Fairs & Festivals

Mt. Auburn Farmer’s Picnic Aug 23-25, 4pm Thu-Fri, 7am Sat. Annual event features a carnival, live entertainment, food, parade at 11am Saturday, and much more. Theme is “Dreams of the Future.” Mt. Auburn.

Old Capitol Blues and BBQ Aug 24-25, 5-11:59pm Fri, 12-11:59pm Sat. Two days of live music, BBQ, domestic and craft beers, a wine garden and more. An official bicentennial event. $5 Friday; $10 Saturday. Old State Capitol Plaza, between Sixth and Fifth streets at Adams.

Summerfest Cookout Aug 25, Sat. DAV Club, 25 Club Area, 529-9725.

Books & Authors

Springfield Micro Con Aug 25, 10am-4pm Sat. Comic book show featuring comics, comic creators, comic vendors, and those that love to collect them. $5 admission; free to ages 10 and under. Presented by STL Comics. stlcomics. net. Crowne Plaza Springfi eld, 3000 S. Dirksen Pkwy, 529-7777.

Theater & Comedy

Big River Aug 24-25, 8pm Fri-Sat, 2pm Sun, 2pm Aug 25. Mark Twain’s timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom. $18, $20. hcfta. org. Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., 523-2787.

Donnie Baker Aug 25, 7pm Sat. Firefi ghters-Postal Lake Club, 940 W. Lake Shore Dr., 622-0099.

Kyle Fields and Sarah Smerz Aug 25, 8-9:45pm Sat. Featuring two of Springfi eld’s funniest radio personalities in one great show. $12.50. mclimits.com. Mason City Limits Comedy Club, 114 E. Chestnut St., Mason City, 482-5233.

Spoon River Anthology

Aug 24-26, 8pm Fri-Sun. A stage adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ classic book of poems. Directed by Phil Funkenbusch. $15 adults, $13 seniors, $10 children under 12. theatreinthepark.net. Theatre in the Park, Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, 15588 History Lane, Petersburg, 632-5440.

STC’s Boat and Season Launch Party Aug 24, 6:30pm Fri. Featuring musical entertainment, a dessert bar, boat rides and more. Hosted by Springfi eld Theatre Centre. $20. hcfta.org. Island Bay Yacht Club, 76 Yacht Club Road, 529-5418.

The Greatest Roast of All Time Aug 25, 7:30pm Sat. Roast of Donnie B. $15 general; $25 VIP. Donnie B’s Comedy Club, 3455 Freedom Dr., 391-JOKE.

Music: General Events Brian Free and Assurance Aug 26, 6-7:30pm Sun. Concert by Dove Award Winners. Free-will offering. 825-3817. First Christian Church of Petersburg, 210 S. Eighth St., Petersburg, 632-2533.

Mary Bryant Home Singers Aug 29, 12-1pm Wed. Part of the Artist on the Plaza, a family-friendly outdoor performance series featuring local talent. Hosted by the Springfi eld Area Arts Council. Free. springfieldartsco.org. 753-3519. Old State Capitol, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, 785- 7960.

UIS Chorus Aug 28, 7:30-9:30pm Tue. Open to all students, faculty, alumni and community members. uis.edu. University of Illinois at Springfi eld, 1 University Plaza, 206-6073.

Dance Dance for Hope Aug 24, 7:30-10:30pm Fri. All styles of dance every fourth Friday of the month. $8 per person. Free admission to one dance of your choosing during your birth month. danceforhope3111.com. Normandy Hill Plaza, 3111 Normandy Road, Suite 104, 522-9106.

Art & Architecture

Crafter’s Treasure Sale Aug 24-25, 8am-8pm Fri, 8am-12pm Sat. Craft supplies for sale. Some fixed price items. Fill a bag for $10 per bag. 793-2178. Springfi eld Ceramics and Crafts Club, 2626 S. Pasfield St.

Jan Sorenson Hill Art Exhibition Aug 23-29, Thu-Wed. Theme is “Journey through space.” On display through Aug. 31. Sangamo Club, 227 E. Adams St., 544-1793.

Washington Park Historic Photography Display Aug 23-29, 12-4pm Mon-Fri, 12-5pm Sat-Sun. Annual photo display features images of Washington Park dating back to the park’s creation in 1902. Free. springfieldparks.org. Washington Park Botanical Garden Exhibit Hall, 1740 W. Fayette Ave., 546-4116.

Film & Television

Before ‘I Do’ Aug 23, 7-10pm Thu. A fastpaced, colorful drama with a splash of comedy and myriad surprises, written directed, and produced by Springfield’s own Kimberley Conner. $5. route66filmfestival.net. 725- 9058. Route 66 Hotel and Conference Center, 625 E. Saint Joseph St., 529-6626.

Nature Enos Park Community Garden Night Aug 29, 6-8pm Wed. Every Wednesday. Help garden and share the vegetable harvest. Free. Enos Park Community Garden, 1022 N. Fifth St., 847- 341-0591.

Lectures & Meetings Abe and Mary Quite Contrary Walking Tour Aug 28, 10-11am Tue. A 1.5- mile, 60-minute walking tour that takes you on a journey through historic downtown Springfield. Registration. aarp. cvent.com. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, 112 N. Sixth St., 558-8844.

Android for Beginners Aug 28, 2-4pm Tue. Join AARP Springfield for a beginner’s class on your Android device. Registration. aarp.cvent.com. Lincoln Library, 326 S. Seventh St., 753-4900.

Emotional Support Group Aug 27, 6-7pm Mon. Meets every other Monday. Free. burstingbubbles.org. 335- 2961. Memorial’s Center for Learning and Innovation, 228 W. Miller, 545-6314.

Fall Coffee, Meeting and Fundraiser Aug 25, 9am-12pm Sat. Hosted by the American Association of University Women. Fall meeting with light refreshments. Free. aauwspringfieldil.com. LLCC Trutter Center, 5250 Shepherd Road, 786-2200.

Intro to Windows Aug 23, 2-4pm Thu. Learn about Windows systems. Registration. aarp.cvent.com. Lincoln Library, 326 S. Seventh St., 753-4900.

Ntosake Aug 23, 6pm Thu. Women’s leadership team meetings held on the fourth Thursday of every month. Hosted by Faith Coalition for the Common Good. faithcoalition-il.org. 717-1525. Calvary Baptist Church, 2208 E. Kansas St., 544-1424.

Retired State Employees Association Aug 29, 1:30pm Wed. Monthly meetings held last Wednesday of each month. Speaker is Lynette Strode, special program coordinator for the Illinois Assistive Technology Program. St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2477 W. Washington St., 793-3933.

Springfield ICON Aug 27, 6:30pm Mon. Topics to be announced. Free. springfi eldicon.org. 528-9803. First Church of the Brethren, 2115 Yale Boulevard, 523- 5212.

Bulletin Board Bicentennial Plaza Dedication Aug 26, 3:15-5pm Sun. The Illinois Bicentennial, the city of Springfi eld and the Illinois REALTORS will offi cially dedicate Bicentennial Plaza, a REALTOR Community Partnership. illinoisrealtors.org. 529-2600. Bicentennial Plaza, 428 S. Fifth St.

Bingo Aug 29, 7-9pm Wed. Enjoy nine games of X-Treme Bar Bingo. Maddy’s Tavern, 228 S. First St., Divernon, 628-8046.

Citizens Club Policy Breakfast Aug 24, 8-9am Fri. Program features Chief Kenny Winslow of the Springfi eld Police Department. Coffee reception at 7:30am. Free. Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., 523-2787.

Dog Jumping Competition Aug 24-26, 10am Fri, 9am Sat-Sun. Watch the dogs fl y or bring your dog and have them show off their jumping skills. Hosted by DockDogs. Free admission. Registration: $27 in advance; $30 on site. dockdogs.com. Scheels, 3801 S. MacArthur Blvd., 726-6330.

Handmade Trivia Aug 29, 7-9pm Wed. Seven rounds of fi ve questions each, emceed by Donna Smargiassi. Free. buzzbombbrewingco. com. Buzz Bomb Brewing Co, 406 E. Adams, 679-4157.

Loss of a Spouse GriefShare Seminar Aug 26, 1-3pm Sun. Grief support session features DVD presentations, special handouts and plenty of time for discussion and sharing. Pre-registration. Free. trinitylutheran.com. 899-9418.

Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur Blvd., 787-2323.

Party Aug 25, Sat. Springfi eld Ski and Boat Club, 268 Maple Grove Lane, 529-9090.

Food

Illinois Products Farmers Market Aug 23, 4-7pm Thu. Shopping, health and wellness information, live entertainment and more in a street party atmosphere. Free. agr.state. il.us/nightmarket. 524-3297. Illinois State Fairgrounds, The Shed, 801 Sangamon Ave.

Vineyard and Winery with Susan Danenberger Aug 26, 2-5pm Sun. Part of the Women Who Farm Field Day Series. Enjoy a farm tour complete with refreshments and a beautiful day of grapes, wine and (possibly) stomping. Registration. $15. thelandconnection.org. 840- 2128. Danenberger Family Vineyards, 12341 Irish Road, New Berlin, 488-6321.

History Bicentennial and Beyond: The Illinois Legacy Collection Aug 23-29, 9am-4:30pm Sat, 12-4:30pm Sun. Featuring rare and rarely-seen artifacts from the Museum’s Illinois Legacy Collection to highlight the dynamic story of Illinois. Free with museum admission. illinoisstatemuseum.org. 558- 6696. Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St., 782-7386.

Lincoln as Commander in Chief Aug 23, 6:30-8pm Thu. Twelfth in a series of 12 programs about Illinois and the Civil War. Sponsored by the Civil War Roundtables of Macoupin County and Springfi eld. Free. booksonthesquare.com. Books on the Square Springfi eld, 427 E. Washington St., 965-5443.

Walk and Talk: Bicentennial and Beyond! Aug 24, 10am and 2pm Fri. Journey through 200 years of Illinois history on this curatorled gallery walk through “Bicentennial and Beyond: The Illinois Legacy Collection” exhibition. Free with museum admission. illinoisstatemuseum.org. 558-6696. Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St., 782- 7386.

Health Effective Communication Strategies Aug 29, 6-7:30pm Wed. Explore how communication takes place when someone has Alzheimer’s, learn to decode verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia, and identify strategies to help you connect and communicate at each stage of the disease. alz. org/illinois. 726-5184. Lincoln Public Library, 725 Pekin St., Lincoln, 732-8878.

Faith & Philosophy GriefShare Aug 28, 6:30-8:30pm Tue. A biblical, Christ-centered support group that focuses on grief topics associated with the death of a loved one. $15 workbook fee. trinity-lutheran.com. 899-9418. Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur Blvd., 787-2323.

Ice Cream Social Aug 26, 2-4pm Sun. Featuring baked treats with ice cream and toppings. Free-will donation of non-perishable food item. peacelutheranspringfield.org. 494-2658. Peace Lutheran Church, 2800 W. Jefferson St., 546-7646.

Labyrinth Nights with Sister Moon Aug 26, 8-9:30pm Sun. Walk the labyrinth in silence by candlelight and share reflections afterwards. Limited to 12 participants. $10. chiaracenter.org. Chiara Center, 4875 Laverna Road, 523-0901.

Making Connections and Covenants Aug 26, 10:30-11:30am Sun. A presentation by Rev. Martin Woulfe and the covenant group committee. Free. aluuc.org. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Road, 585-9550.

Sports & Fitness Softball Tournament Aug 24-26, Fri-Sun. Aqua Sports Club, 1 Club Area, 529-2431.

Yoga Aug 28, 5:30pm Tue. Session led by Megan Cox. $10 per session. tricity.lib.il.us. Tri-City Public Library, 600 S. Main St., Buffalo, 364-8181.