Calendar

As part of our on-going celebration of America 250, you’re invited to join nationally syndicated travel journalist and broadcaster Bill Clevlen on Tuesday evening, June 23, at the ALPLM as he shares highlights from his latest book - Presidential Road Trips.

You'll hear great stories and get a behind the scenes look at some of the homes where America's presidents once lived. You'll enjoy a fun journey that includes everything from George Washington's birthplace to the train depot where Jimmy Carter launched his 1978 campaign. Along the way, you'll see things like James Madison's home library, George W. Bush's childhood bedroom, the leather chair where Ulysess S. Grant spent the last few weeks of his life, and learn where to tour not one - but two retired Air Force One planes. This engaging presentation will leave you inspired to hit the road and visit all of America's historic presidential sites!

Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. in the ALPLM Union Theater. This program is free to attend, but advance registration is required. You’ll also be able to meet the author after the program and purchase a copy of the book – and he’ll be glad to sign it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bill Clevlen is a travel writer and author based in St. Louis. He launched "Bill On The Road" in 2013 to share positive road trip stories and travel tips on radio, TV, and social media. He's the author of 7 travel themed books including 100 Things To Do in America Before You Die and The Ultimate American Music Bucket List.

Food Not Bombs Springfield, IL is hosting a karaoke night at Dumb Records. Donate what you can for entry, $5 suggested. We want to accommodate those who can't donate. Funds go toward Food Not Bombs activities, providing free food and mutual aid for the community. Light refreshments served.

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of friendly competition, laughter, and community connection at the RISE Trivia Night!

Join us for a high-energy night where teams will go head-to-head across a variety of fun and challenging trivia categories. Whether you’re a pop culture pro, history buff, or just in it for the fun, there’s something for everyone!

Gather your friends, coworkers, or fellow RISE supporters of all ages and form a team—or register on your own to be placed on one! Along with exciting trivia rounds, guests can enjoy great company and the chance to win awesome prizes throughout the night.

This is more than just trivia—it’s an opportunity to connect, compete, and support the mission of RISE while having an amazing time.

Prizes include:

• 1st place team: $150
• 2nd place team: $100
• 3rd place team: $50

Drinks will be available through the cash bar at the event and all attendees are welcome to bring snacks. Pizza will also be available for purchase!

Don’t miss out on one of the most entertaining nights of the year! Mark your calendar, bring your best trivia game, and get ready for a night you won’t forget.

Bring your lawn chairs and picnics! Enjoy 10 weeks of free, live concerts in downtown Springfield right across from the Governor’s Mansion.

ASL Interpreters
Family-Friendly Activities
Food Trucks & Tents
Maker’s Row & Community Row

Details: https://springfieldartsco.org/levittampspringfield/

The Springfield Area Arts Council has been a driving force behind the Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series since its launch in 2019, when we partnered with local organizations, including Downtown Springfield Inc., among others, to bring free, live music to the heart of our community. In 2025, SAAC became the official host organization of the series, building on that foundation to further expand its impact. As we return in 2026 with a renewed three-year grant, we are proud to continue working alongside our dedicated partners to present a vibrant, inclusive concert series that brings people together and strengthens our local arts and cultural landscape.

Join us for a conversation with local playwright and winner of the 2024 Mayor’s Award for the Arts—Individual Performing Artist, Tim Crawford. Learn how he progressed from the blank page to the upcoming performances of his play this summer in the Hoogland Center for the Arts’ Peggy Rider Theatre (supported by funding from both a grant from the Springfield Area Arts Council, through city funds, and by the Springfield NAACP). Discover the current state of organized playwriting collaborative efforts in Central Illinois, and engage with Tim as Carly Shank, Artistic Programs Director for UIS Performing Arts Center, prompts revealing responses to the questions she has crafted before yielding the floor to questions from the audience.

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.

For as long as our species has walked the earth, we have been storytellers and art makers. These ancient human traditions not only tie us to each other but also to our homes and our greater ecological communities. In a world that is rapidly changing, it is important, now more than ever, that we learn to recognize the names and stories of those we share our spaces with. In this workshop, participants will have an opportunity to explore the intersections of art, storytelling, and conservation, and practice connecting with their ecological neighborhood through the art making process. Kai Tomalin is an artist, conservationist, and storyteller whose work explores the role of the stories we tell about our homes, and the beings we share them with, can play in the preservation of those spaces. His work has taken him around the world, where field observation of wildlife shapes his practice. These aren’t just encounters, they are observations that carry forward the threads of the stories Kai weaves into his art.

The community is invited to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Mary Bryant Home for the Blind and Visually Impaired during an open house, “A Legacy of Light — 80 Years of Independence,” on June 26, 2026, from 3–7 p.m. Guests can enjoy appetizers, cocktails, and entertainment by Robert Sampson, along with a brief program. Tours will be available, offering insight into the home’s history and mission of serving individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The event highlights eight decades of promoting independence and compassionate care.

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.

Come join us as we come together on this National Day of Action - Marches, Rallies, and Protests!

All of U.S. 250 in Resistance for Justice, Equality and Liberation for all.

🗓 June 27, 2026

State Capitol Building
📍Lincoln Statue @ 401 S. 2nd St
12:00 PM Gather/Walk The Tables
12:30 - 1:30 PM Rally / Protest

Why: Create an affirmative, positive counternarrative by inviting communities of all stripes to come together in support of a country that would live up to its ideals, reckons with our whole history, and embraces the mosaic of all who call it home.

Learn our history: https://syracuseculturalworkers.com/

Support Springfield Call for Mutual Aid: Intricate Minds
619 North Grand Ave East, Springfield IL 62702

New, unused, unexpired items to donate at RALLY:
Individually wrapped snack
bars, instant oatmeal, cereals, condiments, creamers, Sugar-Free Powdered Drink Mix, Water Bottles, Gatorade, Paper plates, cups, ind. wrapped disp. silverware, Mens and Womens underwear & socks, Hygiene products

Learn about actions we can take from our speakers.
Join an organization there.
Sign the petitions.
Donate time, food, $ to Intricate Minds : Cultural / Harm Reduction Center