Posted inSpecial Issues

Music for the fall

If there’s one thing central Illinois does well, it is to have on the horizon a lineup of music events to satisfy the fan of any genre.  This season’s lineup proves no different.  Pop, bluegrass and classical music alike will fill the venues with just the right notes, at just the right tempos and just […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Shop, sip and dine

Summer is still going strong, but you are running out of chances to spend a warm evening strolling through the Moonlight Market. The market highlights local artists and artisans, crafters and vendors from Springfield and central Illinois. It’s a great place to find unique items and locally made products. The market is hosted by Conn […]

Posted inArts & Culture

A Slightly Misremembered Past

Many of us are under an illusion about our prairie state’s past – bison roaming a prairieland fresh from a cleansing glacial scour, the arrival of Native Americans who centered their life around the wondering herds until Euro-Americans arrived and extirpated both bison and Indians, while destroying the prairie. But is this accurate? Bring your […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Walking Across Egypt

New Salem’s Theatre in the Park is closing its season with Walking Across Egypt, a play adapted by Catherine Busch from the novel by Clyde Edgerton and directed by Phil Funkenbusch. The play’s protagonist is Mattie Rigsbee, a 78-year old churchgoing, God-fearing woman. Upon discovering a stray dog on her back porch, she decides she’s […]

Posted inSpecial Issues

Family event calendar

Illinois State Fair  Aug 8-18, Thu-Sun.  An abundance of fried food-on-a-stick, a butter cow, beer tents, exhibits, livestock judging, a carnival and top-notch grandstand acts. Children up to 12 free, ages 13-59 $10 and seniors 60+ $3. Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon Ave., 217-782-6661. Wizard of Oz  Aug 8-11, 8:30pm Thu-Sun.  L. Frank Baum’s classic […]

Posted inArts & Culture

The Country and the City

Operatic soprano Christine Brewer and banjo virtuoso Noam Pikelny will perform as part of Illinois Humanities’ “The Country and the City” series that brings together rural and urban Illinoisans around shared concerns. Grammy award-winning Brewer has been named by BBC Music as one of the top 20 operatic sopranos of all time and is originally from […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Designs with histories

Illinois Realtors is sponsoring walking tours of buildings of architectural interest in the historic district of downtown Springfield.  This week, join Anthony Rubano from the Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as he guides a tour through the area of the Old Capitol Plaza and Sixth Street.  See and hear about […]

Posted inArts & Culture

It worked in theory, at least

What do a sarcophagus, Secret Service agents and sand dunes have in common? Come listen and learn about a little known and surprisingly humorous American tale of desperation carried out by bumbling criminals. Eleven years after the death of President Lincoln a plot was hatched by the leaders of one of the nation’s largest counterfeiting […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Heartsaver course

Springfield Firefighters Local 37 has been serving the citizens and visitors of Springfield since 1918.  It is a highly trained career fire department that, in addition to a myriad of fire and safety services and training operations, also provides intermediate level emergency care.  With that in mind, Local 37 is offering a Heartsaver CPR training […]

Posted inArts & Culture

How sweet it is

It’s finally back – the annual opportunity to fling desiccated dung of the cow variety. The Chatham Jaycees Sweet Corn Festival just wouldn’t be the same without the familiar flat trailer loaded with local, freshly harvested dry cow chips all waiting for their moment in the sun – to be a part of the Illinois […]

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