The O'Fallon Boosters are ready to give funseekers a shot in the arm this weekend during its 35th annual Mayfest at the O'Fallon City Park.
The good times heat up at 6 p.m. Friday and don't stop until the last entry in the autofest rolls off the grounds around 6 p.m. Sunday. In between, you can hit the dance floor to Avery Hill from 6:30 to 10:30 Friday night, Cactus Moon from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Hot Stuff from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Also on tap are the Mayfest Mile run at 10 a.m. Saturday and a colorful parade at 4 p.m. Saturday. Don't forget to load up the country breakfast from Fat Boy's Catering Saturday and Sunday and remember that the rides will close at 9 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
Proceeds help keep the entry fees down for the hundreds of young athletes who participate in the club's many sports programs.
Millstadt
Maifest promises music, rides, food
May will be a lot merrier in Millstadt this weekend during the village's annual Maifest Friday night and Saturday.
There will be lots of rides, games, food and drink throughout the weekend, along with music by The Dirty 30s on Friday night followed by the Irish sounds of Rusty Nail and the rockabilly Bob Band from 6 to midnight on Saturday.
Benefits go to beautify the parks in Millstadt.
Swansea
Firefighters sound the picnic alarm
Melvin Price Park will be ablaze in fun when the Swansea Firemen hold their annual picnic Friday night and Saturday.
The Cactus Moon Band will shine brightly Friday night for your dancing pleasure before Avery Hill takes over the bandstand from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Also highlighting the festivities will be a 5 p.m. parade Saturday starting at High Mount School and marching down Morgan before finally heading down Caseyville Avenue to the park.
Strawberries
Spring fruit inspires delicious festivals
With apologies to the Beatles, it will be strawberry festivals forever this weekend as everybody's favorite sweet, spring fruit starts to hit its peak of ripeness.
Eckert's Country Store in Belleville will celebrate with a "berry" good time for all from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Take a wagon ride, kick up your heels to live music and let your kids ride a pony or pet some cute animals even as you scarf down a fresh custard sundae. Admission is free.
The St. Jacob United Church of Christ will combine the best of two worlds with its annual strawberry festival and Trailnet bike ride from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Jacob Park. The treats include entertainment, kids' activities and crafters as well as loads of yummy deserts. For more information, call 644-3655.
And, residents of Monroe and Randolph county won't want to miss the sweet time they'll find at the annual St. Patrick's Strawberry Festival Saturday and Sunday in Ruma.
Grafton
Go with the flow at Flood Fest
Flood Fest You can bet Grafton is hoping for a few days of dry weather so revelers won't have to use boats to come to its Flood Fest Saturday.
From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., the picturesque river village will serve up a day of food and entertainment along with children's activities, a sand-hurling contest, a washers tourney and a johnboat parade. It's all at Mason Hollow Park at Main and Springfield.
Coast Guard auxiliary to host River Expo
With rivers and streams running high and fast, the St. Louis Coast Guard Auxiliary picked a perfect time to host its Mid-America River Expo Saturday at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton.
To kick off the upcoming summer boating season, the auxiliary is hosting a safety celebration complete with live pelican shows, segway rides, and Mark Twain shows. Visitors also can marvel at radio-controlled tugboats, subs and sailboats as the St. Louis Model Boat Club demonstrates the secrets of model boat building.
The expo is free and open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; for more information, call 877-462-6979.
Cahokia Mounds to hold Kids Day
Having fun will be child's play when the Cahokia Mounds Historic Site in Collinsville hosts its annual Kids Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Children of all ages can have fun and learn a bit of history at the same time as they try their hand at making arrowheads and pottery, grind corn, paint their faces, throw a speak and play Indian games as they used to centuries ago. There's dance performances and more, all free; for more information, call 346-5160.
Tribute to Miles Davis
Local musicians will pay homage to the late, great Miles Davis during a concert Sunday in Trimpe Hall on the Lewis & Clark College campus in Godfrey.
It will be a celebration of the native Alton jazz legend's music and life when Howard Neal, Tim Jarden, Herb Hutchinson, Kenny King and Kerry Walter get together to jam from 2-4 p.m.. Tickets are $10 each; for more information, call 462-2763.
'Camelot' at Looking GlassThe curtain will fall this weekend on the age of "Camelot" at the Looking Glass Playhouse in Lebanon.
Final performances of the Lerner and Loewe Broadway blockbuster will be at 7:30 tonight through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the troupe's theater, 301 W. St. Louis St.
The production features Bruce Vick as King Arthur, newcomer Cathryn "Trinka" Crawford as his love Queen Guenevere and Greg Hunsaker as the valiant but troublesome Sir Lancelot.
Tickets are $9, $8 for seniors and students; for reservations, call 537-4962.
And, that high-living Bohemian Mame Dennis will continue to strut her stuff this weekend at the Alton Little Theater. Starring Lee Cox in the title role of "Auntie Mame," the Broadway favorite also features Richard and Pat Hunsaker, of Belleville.
Final performances are at 8 p.m. today through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $14, $6 for students. The playhouse is at 2450 N. Henry St.; for more information or reservations, call 462-6562 or go to www.altonlittletheater.com.
Preview of trip to EcuadorNext week, they'll fly off to Ecuador to share American music and culture with young students there.
But before they do, the Ecuador Experience team will fine-tune their performances one last time during a benefit concert and silent auction at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Espenschied Chapel in Mascoutah.
The group is made up of more than a dozen area educators, health providers, child advocates and college students. On Tuesday, they'll set out for Quito, Ecuador, where they will work with students and faculty of Colegio San Marino, a private elementary school. Then, they will board canoes and float though the Amazonian rain forest to meet students of Mondana, Nunkichuk Allpa and Yachana Colegio Technico high school, the first of its kind.
The idea is to share culture and foster relationships. They will spend time in the rain forest at Yachana Lodge and its unique high school and in Otavalo, where they will shop at one of the largest indigenous markets in the world and meet with native artists and musicians.
The local group is led by Jack Spratte and Barbara VanAusdall, of Mascoutah, and Phil Wilhelm, of Belleville, all faculty members at McKendree University in Lebanon. Also going will be Mark Harter, of Mascoutah and a telemetry nurse at Memorial Hospital in Belleville; Linda Garlich, of St. Louis and a nurse and nanny; child advocates Jerri Michael, of Edwardsville and Ruth Ehresman, of St. Louis; and educators Paul Ehresman, of St. Louis, and Betty Kueker of O'Fallon.
Rounding out the group are four McKendree students: psychology majors Robert Studley and Hillary Hines, elementary education major Lauren Hettenhausen and music education major Emily Thoman.
The team is continuing the work begun in 2004 through the School-to-School partnership, which brought together students, parents and teachers from the Mascoutah schools and the Mondana School in Ecuador. Students exchanged letters and photos, drawing and e-mails. Three young men studying to be guides in the Amazonian rain forest lived in Mascoutah while they learned English.
Admission is by freewill donation.
Fishing derby at Bellevue ParkYoung fishing enthusiasts shouldn't let this big one get away: the Belleville Parks & Recreation Department's annual Catch & Release Fishing Derby Saturday morning at Bellevue Park.
It's free and open to all kids ages 4-12 with prizes given for the biggest fish caught in each age group, the most fish caught -- and the most unusual catch of the day. So, even if you hook an old shoe, you may land a prize. They'll even serve you hot dogs, chips and a drink after the awards ceremony at noon.
All you have to do is bring your favorite fishing pole and bait and check in between 9 and 10 a.m. The fishing will go on between 10 and 11:30. All entrants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian; for more information, call 233-1416 or go to www.belleville.net on the Internet.
Soul Reuve at LindenwoodMusic by Stevie Wonder and India.arie will fill the Lindenwood University auditorium in Belleville during a Soul Revue at 6 p.m. Saturday.
It's the end-of-the-year production by students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts and East St. Louis Charger School. They'll team up for an evening of R&B, gospel and neo-soul that will run the gamut of musical styles from Tina Turner to Fantasia.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for seniors and students. For information, call 482-6912.
'Schoolhouse Rock Live!'Favorite cartoon characters from the 1970s will come to life again when the Children's Theatre Touring Company from Southwestern Illinois College stages three performances of "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" starting Sunday.
The show re-creates the popular television cartoon lessons of "Schoolhouse Rock" as taught by characters like Bill and the conductor from "Conjunction Junction." The idea was designed to teach children history, grammar, math, science and politics in an entertaining fashion.
Now, you can turn your own kids onto this rockin' school at 3:15 p.m. Sunday at Art on the Square in Belleville, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the SWIC theater in Belleville and at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday in the SWIC Performing Arts Room in Red Bud.
Admission is free; some venues have limited seating.
MS Family Fun DaysIt will be merriment with a purpose during the MS Family Fun Days at the Highland VFW.
Revelers will find two days of music, rides, games, car shows, crafts and more from 6 to11 p.m. Friday and again from 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday.
The Double D Band will kick things off with music all night Friday along with rides from 6-10 p.m. Then, it's a huge day of activities Saturday with an equestrian clinic and pony rides in the afternoon, euchre competition and a washer tournament along with nonstop entertainment from Kevin Heim and the Savis Davis Band just to name a couple.
All proceeds will go toward the fight against multiple sclerosis.
