Things to Do in Antioch

Throughout nearly two decades of collecting and reselling beads, owner Charlene Steele has gathered more than one million types of baubles including Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones, and Miyuki seed beads and Delica beads. In addition to a variety of beads and jewelry components from Czech glass buttons to crystal pendants, customers can drape themselves in the shop's finished jewelry. To learn techniques for making their own treasures, patrons can attend beginner to advanced classes, in which knowledgeable instructors teach students how to wire wrap a stone or preserve a small photo or dried flower in a resin pendant. The shop hosts private parties for kids and adults alike.

The quick-witted troupe of performers at pH Productions stirs up a rollicking concoction of comedy that bubbles with equal parts improv and audience interaction. Founded in 2002, the troupe's scientific moniker celebrates the onstage chemistry that leads to a great night of improv and leaves nothing but a neutral puddle of goo when incompatible performers accidentally touch. Classes teach would-be improvisers the arts of extemporaneous comedy with a focus on hands-on learning, and a slate of shows delight audiences with long- and short-form sketches, many of which have been recognized with the Chicago Reader's Critic's Choice award.

Twin sisters and Alpaca Art owners Becky and Brenda helm the cheery studio’s kiln and ready-to-paint bisque objects. Guests of the studio sidle up to an “idea counter” stocked with stamps, stencils, and inspirational booklets before bringing patterns to life on a chosen ceramic. During a weeklong layover in the shop, each personalized curio receives a coat of clear glaze and boards the kiln, becoming immune to the heat of microwaves, dishwashers, and stewardesses who want to put tray tables in their upright and locked positions. The studio also hosts pottery-painting parties for birthdays and other special events and leads summer camps for children and workshops for adults.

Outside of the packed theatre, a sleek sedan glides its way to the curb. An expectant hush falls over the gathered masses as the door opens to reveal the car's famous passenger. There is a pause, and brief silence, before frenzied cheers are punctuated by a flurry of popping flashbulbs. Scenes like this, common in entertainment capitals all over the world, are what the photographers at Photo Booth of the Stars seek to replicate on a small-scale at private event engagements throughout Chicagoland. Their brand of memory-making has proven especially popular at weddings, where reception guests can pose in front of backdrops that celebrate matrimony with pictures of hearts, rings, and the best man giving a thumbs up.