife, glue, tape, color wheel, and stainless-steel ruler.   As this is a two-day immersive experience, you may want to stay on site. The Greenhouse Cafe, located in the Allerton Greenhouse, offers fresh and fun sandwiches, homemade baked goods, unique salads, classic refreshments, beer, wine, and more. Monticello, Illinois is five miles from Allerton Park and Retreat Center, and you will find a variety of restaurants there. 

$230/person. Registration closes Oct. 10 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.  

Entry Level: Beginner (ages 18+)

Learn what stars and constellations can tell you at Mystic Mondays: Intro to Astrology on Monday, Oct. 19 from 6-8 p.m. in the Mansion Carriage House.

In this introductory class, instructor Charlie Rainbow Wolf will share the background of astrology, the different types of astrology and astrological signs and planetary correlations. Students will look at how the planets and signs fall into their own chart — and what this could mean for them on a personal level.

$55/person*. Registration closes Oct. 16 or when the capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students should bring a smart phone or tablet to connect to the internet and view their own charts, a notebook, and writing utensil.

Experience Level: Intermediate (students should be proficient in casting on, knitting, purling, and casting off)

Learn the timeless techniques of cable and lace knitting at Advanced Knitting: Cables & Lace on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 6-8 p.m in the Studio.

Instructor Charlie Rainbow Wolf will teach students the basics of creating raised traveling stitches with a cable needle and simple lace techniques.

$60/person*. Registration closes Oct. 18 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students should bring:
-110 yards of bulky weight yarn,
-16″ circular size 9 (5.5 mm) knitting needles, and a cable needle (available at hobby shops like Michaels or Hobby Lobby)
– 2 balls (100 grams) worsted weight yarn
– a pair of 10″ straight size 8 (5 mm) 

Experience Level: Beginner (ages 16+) 

Take a step towards a healthier relationship with money in Rocks & Feathers: Understanding the Emotional Weight of Money on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 6-8 p.m. in The Studio. 

Financial stress is about more than money. Emotions such as fear, shame, guilt, overwhelm, and scarcity can shape the choices we make and the results we experience.  In this interactive workshop, participants will identify the emotional "rocks" they may be carrying around money and learn how to replace them with empowering "feathers" that support healthier financial habits and decisions. Through guided discussion and reflection, students will gain greater awareness of the beliefs and emotions influencing their financial lives.  

This workshop is ideal for individuals, couples, and families who want to create a healthier relationship with money and develop a shared understanding of the emotional side of financial well-being.  

$75/person. Registration closes Oct. 19 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.  

Experience Level: Beginner

Keep your mind active with an easy-to-learn and fun instrument at Beginning Mountain Dulcimer on Saturdays, Oct. 24 through Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Lou Ann Koebel will lead students through basic chords and strum patterns that will give them the ability to play rounds, fiddle tunes and much more! 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. 

$225/person* Registration will close Oct. 21 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students should bring their own dulcimer. Dulcimers are available to rent by emailing the instructor at koebel@illinois.edu.