Fall Guide

As the days become shorter, the temperature cools, and leaves turn vibrant colors of yellow, orange and brown. The Springfield area is not short on its variety of fall festivals sure to keep you and your family entertained this autumn. SpringfieldSome come for the mouthwatering barbecue. Others come for good old down home blues. Whatever […]

Venture into southern Illinois this fall and discover two outstanding art venues that may not have been on your radar screen — the Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst in Mt. Vernon and the Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center at Rend Lake. The Mitchell Museum, the legacy of oil entrepreneur John R. Mitchell and his wife, […]

Classical music is reaping rewards for listeners and practitioners alike in the 21st century, thanks to ease of accessibility provided to concert planners and fans. Increasingly part of “classical” concerts are selections of “global music,” which merits listeners for its variety and diversity, compared with works composed in ancient days when Marie Antoinette still possessed […]

About an hour and a half south of Springfield, meandering down highway 127 to where it intersects Interstate 70, is the town of Greenville. According to the town fathers it has been hailed as “a Norman Rockwell town,” or “a town for all seasons.” With the picturesque square featuring the Bond County Courthouse, a Civil […]

A recent estimate by the Abraham Lincoln Association puts the number of distinct titles about Lincoln at 17,000. Add another hundred or so generated by the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial, and Lincoln may indeed be in the realm of Napoleon and Jesus Christ as the most written about figures in all of human history. Which begs […]

Normally, as autumn goes in the Midwest, things begin to cool off, but that isn’t so with live music. This fall has a number of options within an afternoon’s drive from Springfield, and there are even several all-new showcases for this season. Strap on a helmet; Illinois Times is about to blow your mind, musically […]

As many Springfield residents look forward to the weather finally cooling down, fans of locally produced entertainment can’t wait for the theater season to heat up. It might seem counter-intuitive, but a depressed economy actually offers residents a few benefits this year as venues compete to lure budget-conscious audiences. Some area managers are lowering ticket […]

Autumn is showtimeThe season’s guide to theater in Central Illinois Fun at fall festivals Visit Mt. Vernon for art and wine Surprising GreenvilleVisit the fun and quirky DeMoulin Museum Fall classical fareThe season offers plenty of fine listening in Central Illinois Rock fall aheadConcerts and music fests from Central Illinois to St. Louis Hundreds of […]

If you’re looking to get into the maze craze this fall, we have great news — Springfield will host its very own 10-acre corn creation. If that’s not enough, it’s even cut into the shape of Abraham Lincoln’s face to tie in the capital city’s Bicentennial celebration. Eric Hansen, pastor of the iWorshipCenter, came up […]

No kids allowed. It’s a strict requirement of Garret Moffett’s new October tour, “R-Rated Springfield.” “If you enjoy TV shows like ‘The Sopranos,’ then you will enjoy this,” says Moffett, the owner of Springfield Walks. “It’ll be fairly mature subject matter — we’ll be talking about murder and some rapes.” Moffett wanted something new for […]

While there is no shortage of great prep gridiron action or NFL team spirit in Springfield, the capital city’s offering of college football leaves something to be desired. Sure, Urbana-Champaign and Memorial Stadium are a quick jaunt, but after last year’s trip to the Rose Bowl, Illini tickets are at a premium. If you’re ready […]