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Looking for something to do this weekend in Central Illinois? Here’s the list.

Published

2 years ago

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Looking for something to do this weekend in Central Illinois? Here’s the list.


Check out our roundup of the latest special events, music, theater, nightlife and kids events.

To submit an item, send an email to features@pantagraph.com.

Special events

Bloomington-Normal

IHSA Wrestling; all day Feb. 23-24, Grossinger Motors Arena, 101 S. Madison St., Bloomington; $9. 

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Free Fridays in February; all day Feb. 23, Miller Park Zoo, 1020 S. Morris Ave., Bloomington. 

Kiwanis Pancake Days; 7:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 24-25, Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, 600 N. East St., Bloomington; $8-$10. 

Bloomington Polar Plunge; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 24, Miller Park, 1020 S. Morris Ave., Bloomington. 

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Try Hockey for Free Day; 4:20-5:10 p.m. Feb. 24, Bloomington Ice Center, 201 S. Roosevelt Ave., Bloomington; free. 

The Barrel Room Wedding Experience; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 25, The Barrel Room at Destihl Brewery, 1200 Greenbriar Drive, Normal; $10. 

Cirque Mechanics – Zephyr; 3-5 p.m. Feb. 25, Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, 600 N. East St., Bloomington; $27-$55. 

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ISU Women’s Basketball; 2-4 p.m. Feb. 25, CEFCU Arena, Campus Box 2660, Normal. 

ISU Men’s Basketball; 7-9 p.m. Feb. 29, CEFCU Arena, Campus Box 2660, Normal. 

IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals; all day Feb. 29-March1, CEFCU Arena, Campus Box 2660, Normal. 

Wine, Body, & Spirit – Meditation & Wine Tasting; 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 29, The Barrel Room at Destihl Brewery, 1200 Greenbriar Drive, Normal; $30. 

Central Illinois

Official Spring Home Show; Feb. 23-25, Exhibit Halls at Peoria Civic Center, 201 SW. Jefferson Ave., Peoria; $3-$7. 

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Dead is Forever Murder Mystery; 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, Wild Harvest Honey Farm, 9122 Bucks Road, Heyworth; $25. 

Bradley Men’s Basketball vs Illinois State; 7 p.m. Feb. 24, Peoria Civic Center Arena, 201 SW. Jefferson Ave., Peoria; $12+. 

Bradley Men’s Basketball vs Southern Illinois; 7 p.m. Feb. 28, Peoria Civic Center Arena, 201 SW. Jefferson Ave., Peoria; $12+. 

Music

Bloomington-Normal

Tropidelic with Ballyhoo!, The Palmer Squares; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, The Castle Theatre, 209 E. Washington St., Bloomington; 18+; $20. 

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Hip Hop Comedy Upfront ft. Thurston Stevenson & V8 Vast Change; 7 p.m. Feb. 22, Jazz Upfront, 107 W. Front St., Bloomington. 

Thaddeus Tukes; 8 p.m. Feb. 23, Jazz Upfront, 107 W. Front St., Bloomington. 

Municipal Waste with Ghoul, Nectro, Dead Heat, Brainsqueeze Tour 2024; 7 p.m. Feb. 24, The Castle Theatre, 209 E. Washington St., Bloomington; 18+; $27.50+.

Dexter O’Neal & Funk Yard; 8 p.m. Feb. 24, Jazz Upfront, 107 W. Front St., Bloomington. 

Straight Ahead Sunday with U of I Concert Jazz Orchestra; 5 p.m. Feb. 25, Jazz Upfront, 107 W. Front St., Bloomington. 

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Open Stage w/ Maestro; 8 p.m. Feb. 28, Jazz Upfront, 107 W. Front St., Bloomington. 

Three Dog Night – Sold Out; 7:30-10:30 p.m. Feb. 29, Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, 600 N. East St., Bloomington. 

Juke Box Thursday; 8 p.m. Feb. 29, Jazz Upfront, 107 W. Front St., Bloomington. 

Central Illinois

Krannert Uncorked with Haki N’ Dem; 5 p.m. Feb. 22, Stage 5 at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; free.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, Stage 5 at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; $10-$100. 

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University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, Foellinger Great Hall at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; $4-$10. 

Cabin Fever with Revel in Red; 6-11 p.m. Feb. 24, Five Points Washington, 360 N. Wilmor Road, Washington; $20-$225. 

Phil Wickham – I Believe Tour; 7 p.m. Feb. 24, Peoria Civic Center Theater, 201 SW. Jefferson Ave., Peoria; $35+. 

Chelsea Guo, Soprano and Piano; 3 p.m. Feb. 25, Foellinger Great Hall Salon-Style at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; $5-$90. 

University of Illinois Philharmonia Orchestra; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28, Foellinger Great Hall at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; $4-$10. 

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Krannert Uncorked with Nadirah Shakoor; 5 p.m. Feb. 29, Stage 5 at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; free.

University of Illinois Wind Orchestra and Hindsley Band; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29, Foellinger Great Hall at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; $4-$10. 

Theater

Bloomington-Normal. 

ISU School of Theatre and Dance presents Space Girl; 7:30-10 p.m. Feb. 22-23, Westhoff Theatre, 401 S. School St., Normal; $10-$12. 

Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered and Shafted; 7 p.m. Feb. 22, Normal Theater, 209 W. North St., Normal. 

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Sometimes I Think About Dying; 7 p.m. Feb. 23-25 and 3 p.m. Feb. 24-25, Normal Theater, 209 W. North St., Normal. 

The Muppets; 7 p.m. Feb. 26, Normal Theater, 209 W. North St., Normal. 

Central Illinois

Mean Girls; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, Peoria Civic Center Theater, 201 SW. Jefferson Ave., Peoria; $44+. 

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29, Peoria Civic Center Theater, 201 SW. Jefferson Ave., Peoria; $46.50+. 

Airness; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29-March 2, Fat City Bar and Grill, 505 S. Chestnut St., Champaign. 

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Studio Dance 2024; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29-March 2, Studio Theatre at Krannert Center, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana; $10-$60. 

For Kids

Bloomington-Normal 

ECK: Shapes & Animals (Pickup); 9 a.m. Feb. 22, Children’s Discovery Museum, 101 E. Beaufort St., Normal; ages 2-5. 

PLG: Shapes & Animals; 4-5 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. Feb. 22; 9:15-10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Feb. 23, Children’s Discovery Museum, 101 E. Beaufort St., Normal; ages 2-4. 

Early Explorers: Shapes & Animals; 9:15-10:45 a.m. Feb. 24, Children’s Discovery Museum, 101 E. Beaufort St., Normal; ages 4-5. 

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PLG: Shapes & Animals (Members Only); 9:15-10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Feb. 26, Children’s Discovery Museum, 101 E. Beaufort St., Normal; ages 2-4. 

Central Illinois

Baby Shark’s Big Broadwave Tour; 6 p.m. Feb. 27-28, Peoria Civic Center Theater, 201 SW. Jefferson Ave., Peoria; $24+. 

To submit an item, send an email to features@pantagraph.com.

To submit an item, send an email to features@pantagraph.com.

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Illinois

Illinois representative talks bill that would regulate AI companies

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Illinois

Illinois man’s Memorial Day weekend in Key West was derailed after he went bar hopping in a stolen police car

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Imagine your unofficial start to summer taking place in Key West, Florida. You’ve made the trip for the Memorial Day weekend from suburban Chicago, and you’ve got plans to enjoy some of the local establishments.

You have an evening of drinks planned on Saturday when all of a sudden those plans get derailed. Bar hopping was likely on the agenda, but there’s no chance doing so in a stolen police car was ever mentioned.

According to the Key West Police Department, John Mack, 38, of La Grange, Illinois, hopped into and took a patrol car from an officer working off-duty at Dante’s Key West Pool Bar & Restaurant.

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Local 10 reports that the KWPD said Mack had been drinking inside the bar and restaurant before the incident, which surveillance video shows took place just before 6:20 p.m. Police say the footage shows him “walking out of the pool bar with two friends and standing a couple of feet away from the patrol vehicle.”

Mack then, allegedly, opened the door, got inside, and drove off, almost hitting two men. A security guard reportedly got the attention of the officer the patrol car belonged to and as other KWPD officers were responding to the bar, Mack drove the car around the parking lot.

An Illinois man was arrested in Key West after allegedly stealing a police car and taking it for a ride. (Getty)

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Police say they later found him nearby outside of the Boat House Bar & Grill. He had successfully, it would appear, drunkenly bar hopped in the stolen police car. While he claimed to have had only three to six Coronas, according to police, he failed the field sobriety test.

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They then allege he resisted arrest, which caused him to sustain cuts from a fence. He refused a breathalyzer and wasn’t in possession of a valid driver’s license at the time of his arrest. He only had an Illinois ID card on him.

A Memorial Day Weekend trip to Key West for an Illinois man included an arrest after he allegedly stole a patrol car. (Getty)

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Mack, who is obviously innocent until proven guilty, was arrested on charges of DUI, burglary, grand theft, grand theft of law enforcement equipment, reckless driving, refusal to submit to DUI testing and resisting arrest without violence.

That is a full Memorial Day weekend no matter how you look at it.

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Sean Joseph is a writer for OutKick.



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Illinois

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