COMEDY
Ongoing. The Jukebox Comedy Club features local, regional and nationally known comedians, open Wednesdays through Saturdays.
3/4. Limelight Eventplex presents Eddy P’s Birthday Party Comedy Show with Eddy P, Chris Hightower, Jason Jenkins, Shawn Morgan, Jayson Davis and Ray Philly Phillips at 8pm.
3/10. The Andy Gross Variety Show takes the stage at 7:30pm in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
4/14 – 4/15. Comedy Night in the Broadway Lounge at The Waterhouse features Bob Zany and host Greg Batton at 7pm and 9pm.
4/23. The Peoria Civic Center Theater presents An Evening with David Sedaris, humorist, NPR contributor and best-selling author, at 7pm.
4/27. Comedian Lewis Black returns to the Peoria Civic Center for an 8pm show.
DANCE
3/3, 3/17, 4/7, 4/21. The Contemporary Art Center hosts Salsa at the CAC on the first and third Fridays of the month from 8:30pm to midnight.
4/4. The Peoria Civic Center Theater will host The Riverdance 20th Anniversary World Tour at 7:30pm.
4/7 – 4/8. Peoria Ballet presents The Sleeping Beauty at Five Points Washington.
4/29 – 4/30. Central Illinois Ballet presents Romeo & Juliet in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
EXHIBITIONS
Ongoing. Sculpture Walk Peoria features 16 large-scale sculptures along Washington Street in downtown Peoria.
Ongoing. The Diocesan Museum in the Spalding Pastoral Center features exhibits on the Peoria Diocese, while the adjacent Fulton J. Sheen Museum offers a permanent exhibit on the life of the famous archbishop.
Thru 3/10. Socio-political art by Folleh Tamba will be on display at Illinois Central College in Gallery 336B, and photography by Britten Traughber will be on display in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
Thru 3/12. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will be on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
3/3, 4/7. Art galleries and artist studios around the region open their doors from 5 to 9pm for First Fridays.
3/10 – 3/31. “Swept Away,” featuring the photography of Cheryl Dean, will be on display at Exhibit A Gallery, with a reception on 3/10 from 5 to 8pm.
3/11 – 4/17. The 36th annual Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition will be on display in the Caterpillar Global Communications Center at Bradley University.
3/15 – 3/18. The Mid-Illini High School Art Exhibition will be on display at Prairie Center of the Arts, with an opening reception on 3/15 from 6 to 8pm.
3/22. The ICC Art program presents a reception for photos and poetry by Robert Tomlinson in Gallery 336B.
3/24, 4/28. Jefferson Street Studio & Gallery and The Mansion on Walnut open their doors from 5 to 9pm for Fourth Fridays.
3/26. Multimedia artist Rachel Jennings will display her work at Project 1612 from 3 to 6pm.
4/8 – 7/9. The Kottemann Legacy: A Life in Art will be on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
4/1 – 4/28. “Translations From the Heart,” featuring oil paintings by Mary Hildebrand and Sherri Burritt, will be on display at Exhibit A Gallery, with an opening reception on 4/7 from 5 to 8pm.
4/1 – 5/29. GENOME: Unlocking Life’s Code will be on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
4/1 – 5/29. Microsculpture: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss will be on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
4/12 – 5/24. Jefferson Street Studio & Gallery in Morton will host “Blip Out,”featuring the mixed media of Nichole Gronvold Roller, with a reception on 4/28.
4/19. ICC’s annual Faculty Art Exhibition and Juried Student Art Exhibition will be on display in Gallery 336B and the Performing Arts Center, with a reception at noon.
4/23. The work of artist Grant Gill will be on display at Project 1612 from 3 to 6pm.
4/26 – 5/3. The MFA Exhibition featuring Annastasia Calvert and Alexander Martin will be on display in the Heuser Art Center at Bradley University. An opening reception will be held on 4/28 from 5 to 7pm.
LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS
3/5. Planetarium educator Jack Daleske presents “Measuring the Heavens: Nautical Navigation” at 2pm at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
3/9. The Fine Arts Society of Peoria will host art historian Dr. Wendy Greenhouse for “Artists in the Country: Three Generations of Americans at Giverny” at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, with a social at 9:30am and program at 10am.
3/9. Kathryn Polk, guest juror of the Bradley International Print & Drawing Exhibition, will deliver a lecture at 5pm in the Horowitz Auditorium in the Caterpillar Global Communications Center at Bradley University.
3/30. Author Ken Zurski will present “The Wreck of the Columbia” about the steamboat that sank in the Illinois River at 6:30pm at the Pekin Public Library.
4/6. Visiting artist Margie Livingston will present a lecture at 5pm in the Horowitz Auditorium in the Caterpillar Global Communications Center at Bradley University.
4/13. The Fine Arts Society of Peoria hosts art historian Dr. William Wallace for “The Sistine Chapel: 500 Years” at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, with a social at 9:30am and program at 10am.
4/20. Bryce McCloud will present a lecture at 5pm in the Horowitz Auditorium in the Caterpillar Global Communications Center at Bradley University.
MUSIC
Thru 4/28. Live at the Five Spot takes place on Fridays at the Contemporary Art Center from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Upcoming shows include: Preston Jackson & Friends (r&b/jazz, 3/3), Cousin Eddie (pop/rock, 3/10), Phanie Rae and the Soul Shakers (soul/blues/rock, 3/17), Rooster Alley (blues, 3/24), Soft Spoken (R&B/jazz, 3/31), The Brazilionaires (samba/pop, 4/7), Lizzi Neal Band (rock/blues, 4/14), Nathan Taylor & Friends (New Orleans Roots, 4/21), and Bill Porter (blues, 4/28).
Thru 4/29. Rhythm Kitchen Music Café features live music on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 to 11pm.
3/2 – 3/5. Shorty’s Strickly Bluegrass Festival & Thursday Night Gospel Show returns to Stoney Creek Hotel in East Peoria, with a variety of shows and workshops all weekend.
3/2. RAIL II will host An Evening With Green Jelly, featuring ‘90s hard rock puppetry, at 8pm.
3/3. Jazz Night in the Broadway Lounge featuring the Todd Kelly Quintet takes place at The Waterhouse at 8pm, with a pre-show dinner at 6pm.
3/3. Get the Led Out, the “American Led Zeppelin” band, will perform in the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 8pm.
3/3. Limelight Eventplex and 99.9 WWCT present Lucero with Esmé Patterson at 8pm.
3/3. A Musical Masquerade, a fundraiser for the Central Illinois Youth Symphony, takes place at the Life Together Center from 6 to 9pm.
3/3. The HardHop & Lyrics tour featuring EZ Da Assassin & Steve O’Brien comes to RAIL II at 7pm.
3/3 – 3/5. The Mid-America Guitar Festival comes to the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University.
3/5. Peoria native Joe George comes home to the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 7pm.
3/6. Blues/rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa brings his tour to the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 8pm.
3/6. The Aliens Among Us Tour, featuring The Creatures In Secret and Adrift on River Styx, comes to RAIL II at 5pm.
3/7. The Bradley Symphonic Band performs in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University at 7:30pm.
3/7. The Concert Choir Broadway Revue will perform in the ICC Performing Arts Center at 7:30pm.
3/7. Small Parks, Clem, No Good and Pretty Pleased will perform at RAIL II at 7pm.
3/10. Singer/songwriter Aaron Lewis will perform at the Limelight Eventplex at 8pm.
3/10. Somewhere in Time: Telemann’s ‘Lost’ Fantasias by Phillip Serna will be performed at Trinity Lutheran Church at 7pm.
3/10. RAIL II presents Night of Bass, featuring headliner Shlump, local support and other acts on the second stage, at 8pm.
3/10 – 3/11, 3/31 – 4/1, 4/28 – 4/29. The Howlin’ on Water dueling piano show performs at 8pm in the Broadway Lounge at The Waterhouse, with a pre-show dinner buffet at 6:30pm.
3/11. The Peoria Symphony Orchestra presents Night in the Gardens of Spain at 8pm in the Peoria Civic Center Theater.
3/11. Horseshoes & Hand Grenades will perform along with Still Shine at Kenny’s Westside Pub at 9pm.
3/14. RAIL II will host Lydia Can’t Breathe, Arkham Secrets and Third Degree Fallout at 7pm.
3/16. IAMYSELF performs with seven other artists at RAIL II at 9pm.
3/17. Celebrate St. Patty’s Day with the Roundstone Buskers and Still Shine at Kenny’s Westside Pub.
3/17. St. Patty’s Dub, featuring ENDERS, will take place at RAIL II at 9pm.
3/18. American English, the Beatles tribute band, brings “Liverpool Mania: The History of The Beatles” to the Peoria Civic Center at 8pm.
3/18. Heartland Festival Orchestra presents Symphony Idol, featuring three finalists from American Idol, at 7:30pm at Five Points Washington.
3/18. RAIL II will host the Ghost Key record release show beginning at 5pm.
3/19. The Central Illinois Jazz Society presents the CIJS House Band at 6pm, followed by David Hoffman and Friends at 7:15pm, at Landmark Recreation Center.
3/19. The Prairie Wind Ensemble performs at 7:30pm in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
3/19. Another Lost Year, Never Say Die, Lullwater and Autumn Rove perform at RAIL II at 5pm.
3/20. Bernardus, Nick Lee and Sherwood Forest perform at Rail II at 7pm.
3/21. The Illinois Central Jazz Train performs at 7:30pm in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
3/21. Pocket Vinyl, Strat & Strad, Sarah Schonert and White Siberian Tigers will perform at RAIL II at 7:30pm.
3/26. The Bradley Chorale and Chamber Singers perform at 3pm in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University.
3/28. Idle Lives and Young Graves will perform at RAIL II at 7pm.
3/30. The Bradley Honor Choir performs at 7:30pm in Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University.
3/30 – 4/2. Mates Fest 8 to benefit the JOLT Foundation will feature dozens of acts at RAIL II and other venues.
3/31. “Chamber Music by Candlelight” will feature Kyle Dzapo, Marcia Henry Liebenow, John Orfe and Carol Wessler at Trinity Lutheran Church at 7pm.
4/1. Kansas brings its 40th anniversary tour to the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 8pm.
4/1. The Bradley Trumpet Day Guest Artist Concert kicks off at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University.
4/1. The Larry Keel Experience will perform at Kenny’s Westside Pub at 10pm.
4/2. Black Stone Cherry will perform with Caleb Johnson and Through Fire at Limelight Eventplex at 8pm.
4/4. The British indie pop band Bastille performs at 8:30pm in the Renaissance Coliseum at Bradley University.
4/5. ROCKTOPIA LIVE: A Classical Revolution, a fusion of classical music and classic rock, comes to the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 7:30pm.
4/5. Kenny’s Westside Pub will host the Jeff Austin Band with Woodland Remedy.
4/7. Jazz Night in the Broadway Lounge takes place at The Waterhouse at 8pm, with a pre-show dinner at 6pm.
4/7. Country star David Nail, with Brooke Eden and Charlie Walker, will perform in the Peoria Civic Center Arena at 6pm.
4/7. The Center for Youth and Family Solutions and Limelight Eventplex present Blues For A Cause 2017, featuring Popa Chubby, at 7pm.
4/9. The Bradley Community Chorus will perform at 3pm in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University.
4/10. The Peoria Lunaire will perform at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center.
4/11. The Bradley Percussion Ensemble will perform at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center.
4/14. RAIL II presents another Night of Bass featuring Filibusta and six other artists at 7pm.
4/17. Jim Maloof’s Legacy of Love for the Arts in Central Illinois kicks off at 6:30pm in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
4/20. Ozark Jubilee presents Stars of the Grand Ole Opry at noon at Five Points Washington.
4/20. The Bradley Saxophone Ensemble will perform at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center.
4/20. Illinois Central College Vocal Jazz will perform in the Lecture Recital Hall at Bradley University at 7:30pm.
4/22. The Heartland Festival Orchestra presents Springtime in Paris, featuring Antonio Pompa-Baldi on piano, at 7:30pm at Five Points Washington.
4/23. The Bradley Symphonic Winds and Band perform at 3pm in the Dingeldine Music Center.
4/23. The Central Illinois Jazz Society presents the ICC Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Pekin High School Jazz Ensemble at 6pm, followed by the Bradley University Jazz Ensemble at 7:15pm, at Landmark Recreation Center.
4/25. The Bradley Honor Band will perform in the Dingeldine Music Center at 7:30pm.
4/25. The ICC Hard Bop Jazz Band will perform at 7:30pm in the Lecture Recital Hall at Bradley University.
4/26. The Bradley String Chamber Music will perform at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center.
4/27. The Bradley Chorale and Chamber Singers will perform at 7pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
4/28. The Bradley Women’s Choir will perform at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center.
4/29. The Peoria Symphony Orchestra presents Heroic Spirit at 8pm in the Peoria Civic Center Theater.
4/29. The Bradley Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center.
4/30. The Bradley Symphony Orchestra will perform in the Dingeldine Music Center at 3pm.
4/30. The Bradley Guitar Ensemble will perform in the Dingeldine Music Center at 7:30pm.
POETRY & STORYTELLING
3/2, 4/6. Whisper & Shout, an open mic for poetry, takes place on the first Thursday of each month at the Contemporary Art Center from 8 to 10pm.
4/1. The Prairie Storytellers Guild presents the 20th annual Liars’ Contest at 7pm in the Life Together Center.
SPECIAL EVENTS
3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/8. The Spirit of Peoria will host a Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise on the Illinois River from 7 to 9pm, with boarding at 6pm.
3/24 – 3/26. Disney on Ice presents Dare to Dream, featuring princess stories and beloved fairytales on ice, comes to the Peoria Civic Center for five performances.
3/31. Theresa Caputo Live! The Experience, featuring the Long Island Medium star, comes to the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 7:30pm.
4/8. Fondulac District Library will celebrate Star Wars Day from 10am to 3pm with free activities and programs for all ages.
4/19 – 5/24. The 32nd annual Gerald M. Brookhart Arts in Education Spring Celebration features pre-K to 12th grade students from across the region on weekdays at the Peoria County Courthouse Plaza from 11am to 1:30pm.
4/23 – 4/24. The Sun Foundation’s Clean Water Celebration, featuring guest lecturer Dr. Jacqueline Quinn of NASA, kicks off at the Gateway Building at 4pm on 4/23, with a dinner and lecture at 5:30pm at Trailside Event Center. Activities continue on 4/24 from 9am to 2pm at the Peoria Civic Center.
THEATRE
3/2 – 3/5. Bradley University Theatre presents These Shining Lives in the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts at 8pm and 2:30pm on 3/5.
3/3 – 3/4, 3/9 – 3/12. Corn Stock Theatre presents A Man For All Seasons at 7:30pm, with a 2:30pm matinee on 3/12.
3/3 – 3/5. The ICC Theatre program presents The Bone House by Marty Chan at 7:30pm each night, and 2:30pm on 3/5 in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
3/10 – 3/12, 3/16 – 3/19. Peoria Players Theatre presents August: Osage County at 7:30pm, with 2pm matinees on 3/12 and 3/19.
3/17 – 3/18, 3/24 – 3/25. Peoria Cabaret Theatre presents The Irish… And How They Got That Way in the Broadway Lounge at The Waterhouse, with dinner at 6:30pm and show at 8pm.
3/29 – 4/2. Corn Stock for Kids presents The Mystery of Edwin Drood at 7:30pm, with a 2:30pm matinee on 4/2.
4/8. Artistic Community Theatre of Pekin presents “Just Desserts” at 2pm at the Pekin Public Library.
4/14 – 4/15, 4/18 – 4/23. The ICC Theatre program presents Suburbia at 7:30pm each night and 2:30pm on 4/23 in the ICC Performing Arts Center.
4/21. Peoria Cabaret Theatre presents its Cabaret Series in the Broadway Lounge at 8pm with a preshow dinner at 6pm.
4/21 – 4/23, 4/26 – 4/29. Eastlight Theatre presents Ghost the Musical at 7:30pm, with a 2pm matinee on 4/23. a&s
FOR MORE INFORMATION…
Art Garage—art-garage-studio.com, 231-2511
Artistic Community Theatre of Pekin—facebook.com/ACTPekin, 347-8182
ArtsPartners of Central Illinois—artspartners.net, 676-2787
Arts in Education Spring Celebration—springcelebration.org
Art-Space Peoria—facebook.com/artspacepeoria
Bradley University/Dingeldine Music Center—677-2595
Bradley University Galleries—art.bradley.edu/bug, 677-2989
Bradley University Theatre—bradley.edu/academic/departments/theatre
The Broadway Lounge—broadwaypeoria.com, 494-9100
Central Illinois Artists Organization (CIAO)—ciaopeoria.com
Central Illinois Ballet—ciballet.com, 620-3164
Central Illinois Jazz Society—cijs.org, 692-5330
Central Illinois Youth Symphony—ciys.org, 370-6424
Contemporary Art Center—peoriacac.org, 674-6822
Corn Stock Theatre—cornstocktheatre.com, 676-2196
Ear in the Envelope—820 SW Adams, Peoria, 550-3518
Eastlight Theatre—eastlighttheatre.com, 699-7469
Exhibit A Gallery—exhibitagallery.net, 693-6180
Fine Arts Society of Peoria—fineartssociety.net
First Fridays—peoriafirstfriday.com, ciaopeoria.com
Five Points Washington—fivepointswashington.org, 444-8222
Fondulac District Library—fondulaclibrary.org, 699-3917
Foster Gallery for Christianity and the Fine Arts—fumcpeoria.org, 673-3641
Heartland Festival Orchestra—heartlandfestivalorchestra.org, 339-3943
The Hive—thehive305.com, 360-4880
Howlin’ on Water—howlinonwater.com, 494-9100
Illinois Art League—illinoisartleague.com
Illinois Central College/Arts at ICC—artsaticc.com, 694-5136
Jefferson Street Studio & Gallery—jeffersonstreetgallery.com, 696-9015
Jukebox Comedy Club—jukeboxcomedy.com, 673-5853
Kenny’s Westside Pub—kennyswestside.com, 676-1693
Life Together Center—ffcpeoria.com, 685-5258
Limelight Eventplex—limelighteventplex.com, 693-1234
Mansion on Walnut—mansiononwalnut.com
Pekin Academy of Fine Arts—pekinacademyoffinearts.com, 267-2058
Pekin Public Library—pekinpubliclibrary.org, 347-7111
Peoria Art Guild—peoriaartguild.org, 637-2787
Peoria Ballet—peoriaballet.org, 690-7990
Peoria Cabaret Theatre—peoriacabarettheatre.com, 494-9100
Peoria Civic Center—peoriaciviccenter.com, (800) 745-3000
Peoria Park District—peoriaparks.org, 681-2861
Peoria Players Theatre—peoriaplayers.org, 688-4473
Peoria Public Library—peoriapubliclibrary.org, 497-2000
Peoria Riverfront Museum—peoriariverfrontmuseum.org, 686-7000
Peoria Symphony Orchestra—peoriasymphony.org, 671-1096
Prairie Center of the Arts—prairiecenterofthearts.org, 657-6767
Prairie Storytellers Guild—prairietellers.us, 682-2915
Project 1612—project1612.com, 798-0375
RAIL II—facebook.com/RAILIIBOOKING, 868-2882
Rhythm Kitchen Music Café—rhythmkitchenmusiccafe.biz, 676-9668
Sculpture Walk Peoria—sculpturewalkpeoria.org
Shorty’s Strickly Bluegrass Festival—shortysbluegrass.com
Spalding Pastoral Center—cdopmuseums.org, 671-1550
Spirit of Peoria—spiritofpeoria.com, 637-8000
Sunbeam Building/Studios On Sheridan—sunbeambuilding.com, 573-8404
Sun Foundation—sunfoundation.org, 246-8403
Toraason Glass—facebook.com/ToraasonGlass
Trinity Lutheran Church—trinitypeoria.com, 676-4609
The Waterhouse—waterhousepeoria.com, 494-9100
Westminster Presbyterian Church—westminsterpeoria.org, 673-8501
Wheel Art Studios—bit.ly/wheelart, 306-1741