April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November

April

Tuesday, April 8
Graue Mill Opens for the 2008 Season

Sunday, April 6, 1 to 4 pm
YES Family Fun Fest
Event located at the Community House in Hinsdale
Come and learn about all the programs and benefits offered by your local non-profit organizations.

Sunday, April 20
Earth Day Celebration
Help us celebrate the Earth. Free admission for all. Meet Squirmin' Herman, a real earthworm, and his friends from the University of Illinois Extension. Members of the Garden Study Club of Hinsdale will be at the Mill with all the materials you will need to make a terrarium to take home. The Mill is open from 10am to 4:30pm. Other activities from 12:30 to 3 pm.

Top of this page


May

Sunday, May 4, 1 to 3 pm
Recipe for Healthy Eating – Trader Joe's of Downers Grove
Learn about pioneer meals and the natural foods they ate and how you can enjoy those same healthy recipes today. They'll be an opportunity to sample some of Trader Joe's products while you're here.

Sunday, May 18
Sheep Shearing and Sheep to Shawl Demonstration   – Harold Davis
Watch a long-time shearer at his work. Graue Mill volunteers will be on hand to demonstrate spinning and weaving. You'll have an opportunity to try your hand at the drop spindle. Shearings on the hour from 1 to 3 pm.

Top of this page


June

Sunday, June 8, 10am to 5 pm
7th Annual Fine Arts Festival
The lawn of the Mill is a perfect backdrop for the more than forty of the area's most talented artists who will exhibit and sell of a variety of art for the home and garden. The Festival features paintings, ceramics, hand woven textiles, mosaics, pastels, stained glass, jewelry and wildlife and nature photography. Admission to the Fine Arts Festival is free. Refreshments will be available during show hours.

Sunday, June 15
Windy City Harmonica Club - Performance at 1 pm
Always a favorite at the Mill the Windy City Harmonica Club will be on hand to help you celebrate Fathers Day with a program of songs from the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's -- everything from the polka to the blues. Bring a chair and enjoy a concert on the lawn.

Top of this page


July

Saturday, July 12, 8 am to 4 pm
Antiques and Vintage Fair “A Day in the Country"
Don’t miss our Antiques and Vintage Fair on the Oak Brook Polo Field – Rain or Shine.  This festive outdoor event has grown and developed into one of Chicagoland’s top antiques fairs.  Enjoy a day outdoors while you browse a wonderful assortment of quality antiques, furniture, silver, textiles, architectural and garden items and a selection of annuals and perennials to enhance your summer garden.

Saturday & Sunday, July 12 and 13, 10am to 4 pm
From Grain to Grist
Learn the duties of a miller's apprentice by helping with many of the steps necessary to produce stone-ground cornmeal -- from shucking to shelling to grinding to weighing to bagging.

Sunday, July 27, 10 am to 4pm
Scavenger Hunt at the Mill
Visit the Mill and get your treasure map. If you find every one of the Mill's "treasures", you win a prize.

Top of this page


August

Sunday, August 10, noon to 3 pm
Sing Along with Anna Stange
The whole family can participate in this old-time sing along and have some fun playing some of Anna's hand crafted instruments like her cigar box banjo and cardboard drum.

Top of this page


September

Saturday & Sunday, August 30 and 31, 10:30 am to 4 pm
Civil War Encampment: 10th Illinois Regiment
The Civil War Encampment is a favorite annual activity at Graue Mill and is a celebration of our country’s rich history.  Members of the 10th Illinois Regiment, along with their families, will depict what life was like in a Union military camp in 1863.  Complete with authentic clothing, weapons and tools, this event will truly take you back in time.  There is excitement for all ages, including black powder firing demonstrations and drills, cooking and crafts. The members of the regiment are excellent performers who pay attention to accuracy and who are extremely dedicated to creating a unique and unforgettable experience.

Sunday, September 14, 11:30 to 4 pm
Graue Mill’s 7th Annual Cornfest
Food and Fun at the Mill
Celebrate the beginning of fall with an old-fashioned family picnic!  This popular event has food, fun and excitement for everyone.  Lots of food will be provided by Uncle Bub’s BBQ, along with roasted corn on the cob, delicious homemade pies and sweet taffy apples.  There will be plenty of entertainment, including games, races and a fishing tournament for kids.  A German band will provide some fun entertainment for adults.   The giant woodpile will also be back, so kids can use hammers, nails and paint to create whatever they want!  There is no general admission fee, and tickets will be available for all food, drinks and activities.

Sunday, September 28, noon to 4:00 PM
"Make 'n Take" a Corn Husk Doll
Kids of all ages can make a traditional corn husk doll and learn about Native American Harvest Traditions.
Top of this page


October

October 2 through October 26
Juried Photography Exhibition - An Oak Brook Celebrates Special Event
Winning and Selected Photographs on Display
We are proud to present our third Juried Photography Exhibition, The Eye of the Stone, with divisions for both Adult and Youth and awards for each category.  The winning and other selected photographs will be on display in the Frederick Graue House during the month of October. In honor of the 50th anniversary of our community, there is a special division for photographs of the historic buildings and landscapes in Oak Brook.

Friday and Saturday Evening, October 3 and 4
Journey on the Underground Railroad – Glennette Tilley Turner
Children and adults can vicariously experience what it was like to be a "passenger" on the Underground Railroad. Beginning with a skit in which passengers will meet the legendary Harriet Tubman, the journey will be led along Salt Creek by Hinsdale blacksmith John Coe.
The Underground Railroad actually operated in Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Lyons, Downers Grove, and other nearby towns. John Coe brought passengers up York Road, hidden in a wagon under a tarpaulin and Frederick Graue used the basement of the Mill as a hiding place. Be a passenger. Experience the sights and sounds of making your escape on the Underground Railroad.

Sunday, October 12, noon to 4 pm
Cast Iron Cooking – Chef Ian Rittof, Eclectic Cuisine
Early pioneers cooked over open fires using Dutch ovens, tripods and grills. You'll be able to taste the delicious, smoky flavors of Chef Ian's black bean soup and cornbread that only come from cast iron cooking.

Frontier Home: Life on the Illinois Prairie – Raymond Bial
Meet the pioneers who forged a life on the prairie during a slide presentation by this well-known author and photographer.

Top of this page


November

Sunday, November 2, Performances at 1 and 2:30 pm
Stories of the Underground Railroad – Darwin Walton
Learn how slaves were aided by sympathizers in the North as they traveled through Illinois on their way to freedom in Canada. Children will enjoy this interactive program.
Sunday, November 9
Graue Mill Closes for the Season
If you miss your last chance to stop by and pick up your winter supply of corn meal, we will be selling corn meal all winter.  Call (630) 920-9720 to arrange for pick-up.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 21, 22 and 23
“Christmas At The Mill” Fine Artisan Boutique
The Mill and the Graue House will be open for a special holiday shopping event to get you in the Christmas spirit!  A group of talented local artisans will be selling unique handmade gifts. Specially selected ornaments, other great decorative items and stocking stuffers will be for sale in the Mill’s gift shop.  Strolling carolers and decorated Christmas trees will add to the fun.

Top of this page


Schedule subject to change without notice.


Your Gateway to the Past, Graue Mill and Museum is a not-for-profit volunteer organization supported by admissions, memberships and contributions. The Mill, located on York Road just north of Ogden Avenue in Oak Brook, Illinois, is open 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM daily - closed Mondays, except Holiday Mondays. Admission is $3.50 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, $1.50 for children 4-12, Children 3 & under free. Call (630) 655-2090 or (630) 920-9720 for more information.


This page was last revised on: June 4, 2008