Hobbies & Home   

Join us for this festive class! You will be guided in making a stunning evergreen wreath for your door. We will not only use a wide variety of mixed evergreens but there will be multiple other options to add a little flair to your wreath; pampas grass, dried cotton, dried flowers, ribbons, bells, pinecones, and more!

Explore the rich and complex tapestry of African American spirituality, with a particular focus on the cultural and historical contexts that shaped it in the 20th century. Examine the profound influence of Blues music as both a spiritual and artistic expression, tracing its roots and evolution within African American communities. Additionally, the course investigates the impact of The Great Migration—a pivotal movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers in the North—and how it transformed spiritual practices, musical traditions, and social identities. Through historical texts, music analysis, and cultural studies, you will gain a deeper understanding of the enduring legacy of African American spirituality in shaping American culture.

Ready to start your sewing journey, but not sure where to begin? This hands-on class is perfect for adults who want to build confidence with their sewing machines from the ground up. You'll learn how to wind a bobbin, thread your machine, change a needle, and install different presser feet. We’ll also explore the most useful stitches and share tips for basic troubleshooting, so you’ll feel comfortable and in control. Once you’re familiar with the essentials, we’ll guide you through a fun and simple project to put your new skills into action. Whether you're brand new to sewing or just need a refresher, this welcoming class will set you up for success—and creativity!

Please bring your sewing machine to the class with you.

Join #1 bestselling author and award-winning professor Joe Chianakas for a discussion about what it takes to be a published author. Whether you have finished your manuscript or you are just getting started, Joe will have plenty of tips for everyone. We will talk about self-publishing (should you do it? how to do it?) compared to traditional publishing as well as finding a literary agent. Joe has experience with all of that-- he currently has both a literary agent and a traditional publisher, but he has self-published as well. Joe will provide an overview of these different components during the first half of the class and will set aside the second half of the class for all your specific questions.

You will learn how to brew your own beer at home and learn basic home brewing with dry and liquid malt extracts. This class covers equipment needed, malt extracts, water, hops characteristics and types, sanitation, fermentation, and bottling your finished beer. We will discuss the terminology and abbreviations and how to calculate them such as ABV, IBU's, etc. We will also include tips on where to find your ingredients and how to convert all grain recipes to malt extract recipes.

Two men from central Illinois were integral to the passage of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act: Sen. Everett Dirksen of Pekin and the Rev. C.T. Vivian of Macomb. One led as a lawmaker, the other as an activist. We'll discuss how their experiences growing up in this region helped set them on their respective paths. We'll also examine Dirksen's challenges in crafting the bipartisan legislation and Vivian's work standing up to segregation on the front lines as he worked and marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Finally, we'll look deeper into the turbulent 1960s as we review the next steps both men took on America's continuing road toward equity and equality.

Objectives:

• Showcase the Peoria region's role in a significant part of the nation's late 20th century history and the local values that made the work of Viviana and Dirksen successful
• Develop the audience's understanding of the parallel (and related) roles played by the civil rights protest movement and allies in Congress (what historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has called the meeting of "the outside movement and the inside power.")
• Explore the question of "what's next?" as we view the follow-up effects of their work throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Ready to start your sewing journey, but not sure where to begin? This hands-on class is perfect for adults who want to build confidence with their sewing machines from the ground up. You'll learn how to wind a bobbin, thread your machine, change a needle, and install different presser feet. We’ll also explore the most useful stitches and share tips for basic troubleshooting, so you’ll feel comfortable and in control. Once you’re familiar with the essentials, we’ll guide you through a fun and simple project to put your new skills into action. Whether you're brand new to sewing or just need a refresher, this welcoming class will set you up for success—and creativity!

Please bring your sewing machine to the class with you.

Ready to start your sewing journey, but not sure where to begin? This hands-on class is perfect for adults who want to build confidence with their sewing machines from the ground up. You'll learn how to wind a bobbin, thread your machine, change a needle, and install different presser feet. We’ll also explore the most useful stitches and share tips for basic troubleshooting, so you’ll feel comfortable and in control. Once you’re familiar with the essentials, we’ll guide you through a fun and simple project to put your new skills into action. Whether you're brand new to sewing or just need a refresher, this welcoming class will set you up for success—and creativity!

Please bring your sewing machine to the class with you.

Ready to start your sewing journey, but not sure where to begin? This hands-on class is perfect for adults who want to build confidence with their sewing machines from the ground up. You'll learn how to wind a bobbin, thread your machine, change a needle, and install different presser feet. We’ll also explore the most useful stitches and share tips for basic troubleshooting, so you’ll feel comfortable and in control. Once you’re familiar with the essentials, we’ll guide you through a fun and simple project to put your new skills into action. Whether you're brand new to sewing or just need a refresher, this welcoming class will set you up for success—and creativity!

Please bring your sewing machine to the class with you.