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The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will join the fun of “Sharing Traditions” during this year’s downtown Springfield Holiday Walks with special Winter Nights at the Museum.  You’ll enjoy ballet performances of “The Nutcracker,” musical performers, crafts for kids, skating in the park, amazing lights and special effects, along with the regular museum exhibits — including our newest exhibit “Freedom in Form: Richard Hunt” — with free admission during the holiday walk hours.

At the ALPLM, the fun begins with colorful, ever-changing lights that will decorate Union Square Park throughout the holiday season.

• The Copper Coin Ballet Company will perform selections from “The Nutcracker” each Wednesday and Saturday, beginning December 11 and running through December 21. The thirty-minute performances will take place at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in ALPLM’s Union Theater. The performances are free to attend, but advance registration is required.  “The Nutcracker” follows the magical adventures of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they battle with the Mouse King and journey to the Land of the Sweets. Please click HERE to select tickets for the performance you wish to attend. 
• Skating is back in Union Square Park! The ALPLM will offer skating in the park during the downtown holiday walks on Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays from Noon to 8:00 p.m.  Plus, skating will continue every weekend from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday from December 22 to February 16, as well as New Year’s Eve (Dec 31) from 1:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., and from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. on the following holidays: MLK Day (Jan 20), Lincoln’s Birthday (Feb 12), and President’s Day (Feb 17).  Skating will be offered free of charge, but a donation is suggested to help defray the cost of skate maintenance.
• The fun also includes arts and crafts activities for children at the Winter Wonder Workshop, located in Lincoln’s Cafe. Each week we’ll share different winter-themed craft activities that you can create on-site or take home. Education staff will also share hands-on history activities with a winter wonder twist… it’s sure to be “cool,” so don’t miss out!
• Guests will be dazzled with performances of our famous “Ghosts of the Library” show at 5:15 p.m., 6:15 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. each evening during the downtown Holiday Walks. You’ll also enjoy special presentations our immersive theater experience of “Lincoln’s Eyes” at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. on November 30 and December 4 and 7.
• The ALPLM is excited to welcome talented high school groups from area schools to our plaza on selected dates during the holiday walks. Look for holiday-themed musical performances from Lanphier and Williamsville High Schools on Wednesday, December 4, at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. respectively, Taylorville High School on Wednesday, December 11, at 4:30 p.m., Pleasant Plains High School on Saturday, December 14, at 4:30 p.m., and Springfield Southeast High School on Saturday, December 21, at 4:30 p.m.
• All Aboard! Your kids (and big kids, too) will thrill at operating their own train on Saturday, December 14, from Noon-8:00 p.m. inside historic Union Station.  Members of the Illinois Valley Division of the National Model Railroad Association will be on hand to introduce your children to the fun and creativity of model railroading by giving them a chance to operate the group’s mobile model railroad display.
• Plus, Lincoln’s Café and the Museum Store will both be open late until 8:00 p.m. for the Holiday Walk Nights. Find that unique Lincoln-theme gift item in the store that’s sure to please this holiday season or grab a quick snack in the café. You’ll also find the gift shop and café “pop-up” shop inside Union Station during the holiday walks – a great place to visit for quick snack or last-minute gifts before or after you enjoy skating in the park!

And that’s not all!  Holly, the most festive bus in the SMTD Fleet, will be making special appearances at the ALPLM during the holiday walks.

Admission for Winter Nights at the Museum will be free beginning at 4:00 p.m. during these evenings, but a donation is suggested of new, unused toiletries for local warming centers. The ALPLM will accept travel-sized shampoo, deodorant, soap and toothpaste, disposable razors, tampons and sanitary pads, socks, and gloves. All items must be new.

Parking in the ALPLM parking ramp at 6^th and Madison will also be free from 4pm-8pm on holiday walk nights.

There is no cost to this new program. Every Monday at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Centennial Hall from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. From 5:00 to 5:30 they have a snack then they meet with their facilitator to work on a project that they make and take home or finish the next week.

The children/ teens are in age- appropriate groups to help them process their grief through activities such as different craft activities. Some of the activities include making memory boxes, bead bracelets, making memory stones, using colored pipe cleaners to make flowers or animals. The older teens might work on making wind chimes or Japanese memory boxes.

These are just a few activities that help the children/teens to talk as they make crafts in memory of their loved ones. This allows them to have a voice and talk about their loved one — not as a counseling session or to take their grief away but rather a chance for them to express their feelings and thoughts as they work and talk together with others, that they might not otherwise do at home. Questions? Contact Dr. Dee Stern at 217-494-4747, chaplain at St. John’s Hospital, a Grief Therapist and LCPC.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is excited to bring back the Illinois Product Holiday Market to Downtown Springfield! The market will be held on December 6th, 7th, and 8th at the “Y Block,” located north of the Governor’s Mansion. This festive market will feature a wide array of Illinois products that are perfect for everyone on your shopping list this season, and don’t miss the visits from Santa!

Shoppers will find a diverse range of Illinois products that are ideal for everyone on their gift list this season. The market will feature local vendors, including Rolling Lawns Farm, Jon Ellis Woodworking, 17th St BBQ, MKS Meats, Ropp Jersey Cheese, and Berries and Flour: Bakery and Harvest Goods, among many others. Visitors can indulge in a variety of delicious ready-to-eat foods, such as Kurtos pierogies and Polish sausage, while they shop for unique gifts. LINK is accepted for all eligible food items at the market.

In addition to Illinois products, there will be daily giveaways! Attendees are encouraged to stop by the Illinois Department of Agriculture tent to take the Illinois Product Pledge, which invites individuals to commit to spending $10 of their weekly grocery budget on local items. Those who participate in the pledge will receive a special Illinois Product sticker as a token of their commitment to supporting local businesses.

The Illinois Product Holiday Market is designed with families in mind. Kids can take part in a free holiday workshop where they can create festive ornaments and write letters to Santa. There will also be opportunities for children to visit Santa himself, with specific times provided at the event. Visitors will also be able to enjoy live music throughout the event All activities are free!

For those aged 21 and older, Illinois Wine will host a wine tasting experience featuring seven wineries from across the state. Admission to the wine tent is $10, which includes six tasting tickets and a special commemorative tumbler.

The market is proudly sponsored by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Wine, Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Downtown Springfield, Inc., and Sangamon Mass Transit District.

Hours of operation for the market are as follows:

For a complete list of participating vendors, visit www.illinoisproductholidaymarket.com or check out the Illinois Product Facebook page and @illinoisproducts on Instagram. 

Hot off its Off-Broadway premiere, A Taste of Ireland―The Irish Music & Dance Sensation hits stages across the USA this fall, performing the show that has entertained thousands around the globe. Laugh, cry and jig into the night with a production that is Celtic, for this generation. It’s coming to UIS Performing Arts Center Friday, October, 25 order your tickets online here.

Performed by former World Irish dance champions, and featuring dancers from the West End’s Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, A Taste of Ireland transports the audience through the story of Ireland’s tumultuous history delivered with a pint of Irish wit. Watch world-class performers blend melodic folk mash-ups, live jaw-dropping acapella tap battles and heartwarming story telling.

Featuring revamped classics of Danny Boy, Tell Me Ma, Wild Rover, and many more well known songs, the show’s reimagined contemporary score blossoms alongside the brash Irish charm of the live dance cast. A Taste of Ireland merges cultural traditions, modern flair, and craic galore, to deliver a performance that has been leaving audiences across the globe jigging on their feet for the last decade.

With over one hundred and fifty 5-star Facebook reviews, A Taste of Ireland is exactly what it promises: a taste of everything you love about Ireland with a generous helping of more! A Taste of Ireland is a show with 100% live singing and dancing that bridges the gap between storytelling, modern Irish dance, tap and contemporary dance to tell a historic story, live on stage.

With a strictly limited USA run, see A Taste of Ireland this fall for limited performances before it takes off around the globe once again.

ALL October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Free breast cancer screenings will be available at all five Memorial Health hospitals for women aged 40 and older who are uninsured or underinsured as part of Mammogram Mondays during the month of October. Patients can call the numbers listed below to schedule an appointment:

For Decatur Memorial Hospital call 217-876-2320

Jacksonville Memorial Hospital call 217-479-5696

Lincoln Memorial Hospital call 217-605-5108

Springfield Memorial Hospital call 217-757-4211

Taylorville Memorial Hospital call 217-707-5550

Toddler Tunes is a NEW group designed specifically for students aged 1-5 that are interested in music! Weekly classes at Hoogland Center for the Arts will encourage all aspects of music, movement, instrumentation, story-telling, dancing and singing. Classes meet on Thursday mornings starting at 10:00am. Students can sign up for all 4 quarters, or pick and choose. No previous experience is required to participate. Learn more and register here: https://www.hcfta.org/education/toddler-tunes