Events Calendar

Lit & Local Evening Fest is your go-to night out for all things creative, cozy, and community-driven. This vibrant evening event brings together a curated lineup of local vendors showcasing unique handmade goods—from art and decor to one-of-a-kind gifts you won’t find anywhere else.

As you stroll and shop, enjoy live music that sets the perfect laid-back vibe, plus a variety of food and drink trailers serving up delicious bites and refreshing sips. Whether you’re coming to support small businesses, discover new favorites, or just soak in a fun, lively atmosphere, Lit & Local is the perfect way to spend your evening.

Come for the shopping, stay for the experience

Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Rated: PG
Runtime: 91 minutes 
Dracula's (Adam Sandler) plans to host a monsters-only celebration for his daughter Mavis' (Selena Gomez) birthday are complicated when an ordinary human (Andy Samberg) unwittingly checks in at the luxurious Hotel Transylvania and falls for Drac's daughter.

Showings: 2pm and 7pm
Lobby Doors Open: 1:30pm and 6:30pm 10/10/26
General Admission available at the door only.
Tickets: $5.00 Includes admission and one box of popcorn.

Click the link to watch the trailer here!

*All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. 
*Prohibited items: No backpacks. No Weapons. No outside food or beverage.
*A full selection of concessions including Popcorn, Candy, Soda, Water, Beer, Wine, and Cocktails are available.

Join WIU's Office of Public Safety for a fun evening of music trivia!
All proceeds will go to FOP 169, which has invested in our local community in several ways, such as providing bicycle helmets and speaking on bicycle safety for first-grade students of McDonough County Schools, providing financial assistance through college scholarships, supporting local youth organizations like Cub Scouts and sports teams, and providing books to area school classrooms.

Registration costs $15 per person, and teams of up to 10 can participate.
Email Tim Harting to register: T-HARTING@WIU.EDU

Renowned for their seamless blend of virtuosic piano arrangements and unpredictable, laugh-out-loud comedy, Gifford and Kaplan have captivated audiences across Illinois for over a decade. Operating with four hands, two grand pianos, and two highly spontaneous and warped minds, their performances have drawn comparisons to legendary entertainers like Victor Borge and Liberace. No two shows are ever exactly alike, making each concert a completely unique, improvisational event.
"We are incredibly proud to host Mark and Damien in our community," said Jim Devitt, a representative from the Schuyler Performing Arts Council. "Their energy is infectious, and bringing a show centered on the spirit of historic Route 66 to our beautiful local venue is a perfect way to celebrate the arts in rural Illinois."
The show includes music from John Denver, Steppenwolf, The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and many more!

Walk of the Dead Haunted Trail opens October 2^nd and will run Fridays and Saturdays in October from 7:00 – 11:00 pm.  Located behind Lakeside Water Park (1033 S Lake Storey Road, Galesburg), the haunted trail offers patrons a terrifying walk through the woods. In its tenth year of operation, Walk of the Dead Haunted Trail is managed by the non-profit AGES Community in cooperation with the City of Galesburg.  The cost is $20 per person.

“This is our tenth year of scaring folks in the woods!” says organizer Sean Godsil. “We have new areas and new scares, but we have some old favorites too, of course. Every year we do things differently, so if you’ve come a previous year, we promise this year will be different. Actually, things can be different from night to night; you never know what to expect on the Walk of the Dead.”

Organizers recommend the haunt to children older than 13 years of age. The event is entirely outdoors and weather permitting, so please dress accordingly. No open-toed shoes, slippers, flip-flops, or slides allowed.   

Proceeds from the haunted trail help support the city’s nature programs and other recreational activities, including the Fishing Derby.  

For more information and weather-related updates, follow Walk of the Dead on Facebook and Instagram. Tickets are sold at the Lakeside Water Park ticket booth or purchase them online at www.walkofthedead.org and avoid the line at the ticket booth.

Respighi's shimmering Fountains of Rome sets the scene, followed by the immensely popular Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in Ravel's iconic orchestration. The evening culminates with our resident friend and returning soloist Spencer Myer applying his artistry to Grieg's beloved Piano Concerto.

Respighi- Fountains of Rome
Mussorgsky- Pictures at an Exhibition
Grieg - Piano Concerto in A Minor

Nova Singers, led by award-winning conductor Dr. Laura Lane, is thrilled to announce their 2026-27 concert season.  In its 41st season of bringing the finest choral music to audiences in Galesburg and the Quad Cities, Nova continues to push the envelope regarding innovative programming. The season opens on October 10th and 11th with Music of South Africa, featuring guest conductor Dr. Michael Barrett from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.  December’s concert, A Nova Christmas, celebrates the holiday season with favorite carols and other songs of the season.  In April 2027, Nova Singers will present So Breaks the Sun, a concert about hope and light.

Music of South Africa with guest conductor Michael Barrett

This performance is free and open to the public and will be live-streamed on the School of Music's YouTube channel.

PROGRAM

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - Johann Sebastian Bach/arr. Donald Hunsberger

O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen/arr. H. Robert Reynolds

Australian Fantasia - David Stanhope
I. Sydney Harbor
II. The Road to Gundagai
III. Southern Cross
IV. Advance Australia Fair

The Alcotts from Piano Sonata No. 2 - Charles Ives/trans. Richard Thurston

Ad Futurum - Larry Clark

Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral - Richard Wagner/arr. Lucien Cailliet

One of Shakespeare's most well-known and well-beloved tragedies will open the theatre season at Monmouth College Oct. 9-11, which is also Homecoming weekend on campus.

The college's theatre department will present Macbeth - a tale of ambition, fate, and the price of choosing power over honor - on the Wells Theater stage.

On the eve of opening night, the cast will stage a dress rehearsal that's open to area theatre students and teachers. Another memorable rehearsal has already happened - a version of the play where the cast used their own words - not Shakespeare's - as a way to make sure they really understand their lines.
The play will be part of a jam-packed Homecoming weekend on campus, and Quick said his cast and crew will be busy with some of those assignments, including members of the football team, color guard and dance team.

Two of the cast's more veteran performers will not have such obligations: adult actors John Henderson, who "is both terrifying and hilarious" as The Porter, and Howard Moffet, who last year starred as The Narrator in Our Town. He'll play King Duncan.

Walnut Grove Farm’s Barn Fest is celebrating juried artisan shopping, great local food, live music, home grown produce, the Kids Art Contest and kid fun, with a quilt giveaway on October 3 & 4,10 & 11 from 9 to 5. The farm is located ½ mile north of Knoxville at Carr St. For details go to www.Barn-Fest.com.