Attention witches, wizards, muggles and squibs of all ages! On Saturday, Dec. 2, from 6-9 p.m., don your wands, cloaks and brooms and celebrate the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Enjoy an evening that begins with a sampling of kid-friendly potions, brews and hors d’oeuvres in the great hall, followed by photos at Platform 9 […]
Nan Kording
Lavish lights
Join the Springfield Park District for their annual Holiday Zoo Lights event, on display Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Dec. 7-10, Dec. 14-17, Dec. 19-23 and Dec. 26-30, from 5-9 p.m. nightly. Thanks to a new partnership with Winterland, Inc., a national holiday décor company, 2017’s seasonal light show is bigger and better than ever. The display […]
Holiday events calendar
Winter Art SaleNov 30, Dec 1, 10am-2pm Thu-Fri. Featuring one-of-a-kind student-created art plus complimentary coffee and cookies. Free. LLCC Trutter Center, 5250 Shepherd Road, 786-2200. Edwards Place Restoration TourNov 30, 5:30pm Thu. See Edwards Place decorated for the holidays and view the second floor restoration progress. Free. edwardsplace.org. Edwards Place, Springfield Art Association, 700 N. […]
A one-horse open sleigh
Make reservations now for a charming, horse-drawn carriage ride through picturesque Washington Park, decked for the holiday season. The carriage rides are hosted by Red Gate Farm LLC in conjunction with the Springfield Park District. Each carriage ride lasts for 30 minutes and seats 4-6 people. The cost per ride is $60 and all rides […]
Chip Davis Christmas
Join the multi-platinum American Gramophone recording artists known as Mannheim Steamroller on Monday, Nov. 27 to celebrate the start of the holiday season, the 30-year anniversary of the first Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album, and the 40-year anniversary of Grammy Award-winner Chip Davis’ first Fresh Aire album. The live show by Mannheim Steamroller, the talented group […]
The Brat Pack
Hailing from the great city of Champaign, home of the University of Illinois, this group of fun-loving music makers really do “almost totally 80s music” as their promo states, and has been hard at it for some 18 years and counting. They also put on one heck of a show, recreating characters from the era […]
Artistically decorated arbors
Gather your loved ones and take in some holiday splendor during Memorial Medical Center’s 28th annual Festival of Trees. This year’s theme is “Skates, Sleds and Snow” and the featured colors are blue, white and brown. Festival of Trees is your opportunity to view more than 200 creatively decorated trees and wreaths plus a hand-crafted […]
Dazzling trees, wreaths and decor
Enjoy a long-standing Jacksonville tradition from a new location as Jacksonville’s annual Festival of Trees has relocated from Woodhaven Hospice to Pathway Services Unlimited. The three-day festival showcases designer Christmas trees, wreaths and other holiday decorations plus live, local entertainment and a gift shop featuring holiday décor, plus cookies and candy handmade by Pathway residents. […]
Artisan-made gifts
Kick off your holiday season with a special Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping event at the Lincoln Memorial Garden Nature Center, home to the Split Rail Shop. The annual holiday market features handcrafted items made over the past couple of months from area artisans, such as centerpieces, swags, wreaths, one-of-a-kind tree ornaments and more. Early bird […]
A play at the Place
Don’t miss Peculiar Inspirations, a fictitious theatre piece about modern Springfield writer Amy Lombard, who has been commissioned to write a play about Abraham Lincoln. An information-gathering mission has lead Amy to Edwards Place, where she comes face to face with muses such as Mary Lincoln, Thomas Lincoln and William Herndon, who are all dying […]
Winter FUNderland
The Polar ExpressNov 17-19, 24-26, Dec 1-3, 8-9. Read along with the story as the Polar Express train makes its round-trip journey to the North Pole. mrym.org. Monticello Railroad Museum, 992 Iron Horse Place, Monticello, 762-9011. Holiday Market Cookie WalkNov 18, 8am-2pm. Annual event features gift items and holiday cookies. Hosted by the Springfield Ceramics […]
A story within a story
Don’t miss Brooklyn The Musical, a story within a story about a troupe of street performers, five homeless musicians known as the City Weeds, who perform theater pieces via a makeshift stage on a street corner located underneath the Brooklyn bridge. During Brooklyn the Musical, the City Weeds perform a play about a young Parisian […]
