Silk and Thistle Scottish Country Dancing
at Fermilab

Scottish dancing at Fermilab is suspended indefinitely.

Join email lists or check the RSCDS Chicago website or Facebook group for further information.

When the local group restarts it will likely be at a new venue.

Fermilab has decided to cancel all public events because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. Their policy is on this website: https://eshq.fnal.gov/covid19

Tuesdays 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Kuhn Village Barn

(or Ramsey Auditorium in Wilson Hall if the Barn is not available)

General Information

Scottish Country Dancing meets every Tuesday evening at Kuhn Barn on the Fermilab site. This group is a class of the Chicago Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS).

Beginners are always welcome. In general, more detailed teaching of fundamentals and simpler dances happens earlier, and more complex dances later in the evening. Partners are not necessary, as everyone dances with everyone.

While retired phyisicist Doug Jensen continues to be the primary teacher for Silk and Thistle, in 2020, Noel Chavez is continuing to teach one Tuesday a month with RSCDS style classes which include more technique. There may eventually be teaching by others who are interested in learning how to teach Scottish country dancing. For further and often more up to date info on this class, please check the Silk and Thistle page on the RSCDS Chicago website.

If weather or other factors cause cancellation, word will be sent out to our email list by 6 p.m. that Tuesday, and we will make every effort to note the cancellation on the Fermilab Public Calendar.

The Where and When of Weekly Dancing

Most of the year we dance in the Kuhn Barn. The barn is located in the village on the east side of the site. It is visible to the north when you stop at the stop sign in the village. Parking is available just north of the barn, or across the street.

You may enter Fermilab from either the east or west sides. Be prepared to show a photo ID and tell the guard that you are coming to Scottish Dancing.
When the barn is not available, we dance on the stage in Ramsey Auditorium. The auditorium is on the south side of the Wilson Hall High Rise. You may not park next to the auditorium. Use the parking lot on the west side of the building and walk towards the back to enter the auditorium through the breeze way.

For more detailed directions to both locations, see below.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at chicagoscd@gmail.com.

Holidays Dancing

Though we dance throughout the year, we do not usually dance on the major holidays such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, 4th of July. We do however have a festive Halloween Party and often celebrate Tartan Day! As above, if in doubt, please call or email.

Planning Ahead

We usually include work on dances in upcoming programs in the class. Look at the Special Events page of the RSCDS Branch for further information.

Conduct and Etiquette

We have now established a Statement of Conduct and Etiquette for Fermilab's Scottish country dance group to which we expect all members of our community and visitors to adhere. Please look it over and keep it in mind.

For more information

More information can be obtained by sending email to: chicagoscd@gmail.com

Directions to the Kuhn Village Barn on the Fermilab site

From the East

To come to the Barn, take I-88 to the Route 59 exit. Exit and turn right, going north on Rt. 59. Go to Batavia Road (the 4th light) and turn left. Enter Fermilab through the gate and proceed to the first stop sign at Sauk Blvd. Turn right. The Barn is the second building on your right. There is a parking lot just beyond it to the north. Go up the ramp to enter.

Alternatively, take North Avenue, Route 64, west to Route 59. Go south on Rt. 59, passing through West Chicago, until you arrive at the intersection with Batavia Road (the next light after Mack Road), in Warrenville. Turn right on Batavia Road and proceed as above.

From the West

Exit I-88 at Farnsworth Av. which becomes Kirk Rd. Go north, passing the outlet mall, and crossing Butterfield Road, past several stoplights, to the entrance to Fermilab at Pine St. Turn right and enter the lab. Drive east across the main road, passing stop signs by the high-rise, another stop sign by buildings, a blinking red light at Eola Road, and continue on to the next stop sign by the houses of the "Village". (If you go too far, you'll get to the East gate to the lab at Batavia Road.) Turn left at this stop sign to go north on Sauk Blvd., and the Barn is the 2nd building on your right. There is a parking lot just beyond it to the north. Go up the ramp to enter. Alternatively, take Route 64 (=North Avenue) or Route 38 (=Roosevelt Road) to Kirk Road and go south to Pine St, which is one light south of Wilson St., or 3 lights south of the intersection of Fabyan Parkway and Kirk Road. Turn left at Pine St to enter Fermilab and proceed as above.

Directions to Ramsey Auditorium in Wilson Hall at Fermilab

To get to the lab you can come along North Avenue or Route 38 or along I-88, the Reagan expressway, and you can enter the lab via the west or the east entrance. At the entrance you need to be ready to show your driver's license for ID to the guard at the gate. Wilson Hall is regularly locked at 8 p.m. except for the main door at the front circle. If you find the back breezeway doors locked, go around to the front, enter there, and proceed straight to the back and down the stairs.

Via Fermilab's west entrance (Pine St, off of Kirk Road):

From North Avenue (Rt. 64) or Roosevelt Rd (Rt. 38): Go west until you get to Kirk Road. Turn Left to go South on Kirk Road. Turn left to enter Fermilab at Pine St. (1st light after Wilson St.) Continue straight until you get to the stop sign even with the main 16-storey building. Turn right to go up to the building but don't continue into the circle at the front of it. Instead, at the next corner, turn right and then immediately left to go into the parking lot along the west side of the building. Park there and walk towards the back of the building. There is a circular drive around the back of the building. When you see the breezeway doors just before that circle, come in, and go down the steps into the Auditorium, which is the room in that circle. We dance on the stage there.

**Please note that Wilson Hall is regularly locked at 8 p.m. except for the main door at the front circle. We hope that they will leave the back breezeway doors unlocked on dance nights. However if you find the back door locked, go around to the front, enter there, and proceed straight to the back and down the stairs.

From I-88: take the exit at Farnsworth Av. (the next exit after Rt. 59), which becomes Kirk Rd. Go north, passing the outlet mall, and crossing Butterfield Road, past several stoplights, to the entrance to Fermilab at Pine St. Turn right and enter the lab. Proceed as above to park on the west side of Wilson Hall, the high rise, go on to the back to Ramsey Auditorium.

Via Fermilab's east entrance (Batavia Road, off of Route 59):

From North Avenue (Rt. 64) or Roosevelt Rd (Rt. 38): Go west until you get to Route 59. Go South on Route 59 to Batavia Road (in Warrenville). Turn right on Batavia Road and continue to the Fermilab gate. Be ready to show your driver's license for ID to the guard at the gate. Continue across the lab on this road, towards the 16-storey white building you can see towards your left in the distance (Wilson Hall). You will go past a stop sign, a blinking red light, and another stop sign. At the next set of stops, even with the main building, turn left to go up the building but don't continue into the circle at the front of it. Instead, at the next corner, turn right and then immediately left to go into the parking lot along the west side of the building. Park there and walk towards the back of the building. There is a circular drive around the back of the building. When you see the breezeway doors just before that circle, come in, and go down the steps into the Auditorium, which is the room in that circle. We dance on the stage there.