SEPTEMBER HAPPENINGS

Sept. 3 – 4 – Blues Festival on Peoria Riverfront from 5:00 – 11:00 p.m. Call 671-5555.

Sept. 4 – Bryan Bowers Concert at Forest Park Nature Center – at 7:00 p.m. Call 686-3360. Adults- $7.00/Children- $6.00/12 & under FREE. Reserved seating available @ Nature Center’s Trailhead Nature Store. General admission seating @ door.

Sept. 5 – Mackinaw Valley Vineyard Grape Stomp & Music Festival – Noon – 6:00 p.m. @ Mackinaw Valley Vineyard. Call 309-645-5054. Wine tasting, food, & live music.

Sept. 6 – Labor Day Picnic & Parade – 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. downtown Peoria. The picnic is downtown @ Riverfront Festival Park. Food, beverage & a band!

Sept. 10 – 13 – 28th Annual Art and Craft Fair – presented by the Hayloft Shops, Mossville. More than 20 demonstrating craftsmen/artists on lawn. 2010 Annual Armetale Christmas plate and ornament to be presented. The Mossville Volunteer Firemens annual pancake breakfast on Sept. 11th from 7:00 – 10:30 a.m.

Sept. 10 – 19 – Frankenstein – A New Musical – at Peoria Players Theatre. Call 688-4473. Adults- $17.00 Children 18 & under- $12.00. Based on Mary Shelley’s 19th-century novel.

Sept. 11 – Peoria Park District Tailgate Challenge – starts at 9:00 a.m. Call 309-681-2866. Residents- $40.00 Non-residents- $45.00. Form a team of four (ages 16+) to compete in various tailgate games. Registration forms available at Glen Oak Pavilion or online at http://www.peoriaparks.org/.

Sept. 11 – WorldFest 2010 Ethnic Celebration, Civic Center – in conjunction w/Youth Doing the Right Thing. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Free. Ameren Cilco & Brewers Distribution are sponsors.

Sept. 11 – 14th Annual Central Illinois Black Expo at Civic Center, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Call 672-1374. FREE. Event promotes positive image of the City of Peoria bringing visitors from across the country to sample the various services/products.

Sept. 11 – Luthy Botanical Garden presents- Fall Harvest Class – from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. at W.H. Sommer Park. Call 686-3362. Residents- $10.00 Non-residents- $12.00. Instructor Valerie Wolfe will cover canning, freezing, dehydrating and more. For more info, call (309) 686-3362.

Sept. 12 – Forest Park Nature Center – Tree I.D. Walks – from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Call 686-3360. Free admission. Emphasis will be on the process of identifying trees by their leaves with a simple key. Leaf collecting cannot be done on this walk, but good collecting sites in the Peoria area will be suggested. Open to ages 10 and over. No fee, donations appreciated.

thru Sept. 12 – Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre presents- “Lie, Cheat & Genuflect.” Call 309-965-2545 for tickets and info.

Sept. 16 – Nov. 7 – Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre presents- “Not Now Darling”Call (309) 965-2545 for tickets and info.

Sept. 17 – 19 – Oktoberfest 2010 on the Peoria Riverfront – The Peoria Park District & German American Central Society welcomes back this annual German Festival for 14th anniversary! Call (309) 691-7484. Friday $9.00; Saturday $7.00 until 5 pm, $9.00 after 5 pm, Sunday $7.00 Children 12 and under free.

Sept. 19 – Junior League of Peoria 2nd Annual Truck Stop Event – Northwoods Mall from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. $5 Admission. Call 685-9312. An opportunity for families to experience fifty unique vehicles they would not typically get to see up close.

Sept. 22 – Public Relations Assoc. of Central IL Conference – at the Par-A-Dice Hotel, East Peoria, IL from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. For more info: http://shankman.com/about

Sept. 24 – Movies Under The Stars- Disney’s UP -Rated (PG) – at 7:00 p.m. at the Metro Center. (weather permitting) Admission Free. Call 309-692-6690. Gourmet popcorn & soft drinks for $1 each benefits local charities. Bring lawn chairs & blankets.

Sept. 25 – 26 – 48th Annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair – from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Peoria Riverfront Festival Park. Call 637-2787.

Sept. 25 – 26 – Autumn Gems 2010 Quilt Show @ East Peoria Event Center, 4200 E. Washington. Admission: $6 adults, $1 under age 12, 2-day pass $10.

Sept. 26 – October Fest – from 12:00 noon – 6:00 p.m. at the Kickapoo Creek Winery. Call 309-495-9463. Live entertainment.

Sept. 26 – Bradley music professor Dr. John Orfe will present program revolving around work & influence of Robert Schumann at 3:00 p.m. at the Universalist Unitarian Church. Call 686-5608.

Sept. 28 – Healing Touch: Learn what Healing Touch is all about. 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in auditorium at Cancer Center for Healthy Living, 5215 N. Knoxville Ave.

Sept. 28 – Prostate Cancer Support Group, “Us Too,” for survivors & partners offers educational info and support. They will meet from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Proctor Professional Bldg, #1, classrooms 1 & 2. Call 266-5239 or 691-6523 for more info.