What’s Happening

You’ll find date-specific and ongoing events on this page. Pro-tip! Follow us on facebook and instagram for timely event reminders and additional events.

Visit our 2024 Summer Camp Directory updated weekly!

Ongoing: Old Capitol Farmers Market at Union Station in Downtown Springfield. Enjoy the winter version of fresh produce, bakery items and much more. 8:00 a.m.- Noon  Learn more on the DSI website downtownspringfield.orgThe Winter Farmers Market continues the first and third Saturday every month.

Mar. 2-3 Saturday, March 2 10am – 5pm and Sunday, March 3 10am – 3pm Illinois Product Expo: Explore Illinois food through your tastebuds! Indulge your cravings and embark on a culinary adventure at the Illinois Product Expo. Join us for an amazing showcase of Illinois’ finest flavors, where you’ll have the chance to savor FREE SAMPLES from top-notch vendors, discover new savory delights, and stock up on your all-time favorites.

Admission: $5.00 per person, 10 & under free For more information, visit our website: www.illinoisproductexpo.com Spread the word, tag your foodie friends, and join us for an unforgettable experience!

Mar. 5 On Your Feet! at UIS Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. On Your Feet! is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people who believed in their talent—and each other—to become an international sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Now their story is an all-new exhilarating original musical winning the hearts of critics and audiences alike, with the Chicago Tribune declaring “IT’S A HIT!” and The New York Times cheering, “The very air in the room seems to vibrate in this undeniably crowd-pleasing musical!” Tickets available here.

Mar. 6 at 7:00 p.m. at UIS Performing Arts Center, Disney Princesses: The Concert: Program will last approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.*This production features Broadway performers appearing as themselves. Costumed Disney characters do not appear at this event. Tickets and more information here.

Mar. 15 Wooden it Be Lovely Pop-Up Sale 801 S. Grand Avenue West in the Community Room. All new Easter Wall art, t-shirts, spring candles and jewelry. 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

Mar. 16 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Downtown Springfield Starts at Noon, FREE All of the details including the family-friendly viewing area are on their website stpatsdayparade.com

March 16-April 7 Spring Floral Show at the Washington Park Botanical Garden FREE open daily at Noon- closes 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and closes at 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Mar. 18-19 and Mar. 25-26 Lincoln Memorial Gardens Maple Syrup Demos and annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. Demonstrations include seeing first-hand the “evaporation” process of boiling sap over a wood fire to produce syrup and of course, tasting the delicious syrup. The program is free and open to the public. Bring the kids, check the weather and dress accordingly. Then make plans to attend Garden’s annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. Make reservations for this popular breakfast and silent auction fundraiser by calling the Nature Center at 529-1111. The breakfast is set for 8 a.m. to noon on the weekends of March 18-19 and March 25-26.  Details about this event and registration is on their website here.

Mar. 22 World Ballet Series: Swan Lake at UIS Performing Arts Center 7:00 p.m. tickets online at uispac.com

Mar. 22-24 Finding Nemo, Jr. at the Hoagland Center for the Arts. 7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Perfect for the whole family! $12 for kids ages 12 and under. $16 seniors and $18 adults. Tickets online hcfta.org

April 1 Spring Market at the Brinkerhoff Mansion. Numerous local vendors 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. visit the brinkerhoffmansion.com for details.

April 2 Abe for All: Sensory Friendly Evening FREE In recognition of the 16th annual World Autism Awareness Day, our Abe for All series will offer a Sensory Friendly Evening on Tuesday, April 2. During this special event from 4pm-6pm, we invite our guests to enjoy free admission and a sensory-friendly experience. Our theater and Journey lights will be turned up, and the sound turned down. Some special effects will be turned off. A quiet room will be provided. Advance registration is not required. We have developed a pre-visit preparation packet that ranks areas of the museum based on their potential to overstimulate. This can be found in the “Plan Your Visit” section of our website or email ALPLM.GuestEntry@illinois.gov and request a packet.

We are committed to providing an inclusive experience for all and if there are other things we can do to ensure a more welcoming experience, please let us know. You can reach us 9am – 5pm daily by calling 217-558-8844 (TTY/TDD 1-888-440-9009) or email ALPLM.GuestEntry@Illinois.gov

April 5 Giselle at UIS Performing Arts Center Details and Tickets online here.

April 6. As a way to give back to the community and educate on current health initiatives ImpactLife is hosting a FREE Spring egg hunt! Please come out and enjoy an egg hunt and games for children of all ages as well as door prizes and other giveaways for adults! Only adults need to register but note the number of children in your group to help us with head count.

FREE 10:00am – 11:30am at the ImpactLife Administrative Building
2801 S 10th St
Springfield, IL 62703. Register online so we can anticipate how many children are participating. Details here.

April 6-7 Spring Lawn and Garden Show at the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Get plants, flowers, garden art, supplies, grills, mowers and more. FREE

April 10 FREE the 2024 Central Illinois STEM Fair on Wednesday April 10 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Rochester High School’s Athletic Complex.  This is a free event for all area students and families from kindergarten through high school.  The event is organized by teachers and local professionals from Rochester, Taylorville, and UIS. This year we have over 75 exhibits and representation from most area schools including Springfield, Pleasant Plains, Ball Chatham, Litchfield, Franklin, Lincoln, Taylorville, Williamsville, Edinburg and Rochester school districts. Students, their families, and teachers from all area schools are invited to attend.  Reserve your free tickets today at https://central-illinois-stem-fair.odoo.com/

Taylorville High School adds two exhibits to its STEM Fair exhibit lineup, one featuring a laser engraving machine and another featuring the technology tools used by the school’s photography club, to complement the popular Tommy TV exhibit. Pana Elementary will exhibit a new smart cutting machine called Cricut, and the Illinois State Board of Education’s Learning Technology Center will feature a tiny affordable computer designed for education called micro:bit. Glenwood Middle School will have a new exhibit on Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Gateway, an engineering curriculum for students in grades six through eight.  Springfield Iles School will bring two new exhibits this year, a FIRST Lego League robotics team and a set of student projects that compete in the Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) Science Fair.  There is space available for students from other schools to bring their IJAS projects. Schools interested in exhibiting should email rochesterstemfair@gmail.com for information.

April 10, St. Patrick Catholic School is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, April 10, at 6:30 at our school. Families interested in learning about our school, academic and character standards, and affordable private school tuition (no family turned away for financial reasons.

April 13-14 Cinderella performed by the Springfield Youth Performance Group. This delightfully whimsical ballet blends beauty, humor, and of course, a little bit of magic to tell a story that transcends generations and never grows old.  This production is the perfect introduction to ballet for families and young children. Presented in just over an hour to tell the tale, Cinderella will have your children captivated with the arts. April 13 2pm & 6pm, April 14 2pm at SHG Auditorium in Springfield. Order your tickets online: https://www.showtix4u.com/events/sypg

April 12-14 Animal Protective League Upscale Collectible Sale 2425 S. MacArthur Blvd in Town & Country Shopping Center. Drop off donations the weekend before or come to the sale. Details www.apl-shelter.org

April 14 Staab Kids Good Grief Camp 12:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. at Erin’s Pavilion in Southward Park.  Grieving children often feel isolated because they rarely know anyone their age who has experienced the death of a friend or family member. Grief comes in waves for children. Support can be beneficial whether it has been just weeks, several months, or even years since the death of a loved one. Kids Good Grief Camp is a supportive and fun camp for children who have experienced the death of a loved one. Open to children ages 6 – 12, Kids Good Grief Camp is an afternoon of both support and fun. Your child will learn valuable tools to help them grief in a healthy way, while connecting with other children, making new friends, and participating in a wide range of activities. For more information call (217) 528-6461 or email Info@StaabFamily.com Learn more and register here.

April 13, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Bark in the Park with Mr. Lincoln FREE

Bring your furry friend out to Union Square Park on the ALPLM campus for an opportunity to get a picture with Mr. Lincoln! Our community partners from the Animal Protective League will be on hand, too with information on how you can adopt from APL, as well as learn about volunteer opportunities at the APL. Plus, we’ll still be collecting items for APL’s “Wish List”. To see the full list of needed items, please click HERE. Just like Mr. Lincoln shared a special bond with the Fido, the Lincoln family dog, the APL is dedicated to caring for ill, injured and abused homeless animals and coordinating the adoption of those animals by responsible pet owners. It further is committed to ending companion animal overpopulation by offering high-quality, low-cost spay/neuter services. This is a free event. Bring your camera and we’ll snap a picture with you and your furry friend with Mr. Lincoln. In case of rain, Bark in the Park with Mr. Lincoln will move inside historic Union Station.

April 20, City of Springfield 32nd Annual Earth Awareness Fair at Union Square Park FREE 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The City of Springfield, in partnership with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, present the 32nd Annual Earth Awareness Fair at Union Square Park on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is the longest running Earth Fair in Illinois and it’s FREE for everyone to attend! Come early and take advantage of the final Winter’s Famers Market for the season next door in historic Union Station before the regular market begins in May. Over two dozen vendors with activities and information on protecting the planet will be on throughout the park. Among the activities are…

Apiary Program about Bees
• Artifacts from Pillsbury
• ASL Interpreting Service
• Composting with Grow Springfield
• Free seeds from Enos Park Community Garden
• Games with Illinois EPA
• Recycled arts and crafts station with Creative Reuse Marketplace
• Vermicomposting with U of I extension Master Gardeners
• Water Conservation with Westminster Presbyterian Church

For a full schedule of vendors, activities, and bike and bus route maps to downtown Springfield, please go to the City of Springfield’s Earth Awareness Fair Website.

April 23, LITTLE LINCOLN’S FIRESIDE TALES: “DINOSAURS, DRAGONS, AND MONSTERS…OH MY!” 10:00 am to 11:00 am FREE

What do we love to read about? Dinosaurs, dragons, and monsters…oh my! Join the ALPLM’s Education Team on Tuesday, April 23rd at 10:00 AM at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library as we share stories and activities that celebrate gigantic dinosaurs, soaring dragons, and wacky monsters of all shapes and sizes. This is a free program, but advance registration is required.

April 27 Lace up and get ready for the happiest run and the most fun spring event of 2024! The Asian Indian Women’s Organization presents ‘COLOR ME HOLI 5K RUN/WALK & BOLLYWOOD ZUMBA‘ on Saturday April 27 at Washington Park in support of the Springfield chapter of ‘Share the Spirit Foundation, Inc’. The Indian festival of Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, unity and diversity by playing with colors with everyone as a group, and victory of good over evil! We are adding a dash of health and fitness to this colorful festival!

You don’t want to miss this colorful celebration of spring as you run, walk or dance to high energy music! Click here to register and claim your complimentary swag bag, event t-shirt, holi color, and box of indian food!

April 30, May 1 Bluey’s Big Play at UIS Performing Arts Center. Details and tickets online here.

May 18: Girls on the Run 5K. Join us on Saturday, May 18 at LLCC as almost 400 girls put on their shoes and move towards completing the goal that they’ve been setting all season long – a 5K. Crossing the finish line instills confidence and is a joyful moment program participants will always remember! Don’t miss this exciting day where we come together to celebrate everything our girls have achieved this season. Our 5K is a non-competitive event that will bring a smile to your face.  9:00 am – Fun activities for the whole family! 10:00 am – 5K begins. Early Bird Registration thru 5/4: $30 adult | $20 12 & under. Standard Registration from 5/5 – 5/17: $35 adult | $25 12 & under. Visit our website to register and to find more information www.gotrcentralillinois.org/5k or email darian@GOTRcentralillinois.org with questions. Even if running isn’t for you, we invite you to bring the whole family to enjoy our fun pre-5K activities like temporary tattoos, colored hair spray, our booth sponsors, music, food, and more!

It’s back for another year! Kids and Adults get ready for a unique opportunity to compete, have fun and make lasting memories! Saturday June 8, 2024 at the Kerasotes YMCA.Y NINJA is a fun Obstacle Course Run for kids and adults. Run as individuals or put together a team. There will be a variety of inflatable and constructed obstacles across the grounds of Kerasotes YMCA.

Register Early and Save! https://www.adventuresignup.com/Race/IL/Springfield/YNINJA

Friday Night Jazz is back at Boone’s Saloon 301 W. Edwards Street, 5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.

Kidzeum: Sensory Friendly Visits Every first Sunday morning of the month from 9:00-11:00 a.m, we are turning down our lights and noises to make the museum more comfortable for visitors with sensory differences so they can explore and discover the galleries at their own pace. Headphones are available for loan at the Admissions Desk.

Ongoing: Jan 12-13, Jan 26-27, Feb 16-17, Feb. 23-24 Mar. 15-16, April 12-13 Springfield Junior Blues Hockey games are a great outing for fast-paced hockey at the Nelson Center rink in Lincoln Park. The North American Hockey League (NAHL) Springfield Jr. Blues Hockey team will be squaring off at the Nelson Center 1601 S. Fifth Street in the top Junior A Hockey league in the nation. These 16-20 year olds are vying for playing on Division I college teams and in the professional ranks. Their game schedule is on their website. Tickets are $6-$8 for ages 12 and under or $10-$12 for adults buy ahead or walk-in.

Check out these links for additional upcoming events:

Have a community calendar event to submit? Send all details including a contact email or phone number to springfieldmoms.org@gmail.com

Subject Line: Community Calendar.  Please allow up to 14 days for review and approval. We share events that fit the audience of our Springfield Moms readers.

Send us your neighborhood garage sale and church/community garage sale dates for Spring 2024! Our Garage Sale Directory is a popular resource during prime time season for garage sales! Email springfieldmoms.org@gmail.com at least 14 days prior to your sale date to be added to our list.


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