Elgin News Digest: Dark Matters Podcast fest at Side Street Studio Arts; South Elgin Father/son and mother/daughter events planned in April; Friends of Masons holding St. Patrick’s pub crawl in Elgin

Dark Matters Podcast fest at Side Street Studio Arts

Side Street Studio Arts’ third annual Dark Matters Podcast Festival, an evening of “deep, dark and demented” podcasts, will be held from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, in the studio’s backspace, 15½ Ziegler Court, Elgin.

Dark Matters will highlight three dark-genre podcasts, according to the event’s website: Bob After Dark; REMelations: Comedy Dream Interpretation; and Quite Unusual. Audience members will be part of the recordings and able to share space with the artists.

Suggested donation price for tickets is $10 for the day and are available at sidestreetstudioarts.org/tickets.

Father/son and mother/daughter events planned in April

The South Elgin Parks and Recreation Department is holding father/son and mother/daughter events in April.

A father/son Nerf battle and dodgeball throwdown is to take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at Corron Elementary School, 455 Thornwood Way, according to a news release. Snacks, beverages and all equipment will be provided.

The cost is $40 per pair for South Elgin residents, $50 per pair for nonresidents, and $15 for each additional child.

A mother/daughter beach bash is being planned for 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Corron Elementary. Beach-themed games, music, activities and crafts are planned.

The cost is $20 per person for residents and $30 for each nonresident.

For more information and to register, go to www.southelgin.com/residents/special_events/index.php.

Friends of Masons holding St. Patrick’s pub crawl in Elgin

The nonprofit Friends of Masons will be holding a St. Patrick’s pub crawl from 4:30 to bar closing time Saturday, March 9, in downtown Elgin.

The crawl starts at Dream Hall, 51 S. Grove Ave., according to the group’s website. It proceeds from there to The Martini Room, El Patio of Elgin and Vern’s Tavern. Bagpipers and deejays are scheduled to entertain along the way.

Tickets are $40 if purchased by Saturday, Feb. 24, and $50 after that date.

For tickets, go to free-shop-106357.square.site/product/fom-bar-crawl-2024/1?fbclid=IwAR20QbCf3kwQ3JLTihOpkPN5GbDGf4QkM1ZgwOJcsV-8YHbrqVOJHhezaEE. For more information, go to friendsofmasons.org or email mike.landt@gmail.com.