IT Picks

Celebrate four years of contemporary arts programming on Friday, Sept. 8, at the DEMO Project. The gallery launched in September of 2013 with a solo installation by visual artist Betsy Odom, and the DEMO Project welcomes Odom back four years later as part of a joint exhibition. This will be the final “birthday” milestone for […]

Don your lederhosen and practice your slap dancing and stein holding in preparation for the Knights of Columbus 364 German Oktoberfest, a Munich-style celebration of all things German. The festival will be held on the grounds of the Knight of Columbus 364, from noon through 10:30 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 9, and features live music […]

Hit the Mother Road this weekend and make the short jaunt to Elkhart for a party of epic proportions. Elkhart’s Route 66 Labor Day Fall Celebration offers two-days of jam-packed fun for the entire family. Friday’s festivities kick off with art sales at The Country Bumpkin, Birdsong Books & Vintage and Horsefeathers plus live music […]

Join CrimeStoppers for their second annual “Take Flight in the Fight against Crime” hangar party Sunday, Sept. 3, from 2-8 p.m. at LRS Hanger, located at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. The party features live music by The Deep Hollow from 2:30 through 4 p.m., and The Shenanigans from 4:30 through 8 p.m. Additional attractions include […]

Join Springfield Bicycle Club on this annual recreational bicycle ride the Sunday after Labor Day. This year’s theme is “Plains Spokin’” as riders head to Pleasant Plains for lunch and then add mileage loops from there. The largest bicycle century event in Illinois held outside a major metro area, the CCC draws up to 800 […]

See dogs run, jump and swim during the DockDogs Dog Jumping Competition, hosted as a main attraction at the Federal Ammunition Hunting Exposition, Aug. 25-27, at the Springfield Scheels location. Open to both first-time jumpers and experienced pros, canine participants can compete in events such as Big Air (long jump), Extreme Vertical (high jump), Speed […]

Don’t miss the annual Lincoln Balloon Festival, held Aug. 25-26, at the Logan County Airport in Lincoln. This fun festival features balloon glows at dusk, evening and morning hot air balloon flights, daily tethered hot air balloon rides, a kids’ zone featuring family friendly activities, concessions and drinks for purchase, plus live musical entertainment by […]

Enjoy a weekend of blues, barbecue and beer during the longtime Springfield tradition of the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ festival. Managed by The Alamo and the Central Illinois Blues Club, the festival takes place on the grounds of the Old State Capitol Plaza and offers a variety of blues music from national, regional and […]

On Saturday, Aug. 19, celebrate America’s pastime with an All-American Picnic. Hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the all-ages event features an evening of baseball-themed crafts and activities, performances of Abbott and Costello’s celebrated comedy sketch “Who’s on First?”, opportunities for children to participate in dramatic readings of Ernest Thayer’s poem “Casey […]

Step back in time and take in a performance of Loose Lips Sink Ships at Theatre in the Park, located within Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site. Showtime is 8 p.m. nightly Aug. 18-20 and 24-26, with complimentary preshow entertainment beginning an hour before each performance. The musical, set in a shipyard in Wisconsin’s Sturgeon […]

On Monday, Aug. 21, avoid the chaos and the crowds in southern Illinois and #GetMooned at Danenberger Family Vineyards during the Great American Solar Eclipse. During the eclipse, the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, blocking the sun from view. Although central Illinois is several hours north of the “path of totality,” […]

On Friday, Aug. 11, celebrate the opening of three new exhibitions at the DEMO Project, a modern art gallery directed by Springfield-based contemporary artists. The first exhibition, titled “Dominus,” is a solo project by Maria Lux, a research-driven installation artist out of Walla Walla, Washington, whose exhibition utilizes raccoons and Roombas to examine animal and […]