IT Picks

Warm your heart this holiday season by taking in the Springfield Theatre Centre’s musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ most-loved story. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, A Christmas Carol: The Musical is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a prosperous curmudgeon who values personal wealth above the happiness and comfort of others. […]

Enjoy the splendor of hundreds of colorful twinkling holiday lights as you leisurely stroll the pathways of the Springfield Park District’s Henson Robinson Zoo during the Winterland Holiday Zoo Lights event. See the enchanting displays come to life in festive reindeer and candy cane shapes with 3D glasses, which will be available for purchase nightly. […]

Avoid the long lines, stress and headaches associated with Black Friday shopping and enjoy a day of family fun during the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s fourth annual “Fun Frosty Friday” event. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, enjoy free family-friendly activities such as racing Hot Wheels cars, demonstrations by […]

Don your pajamas and head to The Legacy Theatre this weekend to enjoy a Polar Express Pajama Party. These special holiday events feature a crafting and cocoa party prior to a screening of The Polar Express, the 2004 G-rated film based off the 1985 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. The […]

On Saturday, Nov. 24, 11 area authors will be available for book signings and conversation at Books on the Square in Springfield. Featured Illinois authors participating in this event are: Trever J. Bierschbach, Kevin Corley, Robert Grindy, Dan Guillory, Doug King, John Lupton, T.J. Martinson, Taylor Pensoneau, J.D. Profitt, Robert Sablotny and Sarah Hathaway Thomas. […]

Take in a performance of 13, a musical that follows Evan Goldman, a preteen who is forced to move from fast-paced New York City to a sleepy Indiana town following his parents’ divorce. 13 is a story about fitting in and standing out, featuring an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown […]

Do you have an artifact at home that you’d like to learn more about? Bring it to the Illinois State Museum on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 1-3 p.m. for identification by Illinois State Museum staff and other experts. Objects open to identification include art, antiques, anthropological artifacts, rocks, minerals, fossils and bones. No live animals […]

On Thursday, Nov. 8, hear a distinguished panel of local public policy experts discuss implications of the Nov. 6, 2018, midterm election with regard to gender politics; public policy affecting women, specifically women of color and young women; the relationships between campaign finance, redistricting and term limits on recruiting; and electing women to public office. […]

Spend Saturday, Nov. 10 getting a jump start on your holiday décor and gift-making during these nature-themed crafting sessions at Lincoln Memorial Garden. Youth ages 5-12 are invited to create snowmen and reindeer ornaments from 10-11 a.m. Adults and teens ages 13 and up are invited to create a tree-cookie wreath from 2-4 p.m. All […]

On Thursday, Nov. 1, take in a reception for “Love You, Bro,” an exhibition by Chicago-based visual artist Stephanie Graham that explores relationships and the ways in which affection is expressed between African-American men. Graham’s photos, videos and installations examine subcultures, social class, relationships and Black America, and her work utilizes humor, soul and satire […]

On Friday, Nov. 2, join Sonya Jones, a speaker, author and a finalist on NBC’s hit weight-loss reality show “The Biggest Loser,” for a party celebrating the launch of her book, 44 Lessons from a Loser. The book includes stories from Sonya’s life on and off the “Biggest Loser” ranch, where in 2015 she came […]

On Friday and Saturday nights in October, experience the horror of the Extreme Haunted Hayrides and Zombie Paintball Rides, located in Riverside Park, just two blocks north of Dirksen Parkway at 4700 N. Peoria Road. During the Extreme Haunted Hayrides, hearse-pulled thrill-seekers will travel along the Sangamon River and through the woods. During the Zombie […]