Experience Level: Beginner

Craft a traditional witch’s brooms using locally grown dried flowers and foraged materials at Besoms: A Witch’s Broom Workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Illinois Arboretum Shed.

Learn about the lore and history of besoms in the world of the occult and witchcraft. This is the perfect Halloween or fall activity! Students will take home their own handmade besom made from natural materials!

$65/person. Registration will close Sept. 29 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations 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.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn about the art of stained glass at Intro to Stained Glass: Pumpkin on Thursday, Oct. 8 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Kari Keller will teach students how to cut, shape and assemble a stained-glass pumpkin to take home. Grinding, fitting and soldering will be covered.

$100/person*. Registration will close Oct. 1 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students should wear closed-toe shoes. Safety glasses and gloves will be provided.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at 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

Kari Keller has been a Champaign/Urbana resident since 2008, originally hailing from the tiny community of St. Anne. Illinois. She has had a passion for art since she could hold a crayon and loves to experiment with many different styles, rarely sticking to one theme for long.

Keller has dabbled in cartoons, acrylic pouring, zentangles, patterns, logo design, pottery painting and other art forms. Her influences include Alphonse Mucha, HR Geiger and the art of Northwest coastal Native Americans. She also has a thriving side business as a face painter.

Kari is happiest when immersed in a new project and can’t imagine life without art!

About The Farms

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

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! 

$100/person for the entire series or $25/class at the links below. Registration will close on Sept. 8 for the entire series or two days before each subsequent class. 

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

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at 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 

Kyle Tasch is an improvisor, improv teacher, filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician from the Chicago suburbs. He started performing improv in 2004 and has been improvising in front of audiences regularly since 2015. 

He has also taught classes both in-person and remotely at Westside Improv in Wheaton, Illinois. He performs live across the state in various comedy and music acts and has produced hundreds of videos and songs. 

Experience Level: All Levels (All Ages 15+) 

Step away from traditional fall décor and create a pumpkin bursting with personality at Pumpkin Mischief: Mixed Media Workshop on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in The Studio. 

In this fun and beginner-friendly mixed media workshop, students will create an expressive pumpkin on a 12" x 12" canvas while exploring a variety of creative techniques and materials. Using acrylic paints, Gelatos, Posca paint markers, and Mod Podge, you'll learn how to build vibrant color, add playful details, and create whimsical finishing touches. 

The pumpkin design will be pre-drawn on each canvas, making this class approachable for artists of all experience levels. Participants are welcome to follow the sample painting or customize their pumpkin with their own favorite colors and creative flair.

$115/person*. Registration will close Sept 11 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*All supplies will be provided 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at 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 

Emily Tackitt is the artist behind Moonbeam Jellyfish and works in mixed media, blending watercolor, acrylic, gouache, ink, drawing, and collage to create whimsical, fantasy-inspired artwork. With a process that is playful and intuitive, Emily is often guided by curiosity, storytelling, and whatever feels magical in the moment. Her classes are designed to feel supportive and accessible, encouraging students to build confidence through a thoughtful, step-by-step creative practice.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn about the process of making sourdough bread at Beginner Sourdough Breadmaking on Sundays, Sept. 27 or Oct. 11 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Mansion Kitchen and Carriage House. (Each class covers the same material.)

Instructor Hannah Fink will cover the basic biology of a ferment and what it means to a sourdough culture, how to mix sourdough, how to maintain a healthy starter in your home and the importance of baking with regionally grown grains. Students will also get hands-on experience as they learn to mix sourdough.

Prepared dough will be available to showcase baking and for students to prepare a snack toward the end of class. Students will take home their own jar of sourdough culture, a sample of gains from Janie’s Mill, as well as printouts of everything covered, simple recipes and a thorough list of resources.

$100/person. Registration will close 10 days before each course begins or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

About the Instructor

Hannah Fink — a baker and local food enthusiast — started Tooth Butter Cottage Bakery in Urbana so she could be at home with her son and still keep her hands in dough. She revels in naturally leavened bread and quality pastries and focuses on organic whole grains, mostly stone milled from Janie’s Mill in Ashkum.

She is of the firm belief that a “toothy dose of good butter” is the best start, which led to the name of her business that bakes for special orders and pop-up collaborations with fellow creators.

Hannah started baking about 11 years ago while working in the music industry in Nashville and ended up falling in love with it enough to change careers. She started as a bread delivery driver, then worked as a kitchen manager at Pear Tree Estate in Champaign and as a pastry manager in Michigan.

Fink is a member of the Artisan Grain Collaborative and is looking forward to passing on the knowledge she has gained on breads and grains.

Experience Level: Beginner

Create prints that mimic pen and ink drawings at Intaglio Printmaking on Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 1 p.m. to 3:30pm p.m. in The Studio.

Local artist and art educator Sally Walsh will guide students as they create an Intaglio print. While printmaking usually involves an acid bath, oil-based inks and solvents, students will instead learn how to use all non-toxic and fumeless materials to accomplish the same result.

No prior drawing or printmaking experience is needed, but some hand strength is required to operate the press.

All participants will go home with at least one 5×7-inch print but may create more as time allows.

$60/person*. Registration will close Oct. 7 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students are welcome to bring pictures or drawing ideas for inspiration.

If you will need disability-related accommodations 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.

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! 

$100/person for the entire series or $25/class at the links below. Registration will close on Sept. 8 for the entire series or two days before each subsequent class. 

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

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at 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 

Kyle Tasch is an improvisor, improv teacher, filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician from the Chicago suburbs. He started performing improv in 2004 and has been improvising in front of audiences regularly since 2015. 

He has also taught classes both in-person and remotely at Westside Improv in Wheaton, Illinois. He performs live across the state in various comedy and music acts and has produced hundreds of videos and songs. 

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. 

“Little Boo!” starts with a woven filled base. Techniques include 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. 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.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at 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.

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.