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Springfield Community Business Leader,

Be part of history as we officially welcome the inaugural season of the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) to Springfield!

The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes invite you to attend the 2026 Women’s Pro Baseball Leadoff Luncheon on Friday, July 31, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Springfield Convention Center.

This special event will serve as our community’s official welcome to the WPBL and celebrate the beginning of a groundbreaking new chapter in professional baseball. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from and meet WPBL leadership, including the League Commissioner, league staff, coaches, and players who are helping make history during this inaugural season.

Whether you're a baseball fan, business leader, community supporter, or someone who wants to be part of this historic moment, we encourage you to join us for an inspiring afternoon celebrating the future of women's professional baseball.

Event Details

Date: Friday, July 31, 2026

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: Crowne Plaza Springfield Convention Center

Individual Tickets: $96

Table of 8: $708

Reserve Your Seats Today!

Tickets are expected to sell quickly as we celebrate this landmark occasion. Secure your individual ticket or reserve a table for your organization, business, family, or group today.

Purchase Tickets Here:

https://lh1.glitnirticketing.com/lhticket/web/stadiumg_b_svgw.php?event_id=291&status_id=2&refresh=&refresh=1780671763

We look forward to welcoming you as we celebrate the launch of the Women’s Pro Baseball League and showcase Springfield’s role in this historic inaugural season.

Every summer, the Springfield Area Arts Council presents Artist in the Park, a free, outdoor performance series in downtown Springfield. For 10 weeks, enjoy live music, dance, poetry, and more alongside local food trucks serving lunch for Food Truck Fridays. This family-friendly, accessible, and sensory-friendly event is presented in partnership with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Springfield Area Arts Council, in partnership with Downtown Springfield Inc., hires local musicians to provide live music at the Old Capitol Farmers Market, Farmers Market Brunch, and Farmers Market Street Dinner.

The annual Inside Out Accessible Art Activity Fair will offer ongoing art/craft activities from IOAA and other community organizations. Face painting, hula hooping and other activities will be provided. This is a drop-in, indoor event. Please check our website after August 1 for specific activities and agencies involved.

This is the official start of the fair! Gates open at 7:00 a.m.
More than 70 county fair queens and 105 fairs and expositions from across the state are represented at the fair. It is also the first day of harness racing at the fair’s one-mile dirt track, which is the fastest in the world. The first day of the fair also features the twilight annual Twilight Parade which starts at 5:30 p.m. from Lincoln Park.

Highlights

State Fair Ribbon Cutting

$3.00 Carnival Rides

Twilight Parade

Harness Racing (Grandstand)

Beef Cattle Show, Poultry Shows

Society Horse Show

Arena Event

Wooten rodeo Company

Thursday, August 13, 2026 7:30 PM

Show starts at 7:30 pm

Gates open 1 hour prior to the show

Illinois State Fair Rodeo

presented by Wooten Rodeo Co.

$10.00 Adult / $5.00 Child

Fair Admission is NOT included with event ticket. This is a General Admission seating event.

Country music trailblazer Lainey Wilson is taking over the world, capturing the hearts of fans, the excitement of the industry and the respect of her peers. Her monumental rise continues recently winning four awards at the 2025 ACM Awards—Entertainer of the Year (second consecutive win), Female Artist of the Year (third consecutive win), Album of the Year and Artist-Songwriter of the Year—while her new single, "Somewhere Over Laredo," was the most added at country radio at impact and earned her biggest first day of streaming to date (1.16M). The song is from the new deluxe version of Wilson’s album, Whirlwind, which will be released August 22 and features 5 additional tracks.

The 16x ACM, 9x CMA and Grammy Award-winner and Grand Ole Opry member is a sought-after songwriter with eight #1 hits including “4x4xU," “Watermelon Moonshine” and the 2x PLATINUM Certified “Heart Like A Truck," in addition to award-winning collaborations with Jelly Roll (“Save Me”) and HARDY (“wait in the truck”). Wilson also wrote and recorded “Out of Oklahoma” for the Twisters movie and has collaborated with artists such as Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton and Post Malone. A triple threat, she will make her film acting debut in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, after first acting in Paramount’s Yellowstone. Wilson is currently in the midst of her sold-out Whirlwind World Tour, which spans across Europe and North America.

Art @ the Market provides a free weekly, make-it, take-it art/craft activity to the public each week. Our activity booth will be at the Bloomington Farmers' Market (near the intersection of Jefferson and Center Streets). This activity is for youth to the young-at-heart adult. Our volunteers will be there to help with the activity which will take about 15 minutes. Drop by during the scheduled time to participate. If the weather is poor, the activity will be held in the lobby just outside our gallery in the Monroe Center.

Art @ the Market provides a free weekly, make-it, take-it art/craft activity to the public each week. Our activity booth will be at the Bloomington Farmers' Market (near the intersection of Jefferson and Center Streets). This activity is for youth to the young-at-heart adult. Our volunteers will be there to help with the activity which will take about 15 minutes. Drop by during the scheduled time to participate. If the weather is poor, the activity will be held in the lobby just outside our gallery in the Monroe Center.

Springfield Area Arts Council, in partnership with Downtown Springfield Inc., hires local musicians to provide live music at the Old Capitol Farmers Market, Farmers Market Brunch, and Farmers Market Street Dinner.

Art @ the Market provides a free weekly, make-it, take-it art/craft activity to the public each week. Our activity booth will be at the Bloomington Farmers' Market (near the intersection of Jefferson and Center Streets). This activity is for youth to the young-at-heart adult. Our volunteers will be there to help with the activity which will take about 15 minutes. Drop by during the scheduled time to participate. If the weather is poor, the activity will be held in the lobby just outside our gallery in the Monroe Center.