Events Calendar

Hickory Ridge Concerts welcomes award-winning singer-songwriter Barak Hill to the stage Saturday, September 19th at 7:00 pm at the historic Ellisville Opera House. Hill’s lyrical approach is economical and plain-spoken, the words of everyman. But they’re delivered with the careful pacing and assuredness of a man who knows the impact he wants and how to get it.

Barak Hill is an Americana singer-songwriter with roots in folk, soul, and rock and roll. His songs are lyric-driven, heartbroken Americana hanging on to a fistful of hope that things might just get better, delivered with a soulful voice and strong guitar work. Compass Rose Magazine called Barak “A masterful storyteller and riveting performer.” Barak's talents were recognized when he was chosen from among thousands of entrants as the winner of American Songwriter Magazine’s Santa Cruz Guitar Song Contest. He was also voted one of Southwest Missouri's top three solo musicians by 417 Magazine.

The Hickory Ridge Concert Series is hosted by singer-songwriter Chris Vallillo. Concerts are usually (but not always) held on the 3rd Saturday of the month and begin at 7:00 p.m. with the doors opening at 6:00 p.m. The Ellisville Opera House is a second-story venue; however, they do now have an elevator and is air-conditioned. Coffee, drinks, and a variety of desserts are available during intermission. There is an admission charge of $10.00 per adults with children under 12 free. Hickory Ridge Concerts is supported in part by WIUM 91.3 FM, your source for NPR programming, local news, and a variety of music, the Two Rivers Arts Council, and the Doris and Ken Kolb Foundation. Follow Hickory Ridge Concerts on Facebook or on the website, www.hickoryridgeconcerts.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT CHRIS VALLILLO @309-224-8210.

Prairie Players Civic Theatre is thrilled to announce A Night of One Acts, an evening of short plays to be performed on Saturday, September 19, at 7:30 P.M. at their theatre at 160 South Seminary Street in Galesburg. Two shows are being presented: Wishing Well, written & directed by Charlie Vestal, and The Monkey’s Paw, directed by Adam Chasteen.

Everyone has something, or someone they’d wish away if they could. For siblings Bill and Andi, it’s the debt and strife brought on by their mother. For former child-star Hallie, it’s her parents themselves. Too bad we can’t just wish for something and make it true… Or can we? Find out the fates of these three, plus couple Dani & Leilah, as they learn what goes down must come back up in Wishing Well. The cast includes Cami Jensen as mBill, Marcella Dolezal as Hallie, Rachel Black as Andi, Khloe Lovin as Leilah and Madison Boyer as Dani.

The Monkey’s Paw centers on Henry and Eleanor White. Henry dismisses superstitious tales, but when a friend visits with a story about a mummified monkey’s paw that grants wishes, he becomes intrigued despite warnings of dire consequences. Will their wishes come true as hoped, or will reality prove far worse than they imagined? In the cast are Christopher Estrada as Mr.
White, Sandra Williams as Mrs. White, Stephanie Heiden as Herbert White, G. Pulley as Sergeant-Major Morris, and Cami Jensen as Sampson.

The Biggest German Event of the Year! 3 Days of Fun

Willkommen to Central Illinois’ Biggest and Best Fest! This year’s festival has all your favorites with a few new things to put some guten in your tag!
The Peoria Park District and German American Central Society united their efforts in 1996 to bring the first of the “signature events” planned for the Peoria Riverfront.
Peoria’s Oktoberfest” is the Midwestern equivalent of the Munich Oktoberfest.
Location: Peoria Riverfront
9/18: 5 pm-11 pm
9/19: Noon-11 pm
9/20: 11 am-5 pm

The Al Sears Music Fest is an annual celebration honoring Macomb native and musical trailblazer Al Sears (1910–1990), a saxophonist, songwriter, and entrepreneur who played with jazz legends and helped shape the sound of early rock and roll.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can explore Al Sears’s remarkable career, from performing with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton to producing records and influencing the music industry as an executive with ABC Paramount. The Western Illinois Museum will feature photographs, recordings, and artifacts related to his work.

*Bring your family, invite your friends, and celebrate Al Sears and Macomb’s unique place in American music history.
*Enjoy delicious meals from Sandra’s Authentic Mexican Food Truck, available both Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday, September 20:
Western Illinois Museum
Noon: Doors open, bar service begins, and Sandra's Mexican Food Truck will be serving throughout the celebration
12 pm - 2 pm: Allie Garland
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Open Rehearsal with Bryan Anthony
5 pm - 6:30 pm: Richie Bliesenser Quartet
7 pm - 9 pm: Bryan Anthony - The American Songbook

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Performing Arts Society.For more information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email

Test your engineering by creating a launcher and seeing how far your pumpkin flies!

$1.00 with admission

Admision Cost:
Adults: $13.00
Children: $13.00
Infants (under 1): Free
Seniors (60+) & Military personnel: $10.40
Members: Free

Live big band music! The band is made of musicians from the area and plays old school jazz, funk, latin charts, and more.

Elizabeth Crecca returns with Gershwin's electrifyingly dazzling Piano Concerto in F. And joining us for a glamorous evening of standards is American Idol Golden Ticket Recipient Kelsey Madison, bringing her stunning voice to classics like Fever, Sway, and the Carpenters I Just Fall in Love Again. Dress up, come out, and join us for a night that lives up to its name — Puttin' on the Ritz.
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Ticket Information:
Free for students and children
General admission: $25
Best Value - Season Pass:
From now until August 1, get 7 concerts (3 Masterworks, 3 Pops, plus FREE Hollydaze ticket) for just $99.
Great Saving - Pops Series Pass:
Get 4 concerts (3 Pops, plus FREE Hollydaze ticket) for just $75.
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Dinner Reservation:
Make it a night to remember with our elegant pre-concert dining experience.
Add a gourmet dinner reservation for $60 per person. Each dinner ticket includes:
- a complimentary alcoholic beverage
- a dinner reservation
The dinner is family-friendly, and all meal options are identical for kids/students and adults.
To order and pay for dinner tickets online, select the Add Pre-Concert Dinner option for your preferred performance location during checkout. A symphony board member from your selected venue will call to confirm your reservation prior to the concert.
Tables of 8 people for the dinner may be purchased for $ 600 - an $80 savings!
For additional dinner reservation information, please contact:
Burlington - Diana Small
(773) 447-2304 or diana.small1312@outlook.com
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1 weekend, 1 concert program, 2 locations, choose the one that works best for you:
Saturday, September 19, 2026 - 7:00 PM
Bridge View Center, Ottumwa
Sunday, September 20, 2026 - 6:30 PM
The Capitol, Burlington

The Spirit of ’76 is marching to a different drummer as the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra is "Puttin' on the Ritz" for a pair of September Pops Concerts.
On the heels of the September 2025 standing-room-only presentation of George Gershwin’s 1924 “Rhapsody in Blue,” his 1925 Piano Concerto in F is ready to dazzle audiences in Ottumwa and Burlington one year later. And in the second half, Iowa’s own “American Idol” Golden Ticket winner, Kelsey Madsen of Cedar Rapids, returns to the SEISO stage. She’ll have temperatures rising with such sultry favorites as “Fever” and “Sway.”
The concerts begin at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 in Ottumwa’s Bridge View Center and 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at The Capitol in Burlington. Pre-show gourmet dinner add-ons are available in both cities, and audiences are invited to meet the artists at free receptions after each concert.

The Al Sears Music Fest is an annual celebration honoring Macomb native and musical trailblazer Al Sears (1910–1990), a saxophonist, songwriter, and entrepreneur who played with jazz legends and helped shape the sound of early rock and roll.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can explore Al Sears’s remarkable career, from performing with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton to producing records and influencing the music industry as an executive with ABC Paramount. The Western Illinois Museum will feature photographs, recordings, and artifacts related to his work.

*Bring your family, invite your friends, and celebrate Al Sears and Macomb’s unique place in American music history.
*Enjoy delicious meals from Sandra’s Authentic Mexican Food Truck, available both Saturday and Sunday.

Monday, September 21:
Western Illinois Museum
Noon: Doors open, bar service begins, and Sandra's Mexican Food Truck will be serving throughout the celebration
12 pm - 1:30 pm: WIU Student and School of Music Faculty Sessions
2 pm - 3 pm: Community Conversation
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Yoseph Henry - Where Jazz Meets R&B and Gospel Soul

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Performing Arts Society.For more information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email

Are you interested in protecting local waterways while enhancing your landscape? Join us for a FREE Rainscaping Education Program, a hands-on, research-based workshop designed to help homeowners, volunteers, and community members learn practical strategies for managing stormwater where it falls.

Participants will learn how rain gardens and other rainscaping practices can reduce runoff, filter pollutants, improve water quality, and create more resilient landscapes. The program covers the fundamentals of designing, installing, and maintaining rain gardens, with opportunities to apply what you learn in the field.
The class is free, but registration is required.