If you’re looking to find the end of the rainbow this weekend, head to downtown Springfield where four vibrant community events converge into a kaleidoscope of family-friendly fun. There’s a little something for everyone with live music, shows, art, books, vendors, and of course, delicious food. So, pack a bag (an empty one so you can fill it with stuff) and get on down to downtown.
Old Capitol Farmers Market
Saturday, May 18
8 a.m.-12 p.m.
The Old Capitol Farmers Market on Fourth and Adams streets, presented by HSHS St. John’s Hospital, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Following a grand opening this Saturday, it continues every Wednesday and Saturday through Oct. 26. The market supports small farms and local growers by providing an open-air venue to sell their produce and goods throughout the season.
Carlos Ortega, executive director of Downtown Springfield, Inc., said, “The Old Capitol Farmers Market has participated in the active development of the downtown ecosystem. It’s an exciting time in downtown right now with a lot of growth.”
New this year is an online, interactive market map for customers. The map links to the social media sites of vendors and creates a short bio so customers can see which vendors will be at the market each week.
Lincoln Library Alliance book sale
Saturday, May 18
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
On the sidewalks surrounding the downtown Lincoln Library, bookworms of all ages will enjoy shopping more than 15,000 books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs and library-branded merchandise. Pricing starts at two for $1, and all proceeds go to support the Lincoln Library. Cash, credit and debit cards are all accepted forms of payment.
Tiffany Roe, president of the Lincoln Library Alliance, said, “We’ll have two food truck vendors so everybody can keep their strength up. Hy-Vee is grilling out and Johnny O’s is selling seven different flavors of mini-doughnuts, which is a dangerous thing.”
The city of Springfield’s Department of Waste and Recycling will be in attendance giving away flower seeds as part of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. The Library Alliance has also partnered with Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries for the second year in a row, which will have representatives available to talk about the programs offered. Customers will be able to drop off any Goodwill donations at the book sale.
“Admission is free and there is plenty of parking available,” said Roe. “Hopefully it will be a beautiful day; we’re super excited about it.”
Old Capitol Art Fair
Saturday, May 18
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, May 19
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Springfield’s 63rd Old Capitol Art Fair is located on the grounds and surrounding sidewalks of the Old State Capitol. Admission is free to view the 115 art vendors (a third of which are brand new to the fair) selling and showcasing all mediums of art. There’s also a children’s tent, 10 food truck vendors and a brand-new live music stage with local acts such as Kapital Sound, Ben Bedford, Avery Kern and The Springfield Municipal Band.
Entertainment chair Micah Walk said, “it has been a goal of mine for many years to upgrade the live entertainment stage, and this year we’ve finally been able to make it happen.”
With a new live performance space and a 15% increase in vendors and food, the Old Capitol Art Fair is growing exponentially. “Numbers are increasing again post-pandemic, which is hopefully a trend that will continue for many years,” said David Hennessey, chair of the board of directors.
Springfield PrideFest
Saturday, May 18
11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Springfield’s 14th annual PrideFest kicks off with a parade at 11:30 a.m., beginning on the corner of Fifth and Allen streets. At noon, Mayor Misty Buscher, Secretary Dulce Quintero from the Department of Human Services and other local leaders will hold a ribbon-cutting to kick off the festivities.
Jonna Cooley, Phoenix Center’s executive director and the event chair, noted, “We have more than 100 vendors this year – many of them new to PrideFest – and great live music like The Rock ‘n Roll Sisters and The Brat Pack, eight food truck vendors and a fun-filled family area.”
Cooley said this year there will also be a free teen event called Race to the Runway. Starting at noon, the first 10 teens to register will receive a kit to create costumes and then perform a lip-synched song onstage at 2:15 p.m. PrideFest activities and performances culminate with a drag show on the main stage from 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Attendance is free to this day of celebrating the central Illinois LGBTQIA+ community.
Courtney Wick is a freelance writer from Springfield who plans to attend all four downtown events this weekend.
This article appears in Growing old gay.
So you think a pride parade is “family-friendly?” That is frankly sickening.
Victor, God bless you to find your compassion and free yourself from judgment.
Anyone who fails to make proper judgments is what the world calls a fool. The key is that one judges aright. Homosexuality is an abomination, an evil that will be punished for eternity, unless one turns from it, repents and turns in faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.
The Bible, in Romans 1:32, says that such behaviors are “worthy of death.”
It is not my prerogative to kill, but it is certainly God’s.
You are misquoting and misinterpreting scripture. It is God’s right to judge and he does not give that right to you. You need to be the judge of your own behavior not mine. God loves me and tells me so through the Holy Spirit who fills me and protects me. God is a God of love not hate like you portray. I want to know what you have done in your life that makes you want to spew hate, you sound like a very sad person who needs to do some soul searching. I will pray for you and ask God to forgive you for your hateful thoughts.
Victor Edwards still safer than a catholic church. you sound like another fake christian. how long have you been exploiting his teachings to further your own insecurities?
Candice, you would not qualify to rate anything scriptural. Your knowledge of the Scriptures is about what we call first-grade level; you have been exposed to them but understand exactly nothing. So, to help you along, I will quote Holy Scripture directly:
“But the natural man [that would be you, Candice] does not accept (receive) the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor CAN he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Then comes this, Candice:
“Be he who is spiritual JUDGES ALL THINGS, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord that we may instruct Him?”
“But we [believers, that is] have the mind of Christ.”
God has brought me to speak to you about your wretched sinfulness, much like my own some 55 years ago. But you are still alive and there is still hope for you to turn from your wickedness and live in the love of Jesus Christ. But you must turn from your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is my message to you and all the others with you. Else you will descend to that place that Jesus Christ described as “Outer darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.”
Turn then, today, to faith in Jesus Christ, and abandon your sinful life.
Quoting Holy Scripture and interpreting it are entirely different things. The Holy Spirit fills me every day which makes it easy for me to say “I forgive you, and so does God”, He’s just waiting for you to ask for it
The question is, Candice, is whether or not you have repented of your sins, confessed them, and turned from sin unto God through Christ. If you have not done these things, you are hopelessly lost and undone.
But since we are talking, tell me, are you a homosexual, lesbian or any of the other “dozen cousins” of sexual sin? Am I talking with a lesbian? Have you read the first chapter of Romans? No extraordinary interpretive skills are needed to understand it. It is quite plain and explicit.
Victor – If you recall, Jesus called out the pharisees for being intolerant and hypocritical, calling that the real sin. But you don’t need to worry. Jesus loves and forgives sin so he loves you as much as he loves everyone else.
Sorry, Plumy, but your understanding and reading of Scripture is abysmal and sophomoric. Jesus excoriated the Pharisees for committing the very sins they were accusing others of!!
If you think our Lord is tolerant of sin, you are sadly mistaken. Indeed, sin will bring eternal damnation upon you if you do not repent [that is, confess and turn from them] and put your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. I am not committing condemned acts of sin as you are if you are homosexual or “non-binary.” Those are sins that are “worthy of death,” according to Romans 1:32.
I am calling you to turn from your wickedness and believe the Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise you will perish in hell for your sins. I do not wish for that, but rather that you turn now from your sins, put faith in Christ and be granted eternal life in Him.