Events Calendar

OPS is proud to offer the R.A.D. Women's Program - a comprehensive 12-hour, four-day self-defense course designed to build real-world skills and confidence. Two sessions are available to sign up for Fall 2026!

Session 1: Monday, Aug. 24, Wednesday, Aug. 26, Monday, Aug. 31, and Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Session 2: Monday, Nov. 2, Wednesday, Nov. 4, Monday, Nov. 9, and Wednesday, Nov. 11.

All classes will be held from 5-8 p.m. at the University Union-Capitol Room.
If interested, contact OPS at (309) 298-1949.

Make unforgettable memories with your little ones at Elmo’s Got the Moves—the all-new Sesame Street Live show! This exciting experience brings Elmo and his Sesame Street friends to the stage with singing, dancing, and favorite songs like “Sunny Days,” “Elmo’s Got the Moves,” and “Letter of the Day.” Families will laugh, learn, and play together in a heartwarming celebration that you’ll treasure long after the final song.

Sensory Notice: This show contains Flashing Lights, Haze (Fog), and Confetti.

Ticket Limit: There is an 8 (eight) ticket limit for this event for single ticket sales.

After the Show: There will be an exclusive post-show Photo Experience opportunity for an additional purchase of $40.00 + $1.60 convenience fee per person.

PROGRAM

Driftless (2021) - James Romig

nor the moon by night (2026) - James Caldwell
Craig Hultgren, ecello

Striving for Air (2026) - Hong-Da Chin

Sin-eater (2018) - Aaron Hynds
Aaron Hynds, trombone

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Driftless, for solo cello, was written for Craig Hultgren and New Music Festival 2022 at Western Illinois University. The piece articulates a very slow 7:8:9 polyrhythm over the course of approximately ten minutes, radually revealing a collection of six pitch classes. Amplification and long reverb allow the cello to perform in counterpoint with itself, creating a halo of overlapping harmonies and timbres. The work's title refers to the Driftless Area, a region comprising parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin that was bypassed during the last ice age and is therefore topographically distinct from the flat landscape usually associated with the midwestern United States. Craig Hultgren, to whom the work is dedicated, makes his home on a farm in this beautiful land of steep hills, forested ridges, and sculpted river valleys.

Tot Time is happening this month at Dickson Mounds!  Tots and their adults will have fun exploring, discovering, and learning about a different topic on the first Thursday of every month. 
Join us as we learn about all about mussels, presented by Therkildsen Field Station’s Education Coordinator Christa Christensen. Participants will enjoy learning about what mussels are, what they eat, where they live, and how important they are for people and the environment. Tots and caretakers, expect to enjoy hands-on activities and crafts to take home! 

The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. and is free.  Registration is not required.  However, groups of 8 or more are encouraged to call the Museum at 309-547-3721 prior to the program date to ensure the availability of supplies.  Participants are welcome to enjoy the Museum exhibits after the program.  

Thursday Night Jazz at Smokin’ Willies BBQ
A Galesburg tradition for more than 30 years—every Thursday night starting Sept 17th!
Join us for Jazz Night with the Knox Cherry Street Combo, featuring special events throughout the fall term. Musicians, come sit in with the band!
Every Thursday | Sept. 17–Nov. 12
7:00–10:00 PM (some special nights begin earlier)
FREE admission | All ages welcome
Full bar + the best BBQ around
Smokin’ Willies BBQ | Galesburg, IL

Special Events:
October 15 — Matt Wilson’s Leap Day Trip
Masterclass at 6:00 PM
Jazz Night performance to follow
October 29 — Galesburg High School Vocal Jazz Ensembles and the Cherry St combo
November 5 — Mirza Residency at Jazz Night
Featuring Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade

Come enjoy beautiful Lake Argyle while taking a relaxing morning pontoon boat ride on the lake as we watch for wildlife. Life jackets, binoculars, and field guides will be available, or you’re welcome to bring your own.
**Pre-registration is required, and space is limited to 6 participants. ** 
Please email Bridget.Hinchee@illinois.gov or call (309) 776-3422 for more information or to register.

Mark your calendar for November 6, 2026!
At Great Tastes, you can enjoy a fun night out while raising money for an important cause.

Enjoy a wide variety of wines, beer, and ales and fill your plate with mouth-watering dishes.

Bid on fun silent and live auction items, win big, and leave the event knowing you've made a major difference in students' lives, just by having fun.

Net proceeds fund scholarships, instructional mini-grants, and other important SCC initiatives.

Jazz nights at the Western Illinois Museum (WiM), in partnership with the Western Illinois University (WIU) School of Music, return Friday, November 6, featuring dynamic performer and composer, saxophonist Chris Merz. Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Iowa, Merz brings a vibrant, forward-thinking approach to contemporary jazz composition and a sense of humor to his performances, presenting an evening that will be both entertaining and delightful. He will perform on WiM’s Our Front Porch stage with the HAT Trio for two sets at 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm, with doors and the bar opening at 4:30 pm. The audience is invited to stay for an after-party at 7:30 pm as WIU jazz students perform. A $5 suggested donation supports the WiM’s community programming.
Christopher Merz is an accomplished composer/arranger, performer, and highly sought-after guest soloist. His recording credits include Steve McCraven, Darius Brubeck, John Rapson and Jon Snell, as well as his own projects: Counterculture, the Chris Merz/Bob Washut Duo, The X-tet, and Equilateral. These days he can be heard with the Iowa Jazz Composers’ Orchestra led by colleague Mike Conrad, the soul jazz sextet Big Fun led by Iowa jazz legend Steve Grismore, and his own current bands, Christopher’s Very Happy Band and Shorter Stories, which celebrates the music of master composer Wayne Shorter. He has received commissions from university and high school big bands throughout the country, and is published through iJazzmusic, UNC Jazz Press and ejazzlines/Walrus.

Joining Merz is the HAT Trio: WIU jazz faculty Matt Hughes (bass), George Turner (guitar), and Whitney Ashe (piano). This performance is part of the Music on Our Front Porch series, which presents world-class jazz and classical musicians in WiM’s cozy, one-of-a-kind garage space, offering a rare chance to experience locally accomplished musicians up close.

Hi, I’m Lewis Knudsen
I’m a songwriter from an unusual place called the Quad Cities
I studied Theology in college
I taught English in South Korea for 2 years
I met my wife at a coffee shop open mic
I have a son and a daughter
I write and record music in the basement of my church
I start each day with pourover coffee.
– Favorite regions for coffee: Kenya, Ethiopia, Peru, Honduras, Burundi, El Salvador
I keep trying, keep smilng

The potluck is optional, but is a great chance to connect others in the audience and maybe even share a meal with the artist. It also helps ensure the artist isn't having to have a meal from a gas station. We'll provide the plates, bowls, silverware, napkins, and, if you need it, serving spoons. Feel free to bring anything you'd like--an entrée, appetizer, dessert, or drink to share. Bring something you will enjoy eating, because if you enjoy it it is likely others will as well.

Jerome Mirza Jazz Residency Concert:
Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade!
Jenny Scheinman - Violin
Carmen Staaf - Piano
Tony Scherr - Bass Kenny
Wollesen - Drums
Keith Ganz - Guitar

Free and open to the public
The fourteenth annual Jerome Mirza Jazz Residency culminates in a concert at the historic Orpheum Theatre, featuring the Mirza Resident artists Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade, the Knox Jazz Ensemble, and the Cherry St Combo.

About the artist: Jenny Scheinman is an acclaimed violinist, fiddler, singer, composer, and songwriter whose music bridges jazz, Americana, folk, and contemporary improvised music. A longtime collaborator with some of the most innovative artists in jazz, she has performed and recorded extensively with Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, Jason Moran, Brian Blade, Allison Miller, Nels Cline, and Marc Ribot, as well as songwriting legends including Joni Mitchell, Lucinda Williams, Lou Reed, Bruce Cockburn, Rodney Crowell, Robbie Fulks, and Ani DiFranco.