With renovations of Sangamon Auditorium on the University of Illinois Springfield campus nearing completion, the May 1 finale of this season is likely to be the last time the Illinois Symphony Orchestra will perform at First United Methodist Church, which has served as home away from home for the orchestra since October 2025. The culmination […]
Newsletter – Event
Posted inArts & Culture
Kena Bere interview
Kena Bere is a young attorney working in downtown Springfield who is dedicating her career to building a more just and equitable legal system. She serves as a SAFE-T Act lawyer for the Illinois Office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor. A 2020 University of Illinois Springfield graduate, Kena focuses on criminal justice and system […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dana-Thomas House Foundation to demolish adjacent property
When Susan Lawrence and family moved to the neighborhood, it looked a lot different than it does now. The three houses across the street from the Dana-Thomas House (302, 306 and 308 E. Lawrence) were originally built as two-story homes. They were destroyed in the fire of 1916, and the current houses were built around […]
Posted inTurning Points
Rodger Dale Paoni Jr.
Rodger Dale Paoni Jr., 52, of Springfield, passed away on Friday, April 10, 2026. Rodger, known to many throughout his life simply as “Junior,” was born on Sept. 18, 1973, to Lynell Ayers and Rodger Paoni Sr., in Springfield, Illinois. Rodger married Kristy and she survives. Also surviving are his stepson, Jayson; daughters, Kendra, Cerria, […]
Posted inThe Mosaic Project
OJ Crowder interview
For three decades, OJ Crowder has been a familiar and friendly face in downtown Springfield. As a dedicated letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, he’s spent the last 30 years getting to know our city and its people. Now, his story is being shared in a new podcast episode that highlights his experiences, the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Nerds’ night out
The 25thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee or Putnam, as it’s lovingly referred to by theater connoisseurs on a time crunch, is a sweetly funny but sincere musical about a small-town spelling bee and the cast of fiercely competitive children (all played by adults) who are vying for first place. It is essentially a comedic A […]
Posted inArts & Culture
DSI executive director to hold ‘Ask Me Anything’ event
Downtown Springfield, Inc. (DSI) will host an ‘Ask Me Anything’ event with its new executive director, Jay Shanle, on Thursday, April 30, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Springfield. “My day-one commitment was to build a foundation of partnership and communication,” said Shanle. “I want to reintroduce DSI to the community, share our vision and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Less is more at Gallery 1624
If you’re passing by the corner of West Laurel Street and Holmes Avenue in Springfield, you might happen to notice what looks like a miniature house with windows and solar panels standing on a post in the yard of 1624 Holmes Ave. A closer look will reveal an intricate, dollhouse-like interior, designed to showcase tiny […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Nightmare at Camp Killamanbimbo
Continuing on her journey through the decades, local playwright Courtney Wick brings the third story in her trilogy of plays to a colorful conclusion with Nightmare at Camp Killamanbimbo. Billed as “a gnarly prequel to her previous murder mysteries, Nightmare at the Sweet Dreams Inn and Nightmare at the Hot Mess Hair Salon, Camp Killamanbimbo […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rooted in something more: The women reimagining community in downtown Springfield
There are businesses you visit because they offer something you like. And then there are businesses that, through action, remind a city what community is supposed to feel like. The team at Bloom is the latter. In a downtown Springfield landscape that is constantly evolving, Bloom has created a soft place to land at the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Disaster!: A jukebox musical
Most people of a certain age can probably say they’ve at least heard of, if not watched many popular disaster films of the 1970s such as Airport, The Towering Inferno, Earthquake and The Poseidon Adventure. Personally, I couldn’t get enough when I was a kid. They were epic. These films boasted major special effects for […]
Posted inMusic
ISO concert evokes the beauty of life and beyond
Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s “Vision and Vitality” concert on March 6 was a feast for the ears, as well as an impressive showcase for the versatility of the orchestra itself. As programmed and conducted by music director Taichi Fukumura, the evening provided both delicacy and bombast along with a striking contrast in mood and intent compared […]
