Free events in Kenosha County, WI

JR’s Pups-N-Stuff will take part in Twin Lakes’ first annual Halloween Light Parade. Enjoy festive lights and decorations, family- and kid-friendly fun, and an opportunity to learn about the rescue and meet some of the dogs looking for forever homes.

Silent Book Club in Kenosha offers a relaxed, no-pressure gathering for readers. Bring the book you are currently enjoying and settle in for a mix of quiet reading and friendly conversation. The meetup begins with casual chatting among book lovers, moves into a peaceful stretch of independent reading, and finishes with more time to socialize. Outside food and snacks are welcome. This event is free, and RSVPs are requested in case there are announcements. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Enjoy a nature-themed story, a song or movement activity, and a craft at this free story time for children ages 2–5 accompanied by a caregiver.

Kenosha Public Library hosts a free, in-person talk that examines the Edmund Fitzgerald from three angles, the weather that drove the storm, the ship itself, and the Gordon Lightfoot song that keeps the story in the public eye. The presentation features Steve Ackerman, a UW–Madison atmospheric scientist who began his Wisconsin career at the Space Science and Engineering Center in 1987 and joined the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences in 1992. He led the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies from 1999 to 2019, a collaboration between UW–Madison and NOAA that helps sustain Wisconsin’s strong reputation in weather satellite research. He later served as UW–Madison’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education from 2019 to 2023. His honors include election as a fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, the AMS Teaching Excellence Award, a UW–Madison Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, and NASA’s Exceptional Public Service Medal. Along with Professor Jonathan Martin, he is one of the “weather guys,” appearing monthly on Wisconsin Public Radio and contributing a weekly blog and a Wisconsin State Journal column that answer weather questions. Advance registration is requested through the Kenosha Public Library website, and the program will be offered in person only with no virtual option.