Fall FestivitiesThis article, as always, is huge, and it barely scratches the surface of the great events coming up this fall. They are listed in semi-chronological order. Keep an eye to the Nightlife every week for updates, changes, cancellations, and details. Remember that outdoor events are subject to the whims of Mother Nature. Meanwhile, we hope to join you in these good times in Southern Illinois. --the Nightlife staff by Chris Wissmann Luther F. Carson Four Rivers CenterThe Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center opened in downtown Paducah 2004. It already has featured acts ranging from B.B. King to the late George Carlin to Broadway productions like Cats. Father-and-daughter country legends Mel and Pam Tillis will perform Thursday, August 14. The Paducah Symphony Orchestra will then play a trio of concerts: Saturday, September 13 (the show is titled Bugs Bunny on Broadway); Saturday, October 4 (the symphony's thirtieth anniversary concert); and Saturday, November 1. Ribald country-music comedian Rodney Carrington will play Thursday, November 13, and the Moscow Ballet will perform The Great Russian Nutcracker Tuesday, December 9. The Paducah Symphony returns for a holiday pops concert Saturday December 13. Paducah Symphony tickets are not available online and are currently sold through the symphony office at (270) 444-0065. Symphony tickets are available at the door on showdates starting at 5:30 p.m. For more about the symphony, visit <http://www.PaducahSymphony.com>. For tickets to other events, directions, and more information, call the box office at (270) 450-4444 or visit <http://www.TheCarsonCenter.org>. Check the website often, as the venue will likely add events throughout the semester. Big Muddy Independent Media CenterDedicated to media criticism and production from a far-left political perspective, this ragtag organization holds a weekly film screening and discussion every Friday evening at 7 p.m. at their digs at 214 North Washington. The August 15 film is "Mystery Flights," an episode of the British Broadcasting Corporation program This World. The show exposes the Bush administration's program of "extraordinary rendition," an Orwellian term for the outsourcing of torture to nations where such abhorrent practices are legal. James D. Scurlock's Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit, and the Era of Predatory Lenders screens on August 22, a documentary that examines not just the dangers of going too often to the credit-card well, but how this system allows the rich to profit at the expense of the poor. Investigative journalist Greg Palast's Big Easy to Big Empty: The Untold Story of the Drowning of New Orleans will follow August 29, the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's initial impact on the Crescent City. Released in 2007, Palast takes a look at the many problems that more than a year later are still facing the post-Katrina Big Easy. Look for the schedule of additional films in the Nightlife Entertainment Guide as it is announced. For more information, visit <http://www.BigMuddyIMC.org>. SIU Student Programming CouncilThe SIU Student Programming Council offers a wide variety of programming-- infotainment lectures, concerts, comedy, low-cost film and video presentations, and special events-- often cosponsored by other student or community groups. The Replacements, the Rev. Horton Heat, and Fugazi are among the classic concerts they've put on, while recent major lecturers included Ice-T and John "Napoleon Dynamite" Heder. They're also largely responsible for the programming on Family Weekend (September 27) and Homecoming Weekend (which this year is October 11). Thus far SPC has only a few confirmed events for fall, but expect announcements for concerts, lectures, and special events, perhaps by the time this issue hits the streets. They will start by welcoming new students and their parents to SIU at the Welcome Fest Friday, August 15 at 7 p.m. at the SIU Arena. Then the SPC Fun Fest continues the week of welcome Saturday, August 16 at 7 p.m., and comedian Frederick Winters performs that same day at 8 p.m. in the Student Center's Ballroom D. The Registered Student Organization Fair Thursday, August 21 in the Student Center's International Lounge will provide opportunities for groups, clubs, and organizations of all stripes to meet with and recruit student members. Videogame fanatics can get try new releases with cutting-edge technologies Monday, September 29 in the Student Center Ballrooms at the Game U College Tour. And Wednesday, October 8, look for the Homecoming Comedy Jam in the Student Center Ballrooms and the Adult Swim Tour in the Free Forum Area. A concert at a location and featuring an artist to be determined is slated for Tuesday, October 21. SPC is always looking for student volunteers to help with their events. Such service provides an excellent opportunity for first-hand education about how the real-world entertainment industry works. For information about volunteer positions or just a schedule of upcoming events, call SPC at (618) 536-3393 or log on to <http://www.spc4fun.com>. Where to get tickets for SPC events that aren't free? At the Central Ticket Office, next to the check-cashing window on the second floor of the SIU Student Center. My Own Back Yard Theatrical CompanyMOBY was created by local actors who didn't want to leave the area to make money doing what they love-- staging live theater. The troupe's goal is to build itself to a point where local actors, technical crew members, directors, and playwrights can receive pay for their work. They will then take on the Bard's whiniest character-- or at least the ghost of famed Hamlet actor John Barrymore-- in Paul Rudnick's comedy I Hate Hamlet, which runs Friday through Sunday, August 15 through August 17 at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center. Steve Falcone will direct the show. Tickets are $12. Earl Hamner's novel, The Homecoming, was the wellspring from which came the television series The Waltons. Christopher Sergel adapted the novel for stage, and MOBY will perform it Friday through Sunday, November 14 through November 16 at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center. Auditions take place September 3 and 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center. The script calls for as many as thirteen men and nine women ages eighteen and older. Prospective actors should bring a photo and a ré sumé . Ticket prices are to be announced. For tickets, stop by or call the civic-center box office at (618) 997-4030 or visit <http://www.MarionCCC.org>. For audition, membership, and more information, call MOBY founder Heather Barnett at (618) 889-0212 or Rita Pierce at (618) 922-4560, email <MOBYTheatrical@hotmail.com>, or visit MOBY online at <http://www.myspace.com/MobyTheatrical>. Tunes at TwilightTunes at Twilight, which take place Fridays at 6:30 p.m. at the Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo overlooking Cape Girardeau's historic riverfront, is sort of that city's Sunset Concert series. It opens in the late spring, then takes a break to avoid the summer sizzle. The series opens its second six-week run August 15 with Quincy native Idgy Vaughn. Ode Hazelwood follows August 22, and Cape blues legend Bruce Zimmerman August 29. The home stretch features the Cantrells September 5, Adrianne September 12, and Brother Henry September 19. The shows are free and open to the public. For more information, call (573) 334-8085 or visit <http://www.OldTownCape.org>. Show Me CenterThe Show Me Center, on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University-- about an hour south of Carbondale, right over the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau-- is similar to the SIU Arena in that its primary function is to host athletic events. Like the Arena, however, the Show Me Center hosts numerous special events and conventions, including the occasional concert. This season opens with Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music, which runs from August 15 to August 17. The Missouri Gun and Knife Show takes place from September 26 to September 28. The American Theater Arts For Youth will stage A Christmas Carol November 19. The Christmas Arts and Crafts Extravaganza takes place November 22 and 23. For ticket information, directions, and more upcoming events, call (573) 651-5000 or visit <http://www.ShowMeCenter.biz>. River's Edge Film FestivalPaducah, Kentucky, just an hour south of Carbondale, is in the midst of a cultural and economic renaissance. It has transformed a crumbling downtown and the slums of its Lower Town District into a beautiful, thriving arts community, earning it the title of the Soho of the South. Carbondale would do well to emulate the Artist Relocation Program that spurred this revival. Longtime anchors of Paducah's arts scene are the Maiden Alley Cinema, the Market House Theatre, and the Yeiser Art Center. These three venues will host the annual River's Edge Film Festival August 14 through August 17. Screenings, parties, forums, discussions, dinners, competitions, and a local-film showcase are among the festival's features. All-access passes are $50, and come with special amenities. Filmgoers may also buy individual tickets to each feature or shorts collection. For more information, visit <http://www.RiversEdgeFilmFestival.com>. Meet Me on Main StreetCarbondale Main Street, an organization devoted to the city's downtown revitalization, will hold its first fall event, Meet Me on Main Street. The event begins Tuesday, August 19 at 6 p.m. at the SIU Recreation Center with a free concert by local art-rock band Defined Perception who will debut a new rhythm section (drummer Dave Kopreck of Counting UFOs and bassist Jeremy McKenzie of Allison Floyd). A scavenger hunt will lead from the Rec to the Town Square Pavilion. The scavenger hunt will orient new students to several businesses along Carbondale's legendary Strip. Scavenger-hunt prizes include $100 cash, roundtrip Amtrak tickets to Chicago, and gift certificates to downtown businesses. Once at the pavilion, activities will include stunt-biking demonstrations from the Bike Surgeon, free food and refreshments, and inflatable bounce games. The Natives will supply live music at the pavilion. For more information, see <http://www.CarbondaleMainStreet.com>. SIU MuseumThe University Museum, located on the north end of Faner Hall, will host at least fourteen exhibits this semester. The works range from abstract modern art to ancient American Indian archeological relics to master of fine art student thesis exhibits, the enjoyment of which is always free and open to the public. A few highlights follow. The late Josef Albers's Formulation, Articulation runs August 19 through May 9 in the Permanent Collection of Art Gallery. The German immigrant was an early abstract artist who experimented with the effects of color. This exhibit will show how today's artists respond to Albers's legacy-- not just visual artists but musicians as well, with SIU professors Frank Stemper and Phil Brown writing short compositions based on the art work. A reception for the exhibit takes place Saturday, September 26. Carbondale Community Arts' eleventh biennial exhibit is Las Noches de Septiembre: Celebrating Latino Art, which runs September 26 through October 26 in the museum's South Two Gallery. The Friday, September 26 reception will feature flamenco guitarist Sergio Barranco, an art-song concert by tenor Gustavo Flores, and an informal lecture by curator Encarnacion Teruel, the director of visual arts, media arts, and multiart programs for the Illinois Arts Council. For more about this exhibit, contact Carbondale Community Arts at (618) 457-5100 or <http://www.CarbondaleArts.org>. It's an impossible-to-ignore election year, so the museum will celebrate politics October 1 through December 12 with Winners and Losers: Mileur's Presidential Races in the South One Gallery. SIU alum Jerome Mileur will show his collection of U.S. presidential-campaign memorabilia, which includes everything Dwight Eisenhower socks to Lincoln ribbons and Teddy Roosevelt buttons. A reception takes place Thursday, October 9. And as torture, war, war-crimes tribunals, and the rights of captured enemy combatants remain in the news, the United Nations Association's Carbondale Chapter will present Celebrating the Sixtieth Anniversary of the U.N.'s Declaration of Human Rights October 6 through December 12 in the Southern Illinois Gallery. The reception takes place Friday, October 24. The Museum's hours were incorrect in our Welcome to the 'Dale issue. Here's when they're open: Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. They're closed on Mondays, national holidays, and university breaks. For more information, call (618) 453-5388 or visit <http://www.museum.siu.edu>. Du Quoin State Fair
The 2008 Du Quoin State Fair will run August 22 through September 1, and as always will feature a few cutting-edge grandstand performers along with a ton of country superstars. Shows open with 2006 American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler Wednesday, August 27 with Bucky Covington, another Idol alum. Country band Sawyer Brown headlines Thursday, August 28. Alternative metal reigns Friday, August 29 with P.O.D. and Sevendust. Then Corbin Bleu performs with Justin Stein Saturday, August 30. In addition the grandstand will feature horse, monster-truck, motorcycle, and auto racing, while a beer garden will feature dozens of shows by local talent. For tickets or more information, log on to <http://www.DuQuoinStateFair.net> or call (618) 542-1535. Also in the area, the Union County Fair in Anna, Illinois, runs August 16 through August 23. Carnival games and rides, exhibits, rodeos, horse racing, and tractor pulls are among the attractions, with demolition derbies Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, log on to <http://www.UnionCountyFair.net>. The Eve of EleganceThis educational, musical, cultural, culinary event funds the African American Museum of Southern Illinois. Founded by the Southern Illinois Achievers, the museum's mission is to identify, preserve, and portray the achievements of African American citizens-- not strictly those from the area (the museum, for example, has displayed a collection of U.S. postage stamps featuring prominent African American historical figures). In general, however, the museum's exhibits find local angles-- for example, research into an exhibit about the Tuskeegee Institute and Tuskeegee Airmen uncovered the story of a local African American World War II pilot. Other exhibits included photo displays of area African American churches and coal miners, as well as locally made quilts created in the fashion of those used to signal runaway slaves heading to freedom on the Underground Railroad. The exhibits always come complete with interpretive essays to help viewers learn more about the subjects. The museum, located in the University Mall, is in the process of refurbishing and moving into the old Attucks School, where minority students were forced to attend when the Carbondale school system was segregated. This year's Eve of Elegance takes place Saturday, August 23 at the Carbondale Civic Center. The evening features a catered dinner, a dance, and a silent auction, with proceeds going to the African American Museum and its capital campaign for the restoration of Attucks School. The Eve of Elegance keynote speaker is Chicago native Edward E. Hearn, the 2006 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking. (Toastmasters is an organization devoted to fostering communications and leadership skills.) An SIU alum, Hearn won the title with "Bouncing Back," a speech about resiliency that was based on the seven attempts it took for him to pass the bar exam. Hearn is now a criminal-defense attorney and minister. Eve of Elegance tickets are on sale for $50 through any museum board member and through the museum at (618) 457-2217, as well as through the Petal Patch, Arnett's Barber Shop, and the Beautiful Hair Salon. The African American Museum needs sponsors for this event, as well as donations to restore Attucks. Get in touch with the museum to determine how you can help. Marion Cultural and Civic CenterOn the downtown Tower Square in Marion, the Cultural and Civic Center hosts numerous events, from school and community theater (including MOBY, the Band of Gypsies, ArtStarts, and the Paradise Alley Players, most of whose upcoming performances are listed under their own names), Christian-music concerts, and community-organization meetings. Their annual Halloween festival usually features a wonderful series of vintage horror films-- and in 3D!
Local a cappella doo-wop revue Blend will sing out Friday, November 7. The next evening, contemporary Christian acts Big Daddy Weave, Rush of Fools, and Jason Gray play the civic center. Artstarts, an organization dedicated to introducing children to performance, will present Dancing with Stars Saturday, November 22. For more information, visit <http://www.artstarts.bz>. Look for an announcement of the Patron Series in future issues of Nightlife. Tickets for all shows are available at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center Office at (618) 997-4030 and online at <http://www.MarionCCC.org>. Shawnee Hills Wine Trail FestivalWhen people think of wine, they probably think of Europe or California. But vinting, the art of making wine, is one of Southern Illinois's fastest-growing industries. Enough wineries have sprung up in the last decade or so to merit the formation of three wine trails, the closest of which, the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, sends wine enthusiasts to ten wineries nestled in the Shawnee National Forest. Southern Illinois's Mediterranean climate mirrors that of France or Italy, and the rough topography is perfect for grape cultivation. Jackson County, the location of Carbondale, and Union County to the south, are among the state's biggest grape producers. In addition, the apple and peach orchards and berry farms that produce so much produce often supply delicious raw materials for fermentation into delectable beverages available along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. Each stop on the wine trail specializes in unique wines and ambience, and many host entertainment or special events on a regular basis. A good opportunity to hit all establishments, however, is Saturday and Sunday, August 30 and 31 at Alto Vineyards for the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Festival. Here, everyone will be in one place at one time-- all the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail wineries will set up booths, offer free samples, and sell wine by the glass. (They will also sell wine by the bottle, but no open bottles are allowed on the premises, so all wine consumption at the festival must be from purchased glasses.) Expect catered food by Broussard's Cajun Cuisine and Macy's Barbecue, desserts by the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Bed and Breakfast Association, and live music by Etherton Switch on Saturday and the Stokers on Sunday. The $15 admission includes a commemorative wine glass, free tasting of all wineries' fare, and a $5 coupon good toward a same-day purchase of merchandise. For more information about the festival, call any of the participating wineries. For more information about the wine trail, log on to <http://www.ShawneeWineTrail.com>. For general information about Illinois wine, log on to <http://www.IllinoisWine.org>. Those who motor the wine trail should drink moderately or use a designated driver for the trip (which should go without saying). Brown Bag Series
The schedule opens September 3 with local blues guitarist Ivas John, and continues September 10 with the sweet Americana and bluegrass of Will Maring and Robert Bowlin. Environmental-folk duo Carter and Connelley will perform September 17, while trad-country young guns Josh Plemon and the Lonesome Drifters wrap it up September 24. For more information, see <http://www.CarbondaleMainStreet.com>. Cascade of ColorsA hot-air balloon festival will return to the Southern Illinois Airport Friday through Sunday, September 4 through September 7. At least twenty balloonists from across the country will compete for prizes in a series of races during two-and-a-half days. Flights will be conducted from the airport as well as from venues selected by balloonists in neighboring cities and villages, including the Blue Sky Winery in Makanda. With luck, gorgeous balloon glows will also take place at dusk. For more information about the event, contact balloon-committee representative Alyssa Phoenix at (618) 529-1721 or visit <http://www.SIAirport.com>. John A. Logan CollegeThe rapidly growing community college off Illinois Route 13 west of Carterville was once named one of the top-five junior colleges in the nation by Rolling Stone magazine. One reason is that Logan brings in more culturally enlightening programs-- from hunting and fishing to theater, music, and arts-- than some major universities. Many of the college's activities take place in O'Neil Auditorium, located in the southwest corner of the college. Performing arts at the college are every bit as good as those at SIU. Logan divides them into the Professional Series, which consists of visiting artists, and the In-house Series, which star Logan students and faculty. The iO Theater's Improvised Musical will perform Thursday, September 4. A trio of in-house shows take place this fall, starting Friday and Saturday, October 10 and 11 with God's Man in Texas, directed by Mike Seagle. Steve Falcone will direct the classic Pygmalion Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15. This year's holiday show is A 1940s Radio Christmas, which runs Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5; Nathan Arnett will direct. Season tickets for these and spring-semester shows are available through August 15. Individual tickets go on sale August 25. Outdoor enthusiasts would do well to note the free Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28. Expect to see cutting-edge hunting, fishing, and camping gear, wildlife art, contests (the goose, turkey, and duck-call competitions are usually a riot), and top-notch food, including wild game. Classes are usually offered in hunting and fishing ethics, safety, and conservation. On top of all that, the celebration usually features hunting-dog demonstrations, live raptor and wildlife displays, and more. The Autumnfest pre-holiday art-and-craft gift show takes place Saturday and Sunday, November 8 and 9, and the Miss and Mrs. Volunteer pageant takes place Saturday, December 13. For tickets to all Logan events, or information about auditions for in-house performances, contact Logan's Office of Student Activities at (618) 985-2828 ext. 8287 or visit <http://www.jalc.edu/activities>. Market House TheatreThe Market House Theatre, located on Paducah's downtown riverfront, opens the Main Stage season with a musical tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes, My Way, running September 4 through September 7, September 11 through September 14, and September 18 through September 21. Tom Dudzick's holiday play Greetings follows December 4 through December 7, December 11 through December 14, in which a young man brings his atheist fiancé e home to meet his devout Catholic parents. Also on the Main Stage, youth will perform Disney's High School Musical October 23 through October 26 and October 30 through November 2. Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning Doubt takes place November 13 through November 16 and November 20 through November 23 in the intimate Studio Theatre. For tickets and more information, call the box office toll-free at (888) MHT-PLAY, or log on to <http://www.MHTPlay.com>. Popeye PicnicCartoon character Popeye was based on Frank "Rocky" Fiegle, a real-life Chester resident, as drawn by Chester native and cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar. Chester will celebrate the Popeye connection September 5 through September 7 at the Popeye Picnic. A carnival fairway, washer tournament, concerts, dances, and fireworks are on the schedule. For the complete lineup, visit <http://www.PopeyePicnic.com>. Southern Illinois Irish FestivalThis celebration of everything Celtic-- music, art, dance, Highland games-- takes place during the last weekend of April. To raise money for and awareness of the event, the Irish Fest committee will hold at least two events this fall. The annual membership dinner for contributors, participants, volunteers, and anyone interested in joining or learning about the festival will take place Saturday, September 6 at the Seventeenth Street Bar and Grill. The annual fish fry and Irish pub night takes place Saturday, November 8 at 5 p.m. at the Carbondale Elks Club. The dinner will consist of fish, chips, and slaw as well as vegetarian fare, soda breads, and desserts. Entertainment will include a limerick contest and music by local Irish/Celtic band the Dorians. Proceeds from a silent auction will also contribute to the festival's coffers. To learn more about the fest, or to volunteer, visit <http://www.SIlIrishFest.org>. Cedarhurst Craft FairThe Cedarhurst Craft Fair takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 6 and 7, on the grounds of the Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst in Mount Vernon. It's one of the largest arts and crafts fairs in Illinois, annually drawing more than fifteen-thousand spectators. The craft fair is filled to the brim with nearly every imaginable knick-knack. Hundreds of artists and craftspeople compete for thousands of dollars in cash prizes, vendors sell their wares, and entertainers descend on the grounds. Creative areas for children are also provided, and concessions are also available. For convenient parking, a round-trip bus service will operate from the Times Square Mall for a small fee. Those who want a more intimate experience may wish to attend the Friday, September 5 preview party. For directions and more information about this and everything else Cedarhurst-related, call (618) 242-1236 or visit <http://www.cedarhurst.org>. SIU Theatre DepartmentThe big McLeod Theatre stage in the SIU Communications Building hosts many of the Theatre Department's large-scale productions. The Christian Moe Laboratory Theatre more often features original and experimental work, mostly by student playwrights. Among the McLeod/Theater Department's alumni: Jim Belushi (According to Jim, Saturday Night Live, Salvador) and Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues). The season is utterly jammed with productions. Shows start Sunday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Moe with the One Day Play Day, where writers, directors, and actors collaborate to create new plays in twenty-four hours. The shows are free and open to the public. New Faces, a presentation of scenes and monologues by new theater majors, takes place Saturday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Moe. Donations collected at the door will benefit scholarships. David Schneider will direct the first big production of the semester, William Shakespeare's whimsical comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, October 2 through October 5. A preshow lecture takes place at 1:30 p.m. before the Sunday matinee. Back in the Moe, a chamber opera, The Old Thief and the Maid, takes place October 23 through October 26 in conjunction with the Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theater. Jenny Holcombe will direct. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $6 children and students. A free one-night-only production to be announced will take place Wednesday, November 12. The season concludes with A Christmas Story (practically subtitled "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"), based on the film by Jean Shepherd as directed by Susan Patrick Benson. The show takes place November 20 and 21, and December 5 through December 7. A preshow lecture takes place at 1:30 p.m. before the Sunday matinee. Auditions for productions remain to be announced. Tickets to shows that are not free or with prices affixed above are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $6 for children and students; season tickets for those plus additional spring performances are $48. For more information, call the Theater Department box office weekdays from noon to 5:30 p.m., or one hour before performances, at (618) 453-3001. In addition, the SIU Theater Guild and other organizations have occasionally produced plays on campus. Nightlife will carry information about these shows if and when they are announced. Murphysboro Apple FestivalThe list of activities at the annual Murphysboro Apple Festival, which this year takes place Wednesday through Sunday, September 10 through September 14, guarantees an apple-based good time in the orchard-encrusted town. The mysterious superhero Captain Applesauce patrols the grounds, ensuring all goes well. The fest awards prizes for best apple pie and best apple butter, and apple-peeling and pie-eating. Of course, apple-oriented foods (apple butter, apple pie, candy apples, cider) will be on hand for sale, auction, or sample. Work off some of those apples in the Appletime Golf Classic and the Appletime Five-kilometer Walk/Run. Among the entertainers scheduled to perform during the course of the festival: the Crimson Express marching band, a cappella quartet Blend, and George Portz and the Friends of Bluegrass. The Drums at Appletime marching-band competition takes place Saturday, September 13 at 4:15 p.m., and the annual oldtime fiddle and banjo contest gets underway the same day at 6 p.m. The festival also features a trivia contest, a vintage base ball tournament (without all those wussy advantages of this modern age, like steroids, aluminum bats, designated hitters, or even helmets and mitts), parades (including one for pets), pageants, car and motorcycle shows, an arts-and-crafts fair, a carnival fairway, the App-L-Ympics, and the always-popular fireman's waterfight. From Carbondale, Murphysboro is a straight shot west on Route 13. There is no admission charge to the festival, but select events and features (like carnival rides) require fees. For more information, call (618) 684-3200 or point your web browser to <http://www.Murphysboro.com>. River City PlayersCape Girardeau's community-theater troupe will present two plays this fall, both at Port Cape Girardeau on the city's historic riverfront. The curtain rises on the season with Peter Colley's comedy-thriller When the Reaper Calls, in which two college professors who have been friends, pranksters, and rivals since college are vacationing with their wives at a remote cottage. A scary trick goes murderously wrong and all of their lives are changed forever. Dinner-theater dates are September 12 and 13, and September 19 and 20, with dinner at 7 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. For those who only wish to see the show, there's a performance September 18 at 7 p.m., for which tickets are $10. The River City Players will produce another show in November. More information is forthcoming. Call the Port Cape restaurant at (573) 334-0954 for more information and reservations. Pepperfest
Patrons will have a chance to sample of Darn Hot Peppers products, enjoy a southwest-style cookout, and listen to live music. For more information, call (618) 893-1443 or <http://www.DarnHotPeppers.com>. Williamson County PavilionThe big barn behind the Illinois Center Mall off Route 13 in Marion is home to all kinds of community meetings and activities. But it's also housed some big concerts, and has been retrofitted with acoustic tiles and other features to improve sound quality there. The pavilion will host the Colgate Country Showdown, a regional country battle of the bands that leads to a national finals, Saturday, September 13. The Fight Factory will hold mixed martial arts cage fights Saturday, September 20. The Spanish Motorcycle Owner Group will hold a banquet Saturday, November 1, while the American Cheer Star cheerleading competition takes place Saturday, November 22. The Southern Illinois Christmas Marketplace and Heartland Holiday Bookfair will bring crafts, wineries, and local authors together to sell their work Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7. The Marion High School madrigals take place Friday, December 12. And the Egyptian Collector Association will hold a hunting and trade show Saturday and Sunday, December 27 and 28. For tickets and more information, call (618) 997-3690 or visit <http://www.wctb.org/p/wc-pavilion.php>. SIU School of MusicThe SIU School of Music holds many performances, workshops, and camps in Shryock Auditorium, Quigley Hall Auditorium, and the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall, among other venues-- far too many to list here. The school also collaborates with other organizers and departments, including the SIU Theater Department in Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theater musicals and operas (see the Theatre Department section for listings). There's also a monthly Klassics for Kids program, where SIU professor Kara Benyas helps to introduce young children to the joys of classical music and jazz.
The Southern Illinois Chamber Music Society will hold a concert Sunday, September 14 at the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship. Guest artist Martin Jean will perform on Shryock's huge pipe organ Friday, October 19. The Southern Illinois Chamber Music Society will present the prestigious, all-woman Cavani String Quartet Sunday, November 9 at the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship. For more about the music school, including the full performance schedule, visit <http://www.siu.edu/~music> or call (618) 53-MUSIC. SIU Honors Department Lecture SeriesJust try to keep your breath after looking at a partial list of the lecturers that the SIU Honors Department has brought in during the last few years: Garrison Keillor, Linda Chavez, Seymour Hersh, Molly Ivins, Carl Bernstein, Jane Goodall, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., and David Attenborough. Wow. Robert Thurman's The Dalai Lama's Ethical Revolution and the World Crisis begins the fall Monday, September 15. Thurman is a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University as well as president of the Tibet House U.S. and president of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. The Chinese government recently cracked down hard on Tibetan democracy activists, sparking mass protests around the world as the Olympic flame was carried to Beijing, the site of this year's summer games. Thurman should arrive as these events remain fresh.
Lectures are free and open to the public, and often come with receptions that offer opportunities to meet the lecturers. In addition, the department sponsors Papyrus, a journal featuring the writing and art of SIU Honors students. For more information, log on to <http://www.siu.edu/ Marion Kleinau TheatreThe Marion Kleinau Theatre on the second floor of the SIU Communications Building is administrated by the Speech Communication Department. Its fare is usually more experimental and original than most other theater productions in the area-- no Shakespeare or Neil Simon here. The works generally are written or adapted by Speech Communication students and faculty. Kleinau productions encompass theater, performance art, poetry readings, and storytelling, and often contain mature themes. Parents may wish to screen them before bringing children. All shows start at 8 p.m., and timeliness is required-- latecomers may not be admitted. The season begins Saturday, August 30 with the Graduate Student Performance Spotlight Hour, a sampler of recent work by graduate students in performance studies. This show is free and open to the public. It's a good opportunity to see the cream of the department in action for a price anybody can afford. Guest performer Kimberly Dark will give a free presentation Friday, October 17. Two free shows conclude the season-- the Performing Culture Spotlight Performances on Tuesday, December 2 and Advanced Classes Spotlight Performances on Thursday, December 4 offer opportunities for the public to see student projects. The pay-per-view portion of the season begins Thursday through Saturday, September 18 through September 20 , with a double bill: What's the Matter with Mike Garvin? by Michael Garvin and Breath Meter: The Poetics of Us by Benjamin Haas, David Hanley-Tejeda, and David Sharp. The season continues Thursday through Saturday, October 9 through October 11 with Erin Briddick's Mister Earbass Plays Croquet: Staging Edward Gorey, which explores the transformation of the author's macabre children's books to the theater. Charles Parrott's Rip Cardigan and the History of the Future runs Thursday through Saturday, November 13 through November 15. General admission tickets are available to these shows for $7, or $5 for students with I.D.s. For tickets and other information, call the Kleinau box office at (618) 453-5618 or visit <http://www.siu.edu/departments/cola/spcm> and follow the link to the Kleinau Theatre. Murphysboro Barbecue CookoffThe Apple City Barbeque Team led by Seventeenth Street Bar and Grill owner Mike Mills is the only one to win three Grand World Champion titles at the Memphis in May International Barbecue Festival. In 2005 Mills finally shared some of his secrets in his cookbook, Peace, Love, and Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue (Rodale Books, 312 pages, paperback, $19.95). Mills, then, is the natural choice to host the Memphis-in-May-sanctioned Murphysboro Barbecue Cookoff, which is the Illinois's barbecue championship competition. Contestants fire up the coals Thursday through Saturday, September 18 through September 20. Seventeenth Street will sponsor the event and host much of the activity. Events begin with a catfish and wing cookoff Thursday, September 20 at 5:30 p.m.; tickets are $15. A banquet and buffet for sponsors, competitors, and the public takes place Friday, September 21 at 5:30 p.m.; tickets are $20. A free street dance follows at 8 p.m. featuring the Southbound Band. Judging of the meat of the matter, as it were, takes place Saturday, September 20 in the morning and early afternoon, in the traditional categories of best booth, whole hog, shoulders, and ribs. Winners will receive their awards at 6 p.m. Beer, wine, and bourbon tasting starts at noon, while a raffle of an Ole Hickory grill takes place at 6:30 p.m. Those who want to buy tickets or compete should call Seventeenth Street at (618) 684-8902 or visit <http://www.17thStreetBarbecue.com>. Old King Coal FestivalHead outside of Carbondale-- particularly west and north-- and you're travelling in coal country. Southern Illinois's coal fields contain one of the world's largest supplies of fossil fuels, and as a result coal drove the economy of the region for many years. For most of Southern Illinois, the dwindling coal-mining jobs are among the few blue-collar occupations that pay living wages. Moreover, coal mining became a way a life, a cultural identity for many Southern Illinoisans, one that is difficult to give up in light of all that coal mining provided these many years. To celebrate this heritage, the Old King Coal Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday, September 18 through September 21 at and near the Coal Miner's Memorial in West Frankfort. In addition to parades and a carnival fairway, a miner memorial ceremony, and the crowning of Old King Coal, look for live entertainment to encompass everything from gospel and country to jazz and cutting-edge modern music. Organizers usually encourage current and former coal miners to wear their gear to honor the heritage of coal mining in Southern Illinois. For more information, including a complete schedule and entry forms for the fest's various contests, log on to <http://www.OldKingCoal.com>. Carbondale Main Street Pig OutCarbondale Main Street will host the annual Pig Out Friday and Saturday, September 19 and 20 in the 710 Bookstore parking lot. Chefs compete for trophies and cash prizes in chicken, beef brisket, pork ribs, and pork roast categories in this Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned event.
Musical entertainers include trad-country youngbloods Josh Plemon and the Lonesome Drifters, Carbondale expatriate Cajun and Creole band Dennis Stroughmatt and Creole Stomp, and a Saturday blues festival featuring the Blues Bandits, the Ivas John Blues Band, and Jim Skinner with the Wall to Wall Rhythm and Blues Band. In addition, look for pony rides, inflatable games, remote-control racing, a magician and balloon artist, and a wildlife show. Admission is $3, and kids under twelve get in free. Everyone adult who enters gets one raffle ticket for the Blues and Ques drawing. This year will also see a greatly expanded washer tournament as well as a new five-kilometer walk/run that will take participants all the way through Thompson Woods and back. The walk/run, sponsored by Nightlife, takes place Friday, September 19 at 6 p.m. Registration takes place at the Pine Tree Pavilion on SIU's campus, where Main Street will provide food, a musical performance by Loose Gravel, and prizes. Registration forms are available at the Main Street office and website. To register to race or cook, or for the proverbial more, contact Main Street at (618) 529-8040, <info@CarbondaleMainStreet.com>, or <http://www.CarbondaleMainStreet.com>. Herrin Civic CenterThe ambitious staff of this facility in downtown Herrin is working hard to create a first-class destination for entertainment, in addition to school events and private events like weddings. In 2006 Academy, Tony, and Grammy winner Marvin Hamlisch performed there. They narrowly missed an opportunity to land a Gretchen Wilson concert in 2007, but that should indicate the level of stardom with which the civic center aspires to work. A Pinball Super Show is slated for Friday and Saturday, September 19 and 20. For more details, see <http://www.supershow.popbumper.com>. The Little Egypt Barbershop Chorus will play Wednesday, October 1. And for tickets or more information, visit <http://www.HerrinCivicCenter.com>, email <Info@HerrinCivicCenter.com>, or call (618) 942-6115. Park Avenue ProductionsThe community-theater troupe of Herrin will hold an encore presentation of the children's play Hee Haw! The Second Commin Friday through Sunday, September 19 through September 21, at their Performing Arts Center. The troupe will offer Beauty and the Beast Friday through Sunday, October 17 through October 19. In addition, the Park Avenue Players will hold an afterschool program for children starting September 2, the culmination of which will be a performance of A Native American Welcome Saturday, November 15. The program is open to children from kindergarten to second grade. Those interested in performing in any of the above productions (auditions for Beauty and the Beast are Monday, August 18, and the script calls for actors of all ages), should call Cynthia Brooks at (618) 942-2996. For more information, visit <http://www.ParkAvenuePlayers.itgo.com>. Shryock AuditoriumShryock Auditorium is a beautiful venue with nary a bad seat in the house. Stately though it is, Shryock is not stuffy. Performers have ranged from B.B. King to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, from Ray Charles to the Counting Crows and Henry Rollins. Shryock Auditorium and the SIU Arena have announced a series of shows for fall 2008 and spring 2009. If the sheer number of events isn't quite as gargantuan as in recent years, the schedule is packed with some of the biggest names either venue has featured in a long time. Except where noted, the following events take place at Shryock.
The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats, who had to cancel their fall 2007 show at Shryock due to visa problems, have rescheduled for Saturday, October 18. Tickets are $24 and $19. Children twelve and younger pay half price. Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two Woman Show will bring in the Carol Burnett alum Friday, November 14. Tickets are $39. Country legend Crystal Gayle will play a Christmas concert Saturday, December 6; tickets are $39. Tickets for the the whole series of events are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased in person at Shryock Auditorium box office, the SIU Arena, and the SIU Student Center Ticket Offices. Buy tickets online or by phone from Ticketmaster, at <http://www.Ticketmaster.com> or (866) 646-8849. Those looking for group-ticket sales, disabled seating, or other discounts should go through the SIU ticket offices, and may do so by phone at (618) 453-2000. For more information, visit the new website for both Shryock and SIU Arena Special Events, at <http://www.SouthernLightsEntertainment.com>. Shawnee Community CollegeThe college near the Ohio River and Cache River Wetlands in Ullin has a multitude of neat events starting Saturday, September 20 with bluegrass band Carefree Highway. Nitro Joe will present Mad Science: Up, up and Away Tuesday, September 23. Wednesday, October 1 is Dada Surrealism Day, a celebration of visual and performance art, music, poetry, and irrational activities related to the historical and contemporary dada and surrealist art movements. The annual trivia night takes place Saturday, October 18, a fundraiser for Shawnee Art Club in which teams of eight compete for cash prizes. The twentieth annual children's theater performance is The Wizard of Oz, which takes place November 5 through November 8. Advance tickets are available October 7, and auditions take place September 5 at 2 p.m. and September 6 at 9 a.m. Children may attend story time with Mother Goose Thursday, November 20. The Shawnee Band and Choir will perform a holiday concert Tuesday, November 25, while everyone can discover if they're naughty or nice Saturday, December 13 at a breakfast with Mrs. Claus. Gee, wonder if her husband will also come? The spring musical is Grease, for which auditions take place Monday, December 15 at 2 p.m. Finally, the Shawnee Christmas Cantata takes place Tuesday, December 16 at 7 p.m., which will feature inspirational music by the Shawnee Choir. For tickets to any of the above, or more information, call (800) 481-2242 ext. 3250 or 3323. Las Noches de Septiembre: Celebrating Latino Art
For more information, contact Carbondale Community Arts at (618) 457-5100 or <http://www.CarbondaleArts.org>. Southern Illinois Symphony OrchestraThe Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra will hold a five-show season, with the first three events taking place this fall. The symphony's first concert, Opening Night: Schubert and Mozart, takes place Tuesday, September 23, with a program featuring Michael Barta and Meng-Chun Chi. The annual Southern Illinois Symphony Halloween pops concert takes place Friday, October 31, and usually features best-costume contests and local celebrities narrating haunting but family friendly stories. In addition to the evening show, a matinee will take place at 1 p.m. Purchase matinee tickets through Toni Intravia of the Morning Etude Club at (618) 457-8603. The Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theater and SIU Choral Union will join the Southern Illinois Symphony for an opera gala Thursday, November 20. The orchestra will also stage a holiday performance of A Children's Nutcracker Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14. All concerts take place at 7:30 p.m. at Shryock Auditorium, and tickets become available at the Shryock box office after Labor Day. Ticket prices are $20, or $6 for students of all ages. For more information, visit <http://www.SouthernIllinoisSymphony.org>. Barbecue on the River/Old Market DaysWhat is it about September, this region, and barbecue? Yet another barbecue festival, Barbecue on the River and Old Market Days, takes place Thursday through Saturday, September 25 through September 27, in downtown Paducah. Amateur and professional teams compete for the grand championship in this cookoff. The event includes free outdoor concerts (highlights include rockabilly greats the Legendary ShackShakers and bluesmen Lew Jetton and 61 South, both hailing from Paducah), a five-kilometer walk/run, and food, arts, and crafts vendors. For more information, log on to <http://www.BBQOnTheRiver.org>. Southern Illinois Metalsmith Society ConferenceThe Southern Illinois Metalsmith Society will hold their annual convention Friday and Saturday, September 26 and 27, complete with an opening reception for the organization's Form, Fabricate, Forge exhibit September 26 at the University Museum on the north end of Faner Hall (the show runs September 23 through October 12), and a fine-art auction Saturday, September 27 at Turley Park catered by the Neighborhood Co-op.. The conference will feature two visiting artists, Mike Bondi from San Francisco and Reese Nimi from Seattle, and Murphysboro metalsmith John Medwedeff. The focus of this year's conference is on public art and architecture. For more information, visit <http://mypage.siu.edu/sims>. City of Roses Music FestivalRunning Friday and Saturday, September 26 and 27, the City of Roses Music Festival in downtown Cape Girardeau will feature about fifty local, regional and national acts. Visit <http://www.cormha.org> for the complete lineup and more information as the fest approaches. In addition, the organizers always need people to help out, and volunteers receive free weekend passes. Meanwhile, the fest will hold fund- and consciousness-raisers, the first of which is a rock 'n' roll fashion show Friday, September 5 at the Westfield Shopping Town in Cape. Then follows the River City Classic bowling tournament Saturday, September 20 at West Park Lanes in Cape. SIU Family Weekend and HomecomingThe two big SIU "holidays" are Family Weekend and Homecoming, both of which revolve around SIU Athletics with additional entertainment provided by the Student Programming Council and other university and off-campus entities. The Family Weekend game and tailgate takes place Saturday, September 27 in McAndrew Stadium when the Salukis face dreaded conference rivals Northern Iowa. Before the game, stop at Saluki Row for the tailgate, where Carbondale Main Street will have large tents packed with free food, face painting, inflatable bounce games, live music, and more. SIU celebrates homecoming every year with a parade down the Strip and athletics, the latter complete with tailgate parties. This year homecoming takes place Saturday, October 11, when the football Salukis, under new coach Dale Lennon, take on Indiana State at McAndrew Stadium, and the volleyball team, under coach Brenda Winkeler, squares off against Wichita State in Davies Gymnasium. For details, ticket information, and more, visit <http://SIUSalukis.com>. Rend Lake Wine and Art FestivalAnother good chance to try Illinois wine is the Rend Lake Wine and Art Festival, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28 at the Rend Lake Visitor Center and Artisans Shop right off Interstate 57 in Whittington. Thirteen Illinois wineries will offer their beverages, fifty Illinois artisans will demonstrate and sell their work, area chefs and farmers will offer specialty foods, and local bands will play live music (the Stokers and Rich Fabec perform Saturday, while Jimmy Buffett tribute the Phins play Sunday). Call the Rend Lake Artisans' Shop at (618) 629-2220 for more information about the festival, or visit <http://www.WineAndArtFestival.com>. Domestic Violence Awareness Month/Take Back the NightThis rally and march takes place on a date to be determined in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and is sponsored by the Women's Center, which may just be the oldest shelter and counselling center for survivors of rape and domestic violence. Activities include lectures and education campaigns, art exhibits (The Clothesline Project, in which survivors create T-shirts to therapeutically express their feelings and explicate their experiences for the public, always plays a role), and film screenings. In the interim, the Women's Center will hold another fund- and consciousness-raiser Friday, September 12 at 6 p.m. at StarView Vineyards in Cobden. The Little Black Dress Party, first held in 2007, drew about five-hundred participants, allowing women to don their favorite little black dresses, enjoy each others' company, and support the Women's Center. Great Boars of Fire will cater with entertainment provided by the Ski Pryor Band. Tickets will be $15 in advance and $20 at the door and will go on sale soon. Macy's will hold the annual Shop for a Cause sale, in which customers may purchase a shopping pass good all day September 20 in the store or online. The passes cost $5, proceeds of which go to the Women's Center, and give shoppers twenty percent off most items and ten percent off furniture. Keep an eye on Nightlife for further details as they become available. Meanwhile, take the time to visit <http://www.TheWomensCtr.org> for more about the Women's Center and all the essential services it provides, all free of charge, to those in need. Southeast Missouri State University River CampusThis university in Cape Girardeau has grown by leaps and bounds for the last several years, but that's nothing compared to what happened in fall 2007, when Southeast experienced a truly explosive growth spurt. That when the new, state-of-the-art campus on the Mississippi River opened. Dedicated to communications and performing arts, the campus boasts a tremendous lineup of entertainment at the Bedell Performance Hall, Flexible Theatre, and Dance Studio. Except where noted below, all events take place in Bedell. See what the golden age of radio was like October 1 through October 5 with The 1940s Radio Hour. The Battleworks Dance Company performs Saturday, October 11, a creation of Robert Battle. The Tuesday, October 14 Gala Season Opener will feature guest soloists David Halen and Jonathan Vinocour performing music by Mozart and Beethoven with the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra. A double comedic bill, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You and The Actor's Nightmare, will run October 29 through October 31 and November 1 and 2 in the Wendy Kurka Rust Theatre. Savion Glover will perform Bare Soundz, a tap-dance presentation incorporating jazz, Caribbean music, and contemporary music, Friday, October 31. Two performances of Stephen Sondheim's musical about a homicidal barber, Sweeney Todd, take place November 8. Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night-- named after the twelfth day of Christmas-- runs December 3 through December 6. The Southeast Symphony will perform Peter and the Wolf December 9, at which time they will join forces with the Southeast Choir and Choral Union in Hiawatha's Wedding Feast. Southeast's fall dance concert featuring the choreography of senior dance students takes place December 10 through December 14 in the Wendy Kurka Rust Theatre. More holiday fare follows when the Moscow Ballet performs the Great Russian Nutcracker December 15 and 16. Tickets are on sale now weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (573) 651-2265 and through MetroTix at <http://www.MetroTix.com>. For more information, visit <http://www.semo.edu/RiverCampus>. Ultimate Saluki ChallengeThis Saluki adaptation of the popular television reality series Survivor will make SIU students face a series of challenges as they compete for the alpha-dawg title -- the For applications and more information, visit <http://www. SIU Arena
Make in-person purchases at the SIU Ticket Office at the west entrance to the SIU Arena, or at the SIU Central Ticket Office at the SIU Student Center. Buy tickets online and by phone through TicketMaster at (866) 646-8849 or <http://www.TicketMaster.com>. For more information, visit the new website for both Shryock and SIU Arena Special Events, at <http://www.SouthernLightsEntertainment.com>. Benton George Harrison Beatle FestivalThe Benton George Harrison Beatle Festival will culminate Saturday, October 4 at 8 p.m. in the East Gym of Benton Consolidated High School. The mainline concert will feature a performance by former Beatle Pete Best, who Ringo Starr replaced in 1962 just as the Beatles prepared to launch one of the most incredible chapters in music history. Best can be heard keeping time on Beatles Anthology cuts, as well as on seminal recordings the group made when backing British Elvis Presley soundalike Tony Sheridan. Best's group is called Best of the Beatles. Other local musicians, booked by Warren Batts-- a former guitarist for Bill Haley and the Comets as well as a native Southern Illinoisan -- will play as well. The city may seem like an odd place for such a celebration, but the Quiet Beatle's sister, Louise Harrison, lived in Benton during the 1960s, and George came to visit her there right before the Beatles made their legendary appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. While in Little Egypt, George reportedly camped in the Shawnee, sat in with local musicians, and got in some of the last quiet, fame-free moments he would ever experience. The house where he stayed with Louise is now the Hard Day's Nite Bed and Breakfast. For more about Best, visit <http://www.PeteBest.com>. For more about A Hard Days' Nite and the Beatle Fest, visit <http://www.myspace.com/HardDaysNiteBnB> or <http://HardDaysNiteBnB.com>. Union County ColorfestColorfest, taking place Friday through Sunday, October 10 through October 12, is designed to show off the colors of fall in Union County. Colorfest is completely decentralized, with Anna, Jonesboro, Alto Pass, Cobden, Lick Creek, and Dongola each town taking charge of their own activities. Arts, crafts, and quilting displays will be dispersed throughout the communities. Tours of historic homes usually take place, as well as a fun run, biathlon, and doggie fashion show (in which the catcalls are literal). Most of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail wineries prepare special Colorfest minifestivals (some holding their events on previous or subsequent weekends), making this an especially wonderful time for wine, while Rendleman Orchards Farm and Flamm Orchards often host special events or sales as well. For more information, call (800) 248-4373. Paradise Alley PlayersThe Williamson County community-theater troupe traditionally produces plays near holidays-- in the fall, they typically include Halloween and Christmas. Paradise Alley Players shows take place in the new Cultural and Civic Center on the Tower Square in Marion. The Players' next presentation is the classic Jimmy Stewart vehicle Harvey, which runs Friday through Sunday, October 17 through October 19. Ticket prices are $10 for Friday and Saturday evening shows and $8 for the Sunday matinee. For those who want to try out for the cast, auditions will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, August 19 and 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center. The script calls for six men ages twenty-five to seventy and six women ages eighteen to seventy, plus one invisible six-foot-tall rabbit. Look for The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever to celebrate Christmas. Performance dates are Friday through Sunday, December 5 through December 7. For more information about either show, including audition and organizational meeting times and places, call Joyce Hope at (618) 993-2225; email <MarionPAP@hotmail.com>, or log on to <http://www.MarionPAP.com>. Tickets are available online at <http://www.MarionCCC.org>. Heartland Bioneers ConferenceThe annual Heartland Bioneers Conference is part of a much larger network biological-pioneer conventions that take place Friday through Sunday, October 17 through October 19 all across the United States. The main conference-- the so-called Headwaters-- takes place in San Rafael, California, but highlights are beamed to satellite locations, of which Carbondale is one of only about twenty. This year's speakers include author and columnist Naomi Klein and Jacques Cousteau's granddaughter Alexandra Cousteau. The real depth of the conference, however, comes through the area speakers and discussion groups that allow participants to localize environmental issues with regional experts and activists. Past Carbondale activities have included weekend camping retreats, youth grant-writing workshops, and presentations by local experts on topics ranging from Antarctic research to mountaintop-removal coal mining to wildlife rehabilitation. The 2008 Heartland Bioneers program is still being finalized. Look for local garden tours, a "Meet the Farmer" lunch emphasizing healthy, local food, a concert/mixer and film festival, and numerous breakout sessions. For more information about the conference, visit the Southern Illinois Center for a Sustainable Future at <http://www.sicsf.org>. Vulture FestivalThis charmingly macabre-titled affair takes place on and near the Makanda Boardwalk Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19. It celebrates the hundreds if not thousands of turkey vultures that swoop down on the town each fall during their southern migration. The vultures scour the landscape for carcasses and debris, thus playing a major role in environmental cleanup. The downtown of this historic railroad town boasts several galleries that feature original artwork by local artists and artisans, making it a smaller but arguably more authentic Sedona. Jewelers, potters, candle makers, and gourd artists will display and sell their wares at the fest, which will feature live music by the Boon Dock Billies and the perennial and incredibly appropriate headliners the Woodbox Gang. Plenty of food booths will provide concessions. Vulturefest often provides a terrific opportunity to learn more about our scavenging birds. Bev Shofstall of Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation usually has a live vulture or two on hand, literally, so people can get a closeup look-see. The fest typically boasts a vulture-art contest featuring the fest's motif in various configurations and media, while annually fest organizers try (not always successfully) to crown a Vulture King and Queen. Meanwhile, tons of the real thing will circle the skies above, eyeballing you and calculating your chances of making it home alive. So don't forget the directions-- to get to Makanda from Carbondale, take highway 51 south, then turn left in front of the smileyfaced watertower, and head down, down into the Valley of the Arts. For more information, see <http://VultureFest.com>. SIU English Department/Devils Kitchen Literary FestivalThe SIU Department of English has brought an astounding array of international talent to the area throughout the years, frequently cosponsoring events, lectures, contests, and workshops. Students have work published in the great Grassroots journal. Meanwhile, the bestselling and award-winning SIU English Department is pretty impressive-- Rodney Jones (runnerup for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for Elegy for the Southern Drawl and a near-pick for Illinois's Poet Laureate), Pinckney Benedict, Judy Jordan, Allison Joseph, Beth Lordan, Jacinda Townsend, and Tony Williams are only a few of the better-known authors who teach English at SIU. And it's a deeply pedigreed department. John Gardner, author of the 1976 National Book Critics' Circle Award-winning October Light, was an SIU English instructor. Former SIU English professor Richard Russo saw two novels, Empire Falls (which won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for American fiction) and Nobody's Fool, made into films starring Paul Newman. In February 2000, SIU professor emeritus Kent Haruf's novel Plainsong hit number seven on the Entertainment Weekly bestseller list; it was nominated for a National Book Award in 1999. Former SIU professor Brady Udall is the bestselling author of The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint. Great alumni include Charles Johnson (whose Middle Passage won the 1990 National Book Award) and Robert Coover (whose wildly innovative The Public Burning was nominated for the 1977 National Book Award). And all this almost certainly left out a few laudable writers, no offense to them. Meanwhile, the English Department oversees the publication of Grassroots, a journal for SIU undergraduates, and The Crab Orchard Review literary journal. So exceptional writers are just de rigueur at Southern Illinois University. Hit the gas pedal at any red stoplight in Carbondale and you'll probably run into a great writer, though there certainly are better ways of meeting them. One such place is the Devils Kitchen Literary Festival, which runs Thursday through Saturday, October 23 through October 25. The festival will feature readings, panel discussions, workshops, and other events hosted by and featuring acclaimed writers. So far they include poets Janice N. Harrington and Sean Nevin and short-story writer Josh Goldfaden. Not heard of any of them? Give it time and you might. A past festival reader, Natasha Trethewey, won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection Native Guard. Look for faculty and students to read their poetry and fiction throughout the semester. For more information, visit <http://www.siu.edu/departments/english>. Jackson County Stage CompanyThe Jackson County Stage Company was founded in 1982. This year, however, marks a watershed in the troupe's history, as they will soon bring to life the Varsity Center for the Arts-- the historic old Varsity Theatre where the Strip meets West Cherry Street. They inaugurate the Varsity with Neil Simon's Star Spangled Girl from October 24 through October 26 and October 31 through November 2. Tickets go on sale October 10. The Stage Company will then produce a holiday play, Daniel Sullivan's Inspecting Carol, which will run December 12 through December 14 and December 19 through December 21. Tickets go on sale November 28. Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday matinee performances take place at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for reserved seating. The box office is open weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., and one hour before curtain. For tickets and more information, contact the box office at (618) 549-5466, or see the Stage Company's website at <http://www.StageCompany.org>. In addition, the Stage Company needs plenty of monetary, time, and material donations to complete the renovation of the Varsity, not to mention people to help with their productions-- everyone from actors and technical crew to financial contributors. Readers who ever harbored an itch to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune should think about joining this group. See the website for audition and meeting information, newsletters, and more. Halloween on Main StreetCarbondale is legendary for Halloween celebrations, though sadly the present-day revelry doesn't come close to approximating the wild pagan excesses of yore. A case in point: Carbondale Main Street will hold the second annual Halloween on Main Street children's event Friday, October 31 on the Strip. Activities begin with a pumpkin-painting contest in the Town Square Pavilion, a costume parade, and trick-or-treating at participating businesses. Visit <http://www.CarbondaleMainStreet.com> for more information. Band of GypsiesThis local theatrical troupe will perform A Grimm Morning, a free post-Halloween kids' storytelling show Saturday, November 1 in Turley Park. "Through the looking glass" in the next case means a mirrored disco ball. The Band of Gypsies next performance is Alice: A Groovy Opus of Adventures in Wonderland, a 1970s musical deconstruction of the classic Lewis Carroll fantasy with lyrically rewritten disco anthems as the score. The show is slated for Friday and Saturday, December 5 and 6, with the venue and ticket information to be announced. For those who want a shot on the boards, auditions take place September 8 through September 10, again at a venue to be announced. For more information, contact troupe founder James Earles at (618) 681-0003 or <BandOfGypsies3@yahoo.com>. Cedarhurst Chamber Music SeriesIn addition to its annual craft fair, Cedarhurst features a terrific chamber-music series in the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts Performance Hall in Mount Vernon. The season begins Sunday, November 2 with Carol and Chris Jaudes and Friends, and continues Sunday, November 23 with the Alexander String Quartet. Four more concerts are scheduled for spring 2009. Season tickets for all six concerts are $75 for Friends of Cedarhurst, and $90 for non-members. Tickets to individual concerts are $18, or $5 for students and music teachers. For directions, tickets to concerts and special events, and more information, call Cedarhurst at (618) 242-1236 or visit <http://www.cedarhurst.org>. Rend Lake College Performing Arts DepartmentRend Lake College, located right off Interstate 57 in Ina, Illinois, boasts that it is the fasting-growing community college of its size in the nation. A good arts program helps fuel this expansion. The college's fall play is A Christmas Carol, which will run November 6 through November 9. Tickets are $12. The college box-office number is (618) 437-5321 ext. 1267. For more about Rend Lake College, including audition and ticket information, visit <http://www.rlc.cc.il.us>. Lights FantasticThe Lights Fantastic parade takes place Saturday, December 6 at 6:30 p.m. on the Strip in Carbondale, though in the event of an SIU home football playoff game, the parade may be delayed. The parade starts at South Illinois and Grand Avenues, proceeds north on Illinois Avenue, and ends at the Town Square Pavilion across the tracks from Tres Hombres. About sixty lighted entries join marching bands, animals, and Santa Claus, while downtown businesses hold open houses. Pre-parade activities begin at 4 p.m. at the Carbondale Civic Center, Old Train Depot, and other locations, and usually include live music and food. At the Town Square Pavilion, parade-goers can meet Santa's reindeer, and the Old Train Depot is the place to write the Jolly Ole Guy letters and begin a cookie walk to downtown businesses. For additional information, to enter a float in the parade, or to volunteer for the event, contact the Carbondale Main Street office at (618) 529-8040, <info@CarbondaleMainStreet.com>, or <http://www.CarbondaleMainStreet.com>. |
Ultimate Saluki. Competition takes place Friday, October 3 through Sunday, October 5, but the application deadline is September 10, and registration is limited, so interested competitors should act fast. Mike Skupin of Survivor: Australia fame will host the proceedings.