Carl Sandburg College’s Carthage campus is further expanding its community education and day trip offerings for the remainder of 2026, and into 2027. A variety courses and trips are already on the schedule and more will be added throughout the semester. All classes are held at the Sandburg campus, 305 Sandburg Dr., in Carthage.
The upcoming classes include:
• Tuesday, Nov. 3 – 6-8 p.m.: Crocheting for Beginners - Learn the basics of crocheting – this beginner-friendly class is open to all ages and will teach the basic chain and shell stitches, along with the information needed to create projects such as scarves and blankets. No experience is necessary, and all supplies are provided. The cost is $30 per person.
• Saturday, Nov. 21 - We will attend opening day of the Quad City Arts’ Festival of Trees at the RiverCenter Complex in Davenport, Iowa, as well as the annual Helium Balloon Parade. The trip will begin at the parade route at 10 a.m., followed by lunch on your own at any of the downtown restaurants. After lunch, we will visit the Quad City Arts’ Festival of Trees, which includes a treat shop, gift shop, gingerbread village, ornaments and over 150 decorated displays. Buses depart from Carthage at 7:30 a.m. and Galesburg at 8 a.m. The trip is $65 and includes round-trip transportation and a ticket to the Festival of Trees. Shopping and lunch are on your own.
• Thursday, Dec. 3 – 7 a.m.-5 p.m.: A Day Trip to the Dutch Christmas Market in Pella – Experience the magic of the holiday season at the Kerstmarkt Dutch Christmas Market in Pella, Iowa. The market is located in Pella’s Molengracht Plaza and the trip will also include the opportunity to shop the community’s unique boutiques, bakeries and meat markets downtown. Buses depart from the Carthage and Galesburg campuses. The trip is $75 and includes round-trip transportation. Shopping and lunch are on your own.
• Saturday, Dec. 5 – 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Kids on Campus Top Secret Holiday Workshop: Sign up your children, ages 6-11, to work with our elves to create their own custom-made holiday gifts for friends and family members. Through artistic classes, those who participate will create three gifts, their own customized wrapping paper, and have gift wrapping lessons. Lunch will be provided. This class is for children ages 6-12. Enrollment is $40 and includes lunch.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8 – Day Trip to the Snowman’s Reindeer Farm in Canton, IL: Billed as a “family-run farm where you can get up close with real reindeer,” this trip will feature an encounter with the animals, including new baby reindeer, “Tinsel,” and a tour of the property. After the tour, the group will have lunch at Monical’s Pizza in Canton, including pizzas, salads, breadsticks and drinks. Buses depart from the Galesburg campus at 8 a.m. and from the Carthage campus at 7:30 a.m. The trip is $65 and included transportation, a ticket to the farm and lunch. Buses will return to each campus after lunch.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8 – Wreath Making on the Carthage Campus – 6-8 p.m.: Create your own festive holiday wreath to take home. The class is $40 and all supplies are included.
• Tuesday, Jan. 12 – 6-8 p.m.: Valentine Cookie Decorating – Learn fun and creative decorating techniques as you transform cookies into festive Valentine’s Day treats. No experience is necessary and all supplies are included. Enrollment in the class is $30.
• Fridays, Jan. 15, Feb. 11, and April 9, 16, and 23: Kids on Campus Mini Sessions: During the afternoons of School Improvement Days in the Carthage Elementary School District, Sandburg will offer mini Kids on Campus sessions. Each class is for students in kindergarten-sixth grade, is $30, runs from 12:30-4 p.m., and includes two classes and a snack.
The Jan. 15 class is Beaded Jewelry Making and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. History; the Feb. 11 class is Making Valentine’s Day Cards and the History of Presidents’ Day; the April 9 class is Fun Science; the April 16 class is Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Cards and Gifts; and the April 23 class is making May Day Baskets.
This year’s main Kids on Campus summer camp, for kids who have completed kindergarten through sixth grade, will be offered June 21-25 and the new Kids on Campus Careers camp, for youth ages 11-15, will be held July 12-16.
As additional community education classes and day trips are scheduled, more information about each one will be released. To check on the status of each class, or to register, visit https://commerce.cashnet.com/SANDBURGWDCEand scroll down to the section “personal enrichment” or to “day trips” to see all of the available offerings.
For more information, contact Sandburg’s Carthage Campus at (217) 357-3129.
