Nixon died this week, 20 years ago on April 22, 1994. Photographer Ginny Lee wrote this poem on April 28, 1994 about the man for a class. Nixon died last night Well, I guess you were a pretty good piano player. But you hated me and didn’t even know my name. Out in the […]
Anita Stienstra
Posted inArts & Culture
Go with the green
Rain or shine, the 22nd annual Earth Fair will take place at Lincoln Park on Saturday, April 26. Celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day with the family. There will be environmental information, games, giveaways, a children’s tent of activities, refreshments, a reused art fair, music and more. Bring your bike and ride with the Bike […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Monumental re-creation
Saturday evening, April 26, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign vocal artist and professor Ollie Watts Davis will re-create a historic performance at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. Folks are eagerly anticipating this show based on the 1939 performance by renowned singer Marian Anderson who was barred for performing before an integrated audience so she sang in the open […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Fierce fete
One of the most entertaining and fun times to be had this year will be at the Springfield Pride Drag Race on April 25 at its new location this year in the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Contestants are judged on lip-syncing, dancing and costumes with the top winners slated to perform at Springfield PrideFest […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Pro-future planet
“Consumerism, Society and our Ecological Future” is the talk, Tuesday, April 22 at UIS Brookens Auditorium, by featured speaker Tim Kasser, professor of psychology at Knox College and author of 50-peer reviewed journal articles on materialism, values and goals, plus four books, including the The High Price of Materialism and Psychology and Consumer Culture. Kasser will […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Indian sounds
Enjoy the classic tale The Jungle Book April 18-19 presented by Springfield Theatre Centre. Gil and Ann Opferman are directing this beloved story of Mowgli the Indian boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. Gil Opferman says of the play, “We want the opening scene of the Indian jungle to come alive and magically fill […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Home & garden events calendar
Jaycees Lawn Mower ClinicApril 19, 8am-1pm, OReilly Auto Parts North, 1321 N. Dirksen Pkwy, Push mower full-service tuneup. All service done same day. $55 or $20 blade sharpening. 553-2082. Introduction to WeatherizationApril 19, 8am-4pm, Air sealing, attic and wall insulation, furnace repair and replacement, electric base load reduction (lighting and refrigerator), window and door weatherization. $100. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
American notes
Longtime rural Midwestern singer/songwriter Chris Vallillo headlines the Prairie Grapevine Folklore Society Concert on Tuesday evening, April 22. Known for his skillful guitar playing and singing, Vallillo’s 2008 Abraham Lincoln in Song, released by Gin Ridge Records, reached No. 10 on Billboard’s bluegrass album chart. Dirty Linen magazine described his music as “vivid, original story […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Joy ride
Illinois State Fairground’s Coliseum comes alive April 11-12 with the rustle and bustle of C-Bar Rodeo’s championship bull riding and barrel racing. Bring the entire family out to a show like you’ve never seen before. You’ll also be amazed by specialty acts such as trick and Roman riding by Dusti Lynn Crain. The show starts […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Musical stories
Roxy Theatricals presents Songs for a New World at The Legacy Theatre April 11-19. This contemporary musical by Jason Robert Brown is a collection of musical vignettes each about a crucial point in time when a choice is made that determines a future path in life. The production stars Sara Baltusevich, Brad Davis, Damien Kaplan and Mary […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Horror fun
Prairie Capital Convention Center will host ScareFest Road Trip, a convention for horror and paranormal enthusiasts, April 12-13. Intended as a preview of the larger convention held in Lexington, Ky., each year in September, attendees are encouraged to wear costumes or cosplay, though it is not a requirement for admission. There will be a meet […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Get your poetry on
Two great events for National Poetry Month are unfortunately both on Thursday, April 10. A Night of Poetry will be held at the Anne Lloyd Gallery of the Madden Arts Center, 125 N. Water in Decatur. From 6:30-8:30 p.m. there will be original readings from Springfield Poets and Writers President Hugh Moore; Benedictine University professors Amy Sayre […]
