Elgin News Digest: BMX state championship at The Hill this weekend; Theatre on the Fox presenting ‘Into the Woods’ 

BMX state championship at The Hill this weekend

The 2025 BMX Illinois State Championship will be held Friday through Sunday, Sept. 26-28, at The Hill BMX track at the Elgin Sports Complex, 709 Sports Way.

A glow race under the lights will kick off the event at 7 p.m. Friday followed by a screening of the 1986 BMX-themed movie, “Rad,” according to a social media post.

An assortment of races are scheduled between preliminary state championship rounds Saturday, with the competition getting underway about 1 p.m. The finals on Sunday will get underway about 10:30 a.m.

The weekend’s events are free and open to the public.

This marks the first time in its 35-year history that The Hill has been chosen to host the state championship.

Theatre on the Fox presenting ‘Into the Woods’

Theatre on the Fox will present Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Into the Woods” at the Rakow Center’s Adult Activities Center at 665 Barrington Ave. in Carpentersville.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 26-27 and Oct. 3-4, and 2 p.m. Sundays Sept. 28 and Oct. 5.

The musical reimagines the world of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and other fairy tales as it explores wishes, consequences and unintended twists of fate, a social media post said.

Tickets are $10 and available at the Rakow Center front desk. For more information, call 847-428-7131.

We Back the Blue Fall Fest at Panton Mill Park Saturday

We Back the Blue Fall Fest will be held from noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in Panton Mill Park, 9 N. Water St., South Elgin.

The free event is held in appreciation of first responders, according to a social media post. Kane County sheriff’s candidates will be on hand to meet residents, and the event will include a classic car show; live music from Rick Lindy and The Wild Ones, Junkyard Groove and Jimmy Nick; vendor tables: and concessions from Cesaroni BBQ, Golden Eagle Hot Dogs, Dairy Queen and RK’s Bar and Grill.

For more information, call 901-647-1240 or email markbialek2021@gmail.com.

Shredding event, food drive at Carpenter Park Saturday

A free shred event and food drive will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in the parking lot at Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave., Carpentersville.

Hosted by KCT Credit Union, state Sen. Cristina Castro and the village of Carpentersville, food donations for the D300 Food Pantry can include rice, beans or boxed dry foods; pasta and pasta sauce; baby food; canned meats; soup; coffee, tea, sugar or flour; personal care and feminine hygiene items. No glass containers will be accepted.

Monetary donations for the D300 Food Pantry will be accepted as well.

Explore the Fox River by kayak from Elgin on Saturday

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County will be offering a chance to explore the Fox River by kayak from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, with paddlers meeting at the Voyageur Landing Forest Preserve, 50 Airport Road, Elgin.

Participants will receive dry-land instruction on basic kayaking techniques from an experienced instructor, according to the district’s website. They then will head out for a naturalist-led, seven-mile exploration of the river.

Participants will meet at Voyageur Landing and be shuttled to the launch. Kayakers must be at least 16 and able to hold their breath underwater while wearing a properly fitted life jacket, independently turn from a face-down to a face-up position keeping head above water, effectively communicate with the instructor and other participants, and manage all mobility and personal care independently or with the assistance of a companion.

The fee is $89 per person, which includes use of a kayak, personal floatation device and paddle. For those with their own kayaks, the fee is $45 per person. To register, go to www.kaneforest.com/register.