The Gaylord Building

10/09/2026

A huge thank you to Mark Short (The Propstop) for an outstanding Think & Drink last night!

Mark gave us a fascinating look into the world of movie and television props, costumes, collecting, and preservation. He also brought along some incredible pieces for guests to see up close.

Thanks as well to everyone who came out, asked questions, and helped make it such a fun evening!

10/07/2026

Join us for "Preserving the Movies: A Life in Props, Costumes & Collecting" with movie and television memorabilia specialist Mark Short.

Mark will share stories from decades of collecting and preserving screen-used props and costumes. He will also bring original pieces from his collection for guests to see up close.

📅 Thursday, October 8
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Ga***rd Building
🎟️ Free event — registration encouraged

Come see what happens to movie history after the cameras stop rolling.

Explore movie props, collecting, and preservation with memorabilia expert Mark Short.

09/29/2026

🎬 What happens to movie props after the cameras stop rolling?

Join us for our next Think & Drink as movie and television memorabilia specialist Mark Short takes us behind the scenes of prop collecting, preservation, and the stories these objects carry.

Mark will also bring a selection of original props and costumes from his collection for guests to see up close.

Thursday, October 8
7:00 PM
Ga***rd Building
Free event

Registration encouraged to gauge attendance. Link in the comments.

09/21/2026

Route 66 turns 100, and your art could be part of the story!

The Ga***rd Building and Gallery Seven are teaming up for “Roadside Attractions: Art and History on Route 66,” bringing original artwork and the highway’s history together in a new exhibition to run from November 12, 2026 through March 24, 2027.

Artists: Submit original 2D or 3D artwork inspired by Route 66 by October 24. This juried exhibition will feature cash prizes, including a People’s Choice Award!

Details and submission guidelines:
galleryseven.net/roadsideattractions

Everyone: Save November 12 for the opening reception and a Route 66 Think & Drink program. More details to come!

Know an artist who might be interested? Please share!

09/17/2026

Spooky season is coming to the Ga***rd Building! 👻

We’re excited to welcome Limestone Stage for Beyond the Grave: Resurrection, featuring eerie stories from Lockport, Will County, and beyond.

With only four performances—and limited seating—this is one to grab early.

October 27–30 at the Ga***rd Building. Tickets are on sale now!

Limestone Stage is excited to announce the cast of Beyond the Grave: Resurrection!

Thank you to all who came out!

This night of spooky stories of Lockport, Will County and beyond is sure to get you into the spirit of the season!

FOUR SHOWS ONLY:

Tuesday, Oct 27
Wednesday, Oct 28
Thursday, Oct 29
Friday, Oct 30

At the The Ga***rd Building in downtown Lockport!

Tickets are ON SALE NOW and are very limited! Get them before they fade away!

https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/limestonestage/BTG

09/04/2026

Tonight is the final Fridays in the Park concert of the season! Come out to Lincoln Landing from 7-9pm for some family-friendly fun!

These events, put on by Gallery Seven and the City of Lockport, are always free, but did you know that each concert collects donations for a different charity? Guests are encouraged to bring charitable items and place them in the bins setup near the band.

For this concert, donations are being taken for Guardian Angel Community Services. Their current needs are women’s clothing and personal items. Check out the Guardian Angel page and website to learn more about the important work they do in our community.

(All pictures by Donna Saunders Nevels)

09/01/2026

☘️Before Lockport had a canal, it had canal diggers, and most of them were Irish immigrants.

Irish laborers made up much of the workforce that carved the Illinois & Michigan Canal across northern Illinois. Using little more than picks, shovels, wheelbarrows, and muscle, they endured long days, dangerous conditions, disease, and rough shantytown life. Many stayed after the work was finished, putting down roots in the communities that grew along the canal.

Their story is part of a much larger American story.

Join us next Thursday for "The Irish in America," as Dr. John F. Lyons of Joliet Junior College explores how 19th-century Irish immigrants went from objects of prejudice and suspicion to one of the most influential ethnic communities in American life.

Using music, photographs, newspapers, political cartoons, and other primary sources, Dr. Lyons will explore immigration, prejudice, labor, religion, politics, culture, and the complicated process of becoming “American.”

☘️ The Irish in America
📅 Thursday, September 10
🕖 7:00–8:00 PM
📍 Ga***rd Building, Lockport
🎟️ Free event — registration link in the comments

This program is part of our America at 250 series, exploring the many people who have shaped Illinois and the larger American story.