Ten larger-than-life sculptures of Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Lin-Manuel Miranda and seven other American artists stand along a walkable route in Glen Ellyn, free to visit from dawn to dusk through Sunday, October 18. Hinsdale families don't need a ticket or a reservation. They need comfortable shoes and about 15 minutes on the Eisenhower.

"Walking with Giants," installed on the grounds of the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., is one of several America 250 programs within easy reach of Hinsdale this summer and fall. The painted plywood silhouettes stand 7 to 10 feet tall and depict figures who shaped American culture: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Norman Rockwell, Georgia O'Keeffe, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, John Williams, Bob Fosse and Misty Copeland round out the group.

Chicago artist Judith Mayer and Naperville artist Rich Lo designed and created the works after a community survey drew more than 1,000 responses from College of DuPage students, alumni and neighbors. Justin Witte, curator of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, told the Chicago Tribune in June that the exhibition is "free and accessible. It's outside so anytime from sunup to sundown you can come see these." Maps are available on-site; more information is at www.theccma.org/walking-with-giants.

A flag made by 840 hands

Closer to home, the DuPage County Forest Preserve District's "Stars and Stripes: Our American Flag" exhibit features a 3-by-5-foot American flag crafted from 3,000 yards of dyed and felted yarn. The wool came from heritage Cotswold sheep at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago, and 840 students plus dozens of volunteers helped create it under the direction of Abigail Douglass, heritage interpreter at Graue Mill and Museum in Oak Brook.

The flag is on display at the visitor center at St. James Farm, 2S541 Winfield Road, Warrenville, open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays through Sundays through Saturday, October 31. Admission is free.

An eight-part video series called "The Work of Many Hands," available on the forest district's social media channels, documents the project and explores Revolutionary-era textile crafts.

Tuesday lecture at the Hinsdale Public Library

Back in the village, the Hinsdale Public Library at 20 E. Maple St. hosts "Revolutionary Illinois: How our State Shaped our Nation" on Tuesday, July 28, from 7 to 8 p.m. The program explores Illinois's role in the Revolutionary War, how the territory became a state and how it spurred change across the country. Registration is required; call (630) 986-1976 to reserve a spot.

The lecture is part of the library's ongoing programming even as its $4 million renovation continues. John Kokoris, the library's marketing and outreach manager, said in mid-July that the renovation has pushed some events to off-site venues including the Hinsdale Historical Society's Immanuel Hall at 302 S. Grant St. and the Zook Studio at Katherine Legge Memorial Park. The Tuesday, July 28 lecture, however, takes place at the library itself.

"That's been one of the most unexpected delights of this project was taking this show on the road," Kokoris said. "Even when this project ends, I think we'll continue with some of these off-site partnership ideas."

Hinsdale ahead

• Tuesday, July 28, 7–8 p.m. — "Revolutionary Illinois: How our State Shaped our Nation," Hinsdale Public Library, 20 E. Maple St. Free; registration required. Call (630) 986-1976.
• Through Sunday, October 18 — "Walking with Giants" outdoor sculpture exhibition, McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Free, dawn to dusk. No registration needed.
• Through Saturday, October 31 — "Stars and Stripes: Our American Flag" exhibit, St. James Farm visitor center, 2S541 Winfield Road, Warrenville. Free. Open 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Fridays–Sundays.
• Ongoing — "Defining US: The 250th Anniversary of the United States," DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton. Free (suggested donation $5 adults, $2 children/seniors). Hours: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays, noon–4 p.m. weekends.