The friends of Illinois native Deb Martin’s late son, Jared Martin, influenced her involvement in a suicide awareness and prevention organization that bears Jared’s name. Jared’s Keepers Foundation, Inc., was founded in 2014 after Jared Michael Martin died by suicide on June 14, 2014, in Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Jared was 17. Jared […]
Special Issues
Posted inFall Guide
A fun fall to-do list
Put away your swimsuits and get out your flannels, it’s finally time to start dreaming of crisp autumn mornings and cozy fall nights. No matter how you feel about the change of the seasons, fall is a wonderful time to create some cozy family memories. Here are 75 ideas for ways to enjoy the season […]
Posted inFall Guide
Echoes of Yesteryear
Enjoy beautiful Oak Ridge Cemetery, meet period actors and learn about six Sangamon County residents who made a difference in our history. The Sangamon County Historical Society will offer its annual Echoes of Yesteryear – A Walk Through Oak Ridge Cemetery tour from 12-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4. The walk is easy. Participants will […]
Posted inFall Guide
Learning from past mistakes
It was election day in Springfield on April 5, 1870, and tensions were high. What was usually a low-interest election for township officers was anything but typical, not because of the candidates, but because of the voters. For the first time, Black men were casting a ballot, thanks to the new 15th Amendment to the […]
Posted inFall Guide
Route 66’s last 100 miles in Illinois
Felicia Uriosty has a sweet job. As owner of Mr. Twist in Granite City, she has spent a lifetime on Route 66, dishing up homemade ice cream and sherbet to travelers from around the globe. As the Mother Road celebrates its 100th birthday, Uriosty notes that her ice cream stand is nearly half as old. […]
Posted inFall Guide
Virden festivities
Find your kicks on Route 66 – this time in Virden on Oct. 10-11. A weekend of activities and the launching of the Virden Historical Society Museum will be part of a multi-town festival organized through the Great River and Routes Tourism Bureau. The festivals feature sites along the last 100 miles of the Mother […]
Posted inFall Guide
What to see on the stage this fall
Theater is live art. It is too alive to be edited, and no show can ever be exactly replicated – you can never see the same one twice. This season’s theater lineup may have a few familiar titles, but it’s fair to say that the productions will be as fresh as the night they premiered. […]
Posted inFall Guide
2026 Fall Guide Event Calendar
Ongoing Prairie HikesLast Wednesday of every month, 8-9am. Through Oct. 28. Jamie Arntzen of the Illinois Audubon Society will share her expertise about the plants and species communities during guided monthly walks along the trails of the AWS prairie as it transitions through the seasons. Free. Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, 2315 E. Clear Lake Ave., 217-899-6150. […]
Posted inFall Guide
2026 Fall Guide
The annual Fall Guide issue has info on family friendly activities, fall festivals, upcoming theater shows and an expanded three-month calendar of events.
Posted inReGen
The secret to staying young
A banana every morning, along with a glass of milk, and some pickleball in the afternoon. For Donald Taft, at least, this is his recommended elixir to older people who want to keep drinking from the fountain of youth. At 93, the longtime Springfield restaurateur is believed to be the oldest active pickleball player in […]
Posted inReGen
Pickleball for all
Dale Diamond doesn’t need pickleball to stay busy. At 84, he still works five days a week as a parts and service driver at Isringhausen Imports and remains an accomplished bowler. Weekends, however, are reserved for the game he fell in love with several years ago. “Most of my contemporaries play pickleball every morning, but […]
Posted inReGen
Exploring Southern Illinois
Join the Illinois State Historical Society’s southern Illinois tour Oct. 14-16 to visit historic sites, natural areas and the beautiful Shawnee National Forest with its bluffs, canyons, boulders and towering trees that will be alive with fall color. Board the bus in Springfield and travel to Shawneetown, Elizabethtown, Golconda and more. Experience the Ohio River, […]
