Aug 3 – German-American Central Society presents the annual Bratfest 2014 at Hickory Grove Park – 12:00 – 8:00 p.m. Call 309-691-7484. Live Entertainment, Muscle Car, Hot Rod & Customized Motorcycle Cruis’n, Arts & Craft Village, soccer, folk dancing, Bingo, & a shooting tent. German food!
Aug 3 – Flanagan House Museums: “In the Good Old Summer Time” 1:00 – 04:00 p.m. Peoria Historical Society, 942 NE Glen Oak Ave. Call 309-674-1921. Nostalgic photo exhibits from old Peoria: Mannequin displays of early swimsuits, delicate Edwardian lawn dresses, vintage tools exhibits, sports & river life.
Aug 3 – Pettengill-Morron House Museum: “Fine Art of Hospitality” 1:00 – 04:00 p.m. Peoria Historical Society, 1212 W. Moss. Call 309-674-1921. Celebrating Brides: vintage wedding gowns/ wedding pieces from the Reynolds/Morron family on display & the dining room table set for a wedding shower. & old-fashioned Lawn Party!
Aug 3 – Peoria Municipal Band at 7:00 p.m. 2218 N Prospect Rd. Call 309-677-2595.
James Wilhelm of Illinois Adventure is guest emcee. Listen to great music presented by Peoria’s own Municipal Band. FREE.
Aug 5 – Heart of Illinois Knitting Guild at 9:00 a.m. at Memorial Hall at Maple Lawn Homes in Eureka. Char Rickey will present program about various cast-off’s used in knitting. Call at 309-472-7085 or email to spinwool7@aol.com. HOI.
Aug 6 – Peoria Players Presents: “Little Shop of Horrors” 7:30 – 10:00 p.m. Call 309-688-4473. Charming, tuneful and hilarious, this musical never fails to entertain!
Aug 8 – 9 – Soul Fest – RiverFront District, 401 SW Water St. @ noon. Call 309-671-5555. Soulful sounds of Gospel on the RiverFront, & merchants, food, & more.
Aug 9 – Super Smash Bros. Tournament @ Chillicothe Public Library – 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Crash Course: Learn the basics. 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Bring own controller if you have one. (Nintendo Wii or Gamecube). -Snacks provided, or bring something to share. – TEENS ONLY. -Register by August 7th. Call 309-274-2719.
Aug 9 – Peoria Public Library North Branch will host a coffee tasting & learning session w/Thirty-Thirty Coffee Company 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. and again 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Learn about coffee from experts. The tasting is free & open to the public. Reservations requested at 309-497-2150 or email programmingdept@ppl.peoria.lib.il.us.
Aug 9 – IGNITE Peoria @ 8:45 a.m. The SMG-managed Peoria Civic Center will be taken over by creative individuals from throughout the area, sharing their passion with attendees. IGNITE Peoria! is free & open to the public. Some events/activities will charge a fee. Call 309-680-3640 or visit www.ignitepeoria.com. Park in lots FREE.
Aug 9 – Peoria Poetry Club meets @ Riverview Senior Living Community, 500 Centennial Dr., East Peoria. Guests welcome to bring a sack lunch @ 11:30 a.m., read a poem at our noon roll call, & enjoy a program at 1:00 p.m. Call 822-8308, or go to: www.peoriapoetryclub.com.
Aug 9 – Bishop Hill Fiber Guild to meet at 10:00 a.m. @ Methodist Church in West Jersey, Illinois when Lee Shafer will present a hands-on program of natural dyeing. Call Char Rickey at 309-472-7085 or email: spinwool7@aol.com
Aug. 10 – The Italian-American Society of Peoria will host 85th annual Summer Festa picnic noon – 7:00 p.m. at Hickory Grove Park. Fund-raiser for scholarship programs. Italian food, beverages, gift booths, car show, childrens activities, spaghetti-eating contest, bocce ball. $3 admission for adults/free for children under 12. Parking free.
Aug 13 – 14 – PACE welcomes back the Taste of Peoria to the RiverFront! Nearly 40 Peoria area restaurants are expected to provide a taste of their most popular menu items to a crowd of more than 50,000 local residents. Activities & food will be lthroughout Festival Park & The Landing. Call 309-671-5555 or go to http://www.peoriaevents.com. PACE will provide a free Aaron’s Limousine Service shuttle bus throughout downtown Peoria from 4:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Aug 14 – “Genealogy Hints and Tips” – features several members of the Peoria County Genealogy Society. They will be bringing some of their expertise to share. “Genealogy Hints and Tips” will teach you some of the ins and outs of research. 6:30pm at the Peoria Public Library North Branch—3001 W. Grand Pkwy. Public always welcomed.
Aug 14 – Irish Rhythms on the River. Peoria Historical Society, 611 SW Washington. 309-674-1921. Enjoy dinner & a summer cruise on the Illinois River. Music by Roundstone Buckers. Prepaid reservations recommended. Limited tickets available.
Aug 16 – Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment presents Peoria’s Budweiser Grand Nationals Weekend – Illinois’ largest motorcycle festival. Motorcycle parade, antique & custom bike shows, great vendors, stunt shows, live music, great food & ice cold Budweiser. Call 309-671-5555 or go to: www.jaytv.com/grandnationals.
Aug 16 – 17– The Central Illinois Herpetological Society stages its 23rd Annual Reptile & Amphibian Fair @ Grand Hotel in Peoria. A variety of snakes, turtles, lizards and amphibians will be displayed, educational exhibits, face-painting & a fund-raising raffle. Students participating in the Peoria Academy of Science Annual Treasure Hunt can attend free with their passport & one paying adult. Admission is $3.00 per person. Call (309) 682-6208
Aug 22- 24 – The Peoria Park District & the St. Patrick Society of Peoria welcomes the annual Irish Festival, Erin Feis for its 18th year on the RiverFront. 2014 marks the 35 year anniversary of Erin Feis in Peoria! This 3-day event showcases Irish heritage thru song, dance, food, drink, cultural exhibits & more. Everyone is a little bit Irish! – Call 309-671-5555 or go to http://www.erinfeispeoria.com/.
Aug 22 – Artists on the Boardwalk – 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ Junction City Shopping Center, 5901 North Prospect Rd., Suite 200. Call 309-740-0808. Local artists displaying and selling their artwork along the boardwalk.
Aug 29 – 30 –Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment proudly present the Budweiser Illinois Blues Fest. Two days of Sun-Sational Blues featuring three stages of entertainment – plus musician workshops, This will be the 26th anniversary of the Budweiser Illinois Blues Festival; considered one of the top blues festivals in the Midwest. Call 309-671-5555. or go to: visit http://www.illinoisbluesfestival.com/.
Aug 30 – Zoo Run Run at noon @ Peoria Zoo at Glen Oak Park, 2218 N. Prospect Rd.
Call 309-681-3500. Join the stampede for this fun and healthy way to support Peoria Zoo! Participate in our 5K Grand Prix Race or the 1/4 Youth Run. Participants receive a Zoo Run Run T-Shirt, post-race entertainment and food and admission into the Zoo! Medals & prizes awarded during the after party!