Cover Story
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.
Bullheads
As kids, my sibs and I spent many summer weeks on a small nearby lake. One day, alone in the rowboat and lying across the prow, looking down into the shallow water, I saw a sight I have never forgotten: an inky mask that was moving! Startled, I peered closer. The mask was made up…
Taking it to the streets
Patricia Gaddy sleeps sitting up in her walker. After about 20 years without stable housing, she has learned how to survive on Springfield’s streets. But health problems have made that harder. Gaddy has heart problems, high blood pressure and a history of blood clots in her legs. A problem with her knee makes it difficult…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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.…
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.…
No waste, all taste
As the COVID pandemic began to wind down and restaurants reopened for indoor dining, I was anxious to end my exile in a Florida RV park to get back into a kitchen. While scrolling on Instagram, I saw that a restaurant I’d been following, Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis, was hiring cooks. With the hope…
Labor Day weekend music
It’s here and so are we as the Labor Day holiday comes on Monday preceded by a full weekend of music adventures available for your entertainment pleasure. Often cited as the official, unofficial end-of-summer holiday, let’s take a moment to recognize the work of the workers of the world before we hit the streets in…
IT Pick
Springfield Oyster & Beer Feztival Sat., Sept. 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Ansar Shrine 630 S. Sixth St. | 217-525-1771 FESTIVALS | Oyster and beer lovers to gather for annual event Enjoy oysters at this popular annual downtown event now featuring a new host and site. The Ansar Shrine and its members are leading the…
Letters to the editor
PERSONAL CONNECTION As was mentioned, no one’s history is pretty (“Our history is not pretty,” Aug. 15). I am proud that Springfield is making an effort to take a hard look at this horrible moment. In some ways, it is woven into my family history. My grandparents helped hide some of the people who were…
