Experience Level: All Levels

Learn the skills of improvisation, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv on Thursdays, Aug 21 through Oct 2 in the Music Barn.

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

This will not be a place to sit down, hear lectures, and take notes, as students will be performing as much as possible! It will be a get-up-and-perform kind of class. The class will emphasize the mechanics needed to act out an entertaining and meaningful scene on the spot with no script.

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 series or $25/class. Register for the entire series by Aug 14 or one week before each subsequent class. All sales are final.

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

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: Beginner

Learn to identify trees and other woody plants in the forest at Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of Allerton on Saturdays, Sept. 20 (in The Studio) and Sept. 27 (at the McDonald Family Trailhead) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In the first class of this two-part course, instructor Fran Harty of the Land Conservation Foundation will teach students how to use leaf, twig, fruit and bark characteristics to identify trees, shrubs and woody vines at the Park. Students will also spend time outside to apply what was learned.

Class on Sept. 27 will be spent outside on the McDonald Family Trailsidentifying trees, shrubs and woody vines. (In case of rain the class will be held in the Music Barn.)

$45/person*. Registration will close Sept. 12 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Students should dress for hiking/the weather and bring a water bottle, bug spray and snacks. Binoculars are encouraged.

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

Fran Harty has taught dendrology at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and similar classes for Allerton Park Corps of Discovery in 2009 and the Illinois Audubon Society in 2015. He currently works with the Land Conservation Foundation.

Experience Level: All Levels

Learn the skills of improvisation, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv on Thursdays, Aug 21 through Oct 2 in the Music Barn.

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

This will not be a place to sit down, hear lectures, and take notes, as students will be performing as much as possible! It will be a get-up-and-perform kind of class. The class will emphasize the mechanics needed to act out an entertaining and meaningful scene on the spot with no script.

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 series or $25/class. Register for the entire series by Aug 14 or one week before each subsequent class. All sales are final.

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

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: Any

Learn to weave a special basket at Basket Weaving: Lunch Tote on Friday, September 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Studio.

Instructor Bonnie Rideout will share information about twining, how to start and stop a weave and weaving with round reed as students create their own unique basket!

$90/person*, Register by Sept 12. All sales are final.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. 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 wover 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: All Levels

Learn the skills of improvisation, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv on Thursdays, Aug 21 through Oct 2 in the Music Barn.

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

This will not be a place to sit down, hear lectures, and take notes, as students will be performing as much as possible! It will be a get-up-and-perform kind of class. The class will emphasize the mechanics needed to act out an entertaining and meaningful scene on the spot with no script.

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 series or $25/class. Register for the entire series by Aug 14 or one week before each subsequent class. All sales are final.

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

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: Beginner

Learn the basics of painting with acrylic paint at Intro to Acrylic Painting on Wednesday, October 8th from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio. 

Instructor Kari Keller will teach students the basics of sketching out guidelines, color selection, color mixing, and brushing techniques. Students will create a colorful fall scene on an 8" x 10" canvas to take home with them. 

$75/person. Register by Oct. 8. All sales are final.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. 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

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.

Ready to be a kid again?! Camp Lost Garden might just be the place for you! Disconnect for a weekend and take time for good old-fashioned fun, relaxation, and adventure!

Campers will enjoy classic camp activities like arts and crafts, group games/races, campfires (with stories and s’mores!), nature hikes, and more! In some cases, these kid-inspired activities come with an adult twist (e.g., bloody mary bar, cocktail crafting workshop, “boots and brews” hike, etc.)

Grab your gear and get ready for a packed weekend of fun! Whether you are an organization looking to boost team morale, a group of friends who want a good time, or an individual interested in meeting new people while finding time for self-reflection, there is something for all to enjoy!

We wouldn’t be a real summer camp without some ground rules! Be sure to check them out here.

PRE-REGISTRATION will be open through March 28, 2025. Campers are able to secure their spot with a non-refundable deposit of $175 during this time. The remaining balance will be due one month prior to camp arrival. After March 28, camp fees will be due in full at the time of registration.

$350/camper. All sales are final.
Registration includes all activities, meals, snacks, and drinks.

Overnight accommodations must be purchased separately:

— Hotel rooms are available at a discounted rate of $80/night + tax. Please call us at 217-333-3287 to make your reservation.

— Tent camping is available on the Bowling Lawn adjacent to the Mansion. Communal showers will be available on the third floor of the Mansion. You can sign up for a primitive tent camping spot ($50) as an add-on when registering for camp.

Interested in being a camp counselor? Fill-out an application here.

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

Experience Level: Any

Learn to weave a special basket at Basket Weaving: Warm & Cozy on Friday, October 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Studio.

Instructor Bonnie Rideout will share information about twining, how to start and stop a weave and weaving with round reed as students create their own unique basket. Candle and floral embellishments are included!

$75/person*, Register by Oct 10. All sales are final.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. 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 wover 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.