Cover Story
Winter Guide 2025
Our annual Winter Guide has an overview of holiday happenings around town, a preview of upcoming theater and dance performances, a look back at Christmas celebrations 50 years ago and suggestions on ways that adults and kids alike can give back to the community this season, plus an expanded calendar of holiday activities.
Tree lighting, holiday walks set
It’s almost that most wonderful time of the year again. Experience a month of holiday cheer as downtown shops, museums and businesses pull out all of the stops for the Old Capitol Holiday Walks. The fun begins this Saturday with the tree lighting after 4:30 p.m. on the Old Capital Plaza. Abraham and Mary Lincoln…
Thanks for live music
As we take the time to say thanks for the multitude of blessings in our lives this Thanksgiving, let’s give a shout out to the music-makers that make said lives more interesting, inviting and illuminating while also aiding to avoid those unbearably intolerable times that sometimes come along for the ride. You can best thank…
Editors note 11/27/25
“Accountability, without systemic transformation, is not justice,” the Massey Commission writes in its elegant “Response to the Grayson Verdict,” posted on the commission’s page on Sangamon County’s website (sangamonil.gov). The Oct. 29 verdict brings a “breath of hope” and a “whisper of justice,” the statement reads. “We are called now to listen to the pain…
HSHS to pay cyber attack settlement
A court hearing is scheduled Dec. 4 to finalize a $7.6 million settlement that would pay people whose personal information was seized by hackers in a targeted cyber attack that temporarily crippled Hospital Sisters Health System in 2023. The nonprofit health system, based in rural Sangamon County near Riverton, discovered the suspicious cyber activity “by…
No progress for Police Community Review Commission
The city of Springfield’s Police Community Review Commission approved an extension of the window that citizens can file complaints from 15 days to 30 days – though the city council will also have to approve the change – during its final meeting of the year on Nov. 6. In addition, Sunshine Clemons, co-founder of the…
Dream
I try not to think of my childwho took her own life. Butsometimes I dream. Last night I dreamed she came to me, age maybe sixteen.And said, “I have to leave for a while but I will be back.”I walked with her across the creek and through the backpasture. I saw that she had her violin case in her arms. Good,…
Letters to the editor 11/27/25
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. DON’T GIVE UP It was disappointing to see the Springfield City Council vote down Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams’ resolution to put an advisory referendum on the March 17 primary ballot on whether the city…
Get the whole family involved in giving back
Supporting our community during the holidays reaps benefits for everyone. Here are some opportunities to donate, serve and give back during the month ahead. Springfield area Micropantries Food scarcity is a major issue all of the time, but especially during the holidays, and particularly in 2025. Many of our readers are already aware of micropantries,…
What to see this winter
The cold, dark days of winter may be upon us, but area stages will be merry and bright with plenty of music, dance and theater shows to keep us entertained. Here’s a sampling of what we have to look forward to for the next few months. Bye Bye Birdie A loving send-up of 1950s small-town…
Enjoy Christmas Traditions in St. Charles
If you are longing for a nostalgic holiday experience devoid of blow-up Santas, crammed retail stores and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” played endlessly on the radio, look no further than St. Charles, Missouri. The historic city’s Christmas Traditions festival runs from Nov. 28 through Dec. 24. Visitors will find unique holiday characters strolling…
Christmas 1975: Bell bottoms and the Boss
Fifty years ago was a rocky time for America. While then-President Gerald Ford dealt with fuel’s dwindling supplies and increasing prices (drivers waited hours at gas stations), he survived two assassination attempts, extended tax cuts and hailed the metric system. The latter fared as well as the Vietnam War. Former Teamster president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared…
Mapping merriment
From the west side to downtown and beyond, area businesses and organizations are preparing for this season with cheerful events, shopping and nostalgic traditions for the whole family. We’ve charted a complete winter route with a little something for everyone this yuletide season. WHITE OAKS MALL WINTREE WONDERLAND If it’s been a while since you…
Taking stock
If you’ve never before made your own turkey stock, let this be your official notice to do so. With turkey prices expected to reach record highs this season, it makes sense to get as much gobble for your dollar as possible. The resulting aromatic, collagen-rich stock is the key to a host of delicious dishes,…
