By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — It’s the first weekend of November and the Rockford area is bustling with things to do.

You can catch a local fashion show at the Rockford Art Museum, a concert at the Coronado Performing Arts Center or test your prehistoric knowledge at Burpee Museum of Natural History.

Below are a dozen suggestions for things to do. You can always find more on our events page.

Watch Broadway on Main Street

The Tony Award-winning musical “Hairspray” is back on tour and part of Broadway at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Coronado, 314 N. Main St., Rockford.

Tickets range from $39 to $79 and can be purchased here.

More things to do: Rockford native’s play set on State Street bridge produced here for the first time

See a play based on a true story in Illinois

Rockford University Performing Arts will present “These Shining Lives,” which is based on the true story of Catherine Donahue and her coworkers at the Radium Dial Company, a watch factory in Ottawa, Illinois.

It follows their efforts from 1922 to 1938 as their lives are changed by the right to vote and job opportunities for women.

The play happens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Maddox Theatre at Rockford University, 5050 E. State St., Rockford.

Tickets are $12 for adults or $9 for a non-Rockford University student. You can get tickets here.

See High and Mighty fashion

The fourth annual Fashion in Bloom features designs and fashion from The High and Mighty, which is a brand by artist Kelvin Candie of Rockford, and other local and regional designers.

The show happens at 6 p.m. Saturday at Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Tickets cost $75 and can be purchased at rockfordartmuseum.org.

Related: The Hub Art Gallery aims to ‘breathe life back into Midtown’ in Rockford

Get a head start on Christmas

You can start to get in the spirit with the Christmas at the Farm, an indoor and outdoor holiday market at Meyer’s Tails Up Farm, 5390 Irene Road, Belvidere.

A heated building and two large heated tents will be filled with more than 35 vendors selling a mix of vintage goods, jewelry, soaps, candy, furniture, home decor, ornaments and more.

It takes place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets cost $7 at the door. Cash only.

Join Peppa Pig at the Coronado

Peppa Pig, the British animated cartoon, comes to the Coronado for the Peppa Pig Live tour.

The show is at 6 p.m. Friday at the theater, 314 N. Main St., Rockford.

Speaking of pigs …

There are two chances to see the Rockford IceHogs in action at home this weekend.

The Hogs play Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 p.m. Saturday. Then at 4 p.m. Sunday they take on the Iowa Wild.

Both games are at the BMO Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford.

You can get tickets here.

Related: Rockford IceHogs roll with new look of Hammy, although the mascot may ‘evolve’

Celebrate and honor veterans

The 80th annual Veterans Dinner takes place starting at 5 p.m. Saturday at Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront hotel and conference center, 416 N. Main St.

The event began as a celebration of the Armistice of World War I and continues today to bring together local veterans and members of the public to honor all veterans in our community.

This year’s featured speaker is retired Marine Ryan Curry, who created “Beneath the Beard,” an organization that helps veterans cope with the effects of traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related mental health concerns.

Tickets are available at a cost of $400 per table of eight or $50 each. To purchase tickets contact Scott Lewandowski of Veterans Memorial Hall at 815-969-1999.

More news: Nonprofit that keeps roundabout blooming to honor veterans faces financial distress

Get your gaming on

The Rock-Con Game Convention takes over Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Road, this weekend.

The convention features historical and fantasy miniature gaming, board games, science fiction and fantasy games, role-playing games and other tabletop games.

It runs from noon to 11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m to 1 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $20 for a single day or $35 for a weekend pass and can be purchased here.

More news: Fozzy’s Skybox offers food, drink and interactive games at the Indoor Sports Center in Loves Park

Go gaga for Goo Goo

The Goo Goo Dolls, a Grammy Award-nominated band that has toured together for four decades, perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Coronado, 314 N. Main St.

The band recently released its 13th studio album, “Chaos in Bloom.”

You can get tickets here.

Pianorama at Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center will host a showcase of area pianists performing on its three Steinway grand pianos.

The featured artists are Tim Anderson, Shannon Englert, Patricia Jeske, David Newman, Anne Marie Olson, Erik Olson, Jesse Parker, Joel Ross and Rulee Stallmann.

The event takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Starr Center, 415 N. Church St., Rockford.

Tickets cost $21 in advance or $25 at the door. The fee is $6 for students. You can purchase tickets here.

Test your dinosaur knowledge

Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main St., will host Jurassic Park Trivia Night from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Teams of up to eight people are allowed, and there are prizes for first place. Also, the last place team will have its team picture displayed next to the Golden Coprolite Statue in the lobby.

Entry costs $5 for non-members or $2 for members. You can reserve tickets here.

Swap meet and car show at the Speedway

The Rockford Speedway, 9572 Forest Hills Road, will host a swap meet and car show this weekend.

It goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Car show awards are presented at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Get more info at RockfordSpeedway.com.

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This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.