IT Picks

Happy Fourth of July! From local neighborhoods to area towns, the fireworks have been going up for days now in our traditional celebration of the nation’s birthday. Haven’t seen any organized shows yet? No worries. Several shows will occur today (Wednesday, July 3) through Friday in Springfield, Chatham, Dawson, Franklin, Jacksonville, Petersburg, Lincoln, Sherman and […]

Clara Irwin’s 4th of July Strawberry Party Thursday, July 4 3-6 p.m. The Elijah Iles House 628 S. Seventh St. ileshouse.org Independence Day is coming up fast, and what better way to begin the day’s celebration with this popular, annual event in Springfield. Clara Irwin’s 4th of July Strawberry Party takes place at the Elijah […]

For Springfield-area families, Southwind Park is the place to be this Saturday. Two events will offer a wide variety of fun-filled activities at the park. Both begin at 10 a.m., but let’s start with Hopeapalooza, which is back “bigger and better” this year. The annual event, which offers an opportunity to learn more about the […]

Positively Summer Music Festival Sunday, June 16, 1-6 p.m. Long Bridge Golf Course 1055 Camp Sangamo Road 217-744-8311 Free In 2010, WFMT-Chicago named Ben Bedford one of the “50 most significant folk singer-songwriters of the past 50 years.” Joining him on that list were Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Joni Mitchell – so, it […]

Legacy of Giving Music Festival Fri., June 7, 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Sat., June 8, 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Old State Capitol Plaza 217-306-7896 Springfield’s largest family-friendly music festival is back Friday and Saturday with 62 acts on five stages. You read that right – 62! This popular two-day festival includes food, 30 vendors, a variety of […]

Artist in the Park Fridays from May 31 to Aug. 30, noon to 1 p.m. Union Square Park 500 E. Madison St. 217-753-3519 director@springfieldartsco.org The long-running, popular Artist on the Plaza series has a new name – Artist in the Park – and will move from the Old Capitol Plaza to Union Square Park this […]

This musical about Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln will return to the Hoogland Center for the Arts for a second season. The Lincolns of Springfield was the culmination of a dream for creators Terrence and Rebecca Powers Cranert, who moved to Springfield from California. According to the Cranerts, the musical tells the story of “how […]

Springfield’s popular, annual Fat Ass 5K & Street Party for Charity was born on a napkin at the Celtic Mist Pub on St. Patrick’s Day, 2008. Since then, this hilarious downtown spectacle has only gotten better, donating more than $2 million to area charities. The event begins Friday with the Craft Beer and Cigar Festival […]

Preeminent Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer will speak May 7 about his new book, Brought Forth on this Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration, during an event at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.  According to Holzer, the book “charts Lincoln’s political career through the lens of immigration, from his role as a member of an […]

Fans of Alfred Hitchcock, Monty Python or Mel Brooks – or any combination of the three – will surely enjoy this comedy opening tomorrow night at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. The 39 Steps, written by Patrick Marlow, is a spoof of the 1935 Hitchcock spy thriller of the same name which itself was […]

Lady Frederick Fri.-Sat., April 26-27, 7 p.m. and Sun., April 28, 2 pm Edwards Place, Springfield Art Association, 700 N. Fourth St. 217-523-2631 THEATER | William Somerset Maugham play scheduled at Edwards Place This romantic comedy by acclaimed British writer William Somerset Maugham was first performed in London in 1907. It later moved to Broadway […]

Haven’t toured the old Pillsbury Mill plant yet? Well, this Saturday offers a last chance to take a guided tour of the abandoned plant. Tours at noon and 2 p.m. last about one hour and include stops and photo opportunities at several of the plant’s buildings. The tours are on a level surface but “sturdy […]