COMEDY
Thru 2/27. The Jukebox Comedy Club features local, regional and nationally known comedians, open Wednesdays through Saturdays.

DANCE
1/15, 2/5, 2/19. The Contemporary Art Center hosts Salsa at the CAC on the first and third Fridays of the month from 8:30pm to 12am. 

EXHIBITS
Ongoing. Sculpture Walk Peoria features 15 large-scale sculptures along Washington Street from Liberty to State Street in Peoria. 

Ongoing. The Diocesan Museum in the Spalding Pastoral Center features exhibits on the history of the Peoria Diocese, while the adjacent Fulton J. Sheen Museum offers a permanent exhibit on the life of the famous archbishop. 

Thru 1/15. The ICC Art Program presents Nature and Nurture, an exhibit of the paintings of Stella Zee.

Thru 1/17. The Making Their Mark: Illinois Women Artists, 1940-1960 and Gypsy Coeds Ride the Silver Streak exhibits will be on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Gallery walks for Making Their Mark take place at 2pm on 1/2 and 1/9. Gallery walks for Silver Streak take place at 3:30pm on 1/2, 1/3 and 1/9. 

Thru 3/30. Stitched for Pleasure and Purpose, featuring quilts made by Midwestern women in the 19th and 20th centuries, is on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. 

1/1, 2/5. Numerous art galleries and artist studios open their doors from 5 to 9pm for First Fridays. 

1/9. An opening reception for the works of Glenn Bradshaw (painting) and Dwight Crane and Larry Davis (woodworking and painting) will take place from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria. 

1/10. Project 1612 will host an installation by Kevin Samp and Brandon Scott, as well as a small interactive installation by Klaus Pinter, for a show from 3 to 5pm. 

1/17. A gallery walk with John Butte, author and son of a Gypsy Coed, takes place at 2 and 3:30pm in conjunction with the Gypsy Coeds exhibition at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

2/19 – 5/30. The Peoria Riverfront Museum will host American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition in the International Feature Gallery. Created by the National Constitution Center, it is the first comprehensive exhibition about America’s most colorful and complex constitutional hiccup. 

2/21. Multimedia sculptor Linda Ding will be featured in a show at Project 1612 from 3 to 5pm. 

LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS
1/17. Author Nancy S. Hopp will present Writing an Artist’s Story: Tips from an Author at 2pm at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. 

2/11. The Fine Arts Society of Peoria presents Poetry’s Afterlife by Kevin Stein, Illinois Poet Laureate, at the Peoria Riverfront Museum at 10am. 

MUSIC
Thru 2/26. Live at the Five Spot takes place on Fridays at the Contemporary Art Center from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Upcoming shows include: State of Mind (jazz, R&B, 1/29) and Galactic Cowboy Orchestra (jazz, rock, bluegrass fusion, 2/12). 

Thru 2/27. Rhythm Kitchen Music Cafe features live music on Fridays and Saturdays from 8:30 to 11:30pm.

1/1. Diplomatic Relations presents Unamused Dave, The Butler Did It, Drained and Terribly Happy at 7pm at Rail II. 

1/8 – 1/9, 1/15 – 1/16, 2/12 – 2/13. The Howlin’ on Water dueling piano show performs at 8pm at the Waterhouse, with pre-show dinner buffets at 6:30pm.

1/8. 99.9 WWCT & Bud Light Discovery Concert Series featuring Moon Taxi and Maia Sharp starts at 7pm at the Limelight EventPlex.

1/9. The Heritage Ensemble presents the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Choral Celebration, commemorating the life of Dr. King with music that influenced the Civil Rights Movement, in the ICC Performing Arts Center at 7:30pm. The Youth Heritage Ensemble will also perform.

1/9. Heartland Festival Orchestra presents New Year’s Greeting – Broadway Rhythm with song-and-dance team Kirby and Bev Ward at 7:30pm at Five Points Washington. 

1/10. The Jack Morgenstern benefit show featuring Chicago Farmer, Robin Crowe, Easy Riders, Brainchild and more at the Limelight EventPlex kicks off at 2pm.

1/15. Diplomatic Relations presents Vaya, Endless Compromise and Astronomy Class at 7pm at Rail II. 

1/15. American English, the Beatles tribute band, will perform in the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 8pm. 

1/17. Diplomatic Relations presents a hip-hop show featuring Wave Chapelle, Lucien Parker, Satori and Moody Womb at 7pm at Broken Tree Coffee. 

1/21. Diplomatic Relations presents its Bare Bones Songwriter Series featuring Shannon Moore Shepherd, Matt Shane and Joseph Danger Greving at 7pm at Midnight Espresso in Peoria. 

1/23. The Limelight EventPlex presents Parmalee and Haley Georgia at 8pm.

1/24. The Central Illinois Jazz Society House Band will perform at 6pm, followed by Kevin Hart and the Vibe Tribe at 7:15pm, in the Starting Gate Banquet Room at Landmark Recreation Center.

1/24. The Peoria Symphony Orchestra presents A Family Matinee - Fairy Tales and Scary Tails at 3pm in the Peoria Civic Center Theater. 

1/24. Music in the McKenzie presents Flatland Harmony Experiment, a non-traditional bluegrass string band, at the Peoria Public Library North Branch from 2 to 4pm. 

1/28. Progressive heavy metal band Queensryche will perform at the Limelight Eventplex at 8pm.

1/29. Diplomatic Relations presents PM Buys, Jared Grabb Among Thieves, The Fights and Marshall Edwards at 7pm at Broken Tree Coffee. 

2/2. The Limelight EventPlex presents Red Sun Rising at 8pm.

2/4. Hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will perform in the Renaissance Coliseum at Bradley University at 8:30pm. 

2/6. The Bradley University Faculty Recital featuring Chee Hyeon Choi on piano will take place at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University. 

2/7. The Concordia String Trio, guest artists, will perform in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University at 3pm. 

2/8. The Morton Fine Arts Association presents Alex Depue and Miguel Dehoyos, fiddle and flamenco, from 7 to 9pm in the Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center in Morton.

2/12. Classic rockers .38 Special take the stage at the Limelight EventPlex at 8pm.

2/13. The Peoria Symphony Orchestra presents Romance, featuring Marisa Buchheit, soprano, at 8pm in the Peoria Civic Center Theater. 

2/14. The Bradley University Music Scholarship Concert Series, Broadway Lights and Opera Stars, will be performed at 3pm in the Dingeldine Music Center. 

2/18. Diplomatic Relations presents the Bare Bones Songwriter Series at 7pm at Midnight Espresso in Peoria.

2/18. Bradley University Chorale will host the Bradley Chorale Talent Show at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center. 

2/19. Country star Luke Bryan, with special guests Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch, will perform at the Peoria Civic Center. 

2/20. The Bradley String Quartet will perform in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University at 7:30pm. 

2/21. The Central Illinois Jazz Society House Band will perform at 6pm, followed by Four Other Brothers at 7:15pm, in the Starting Gate Banquet Room at the Landmark Recreation Center. 

2/21. The Illinois Saxophone Quartet, guest artists, will perform in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University at 3pm. 

2/23. The Bradley Jazz Festival Guest Artist Concert featuring Ray Anderson on trombone will take place at 7:30pm in the Student Center at Bradley University. 

2/28. Bradley Symphonic Winds will perform at 3pm in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University.

2/28. The Bradley Student Recital featuring Seth Johnson, voice, will take place at 7:30pm in the Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University. 

POETRY & OPEN MICS
1/7, 2/4. Whisper & Shout, an open mic for poetry, takes place at the Contemporary Art Center from 8 to 10pm. 

1/28, 2/25.  The Speakeasy Art Center in Pekin hosts the Speakeasy Poetry Open Mic at 7:30pm. 

SPECIAL EVENTS 
1/10. The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters will bring their unrivaled family show to the Peoria Civic Center at 2pm. 

1/10, 2/7. Garden Walks with an Exuberant Gardner takes place from 1 to 2pm at Luthy Botanical Garden. 

1/23. Planting the Seeds for a Great Garden takes place from 1 to 2pm at Luthy Botanical Garden. 

1/30. The Sun Foundation presents its annual Winter Warming fundraiser, “Wines that Rock,” at the Life Together Center in Peoria from 6 to 9:30pm. Proceeds will benefit the children’s programs of the Sun Foundation.

2/6. The Prairie Storytellers Guild presents Winter Tales, featuring stories to warm your heart, at 7pm at the Life Together Center. 

2/12, 2/13. Mackinaw Valley Vineyard will host the Murder Mystery Dinner You’ve Been Murdered Charlie Brown at 6:30pm on Friday and 6:15pm on Saturday. 

2/13. The Peoria German-American Society presents the Fasching (Mardi Gras) Ball, a German-style masquerade ball, at 6pm at the Lindenhof in Peoria. 

2/13. Relationships… Botanically Speaking explores the relationships of plants within the natural world from 1 to 2 pm at Luthy Botanical Garden. 

2/20. The Peoria Heart Ball to benefit the American Heart Association takes place at the Hotel Pere Marquette.

2/20, 2/27. Mackinaw Valley Vineyard presents Trivia Game Night at 6:30pm. 

2/28. The Price is Right Live!, the hit interactive stage show, comes to the Peoria Civic Center Theater at 7pm. 

2/28. The African American Hall of Fame Museum presents the 27th annual Red, Black and Green Ball at the Peoria Riverfront Museum at 7pm. 

THEATER
1/14 – 1/17. The Penguin Project presents Singin’ in the Rain, Jr., a musical based on the film, at Eastlight Theatre.

1/15 – 1/16, 1/21 – 1/24. Corn Stock Theatre’s Winter Playhouse presents Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, an absurdist, existentialist tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, directed by Jon Rhodenbaugh. 

2/12 – 2/13, 2/18 – 2/21. Corn Stock Theatre’s Winter Playhouse presents Of Mice and Men, a play adapted from John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel, directed by Paul Gordon. 

2/25 – 3/6. Bradley University Theatre presents The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, directed by Susan Felder, in the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts. 

2/26 – 3/6. The Illinois Central College Theatre Program presents The Dead Guy, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. 

2/5 – 2/7, 2/11 – 2/14. Peoria Players Theatre presents The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, directed by Chip Joyce, at 7:30pm, with 2pm matinees on 2/7 and 2/14. a&s

 

For More Information
African American Hall of Fame Museum—aahfmpeoria.org, 673-2206 
Art Garage—art-garage-studio.com, 231-2511
ArtsPartners of Central Illinois—artspartners.net, 676-2787
Bradley University/Dingeldine Music Center—677-2595
Bradley University Galleries—art.bradley.edu/bug, 677-2989
Bradley University Theatre—slane.bradley.edu/theatre-arts, 677-2650
Central Illinois Jazz Society—cijs.org, 692-5330
CIAO/Central Illinois Artists Organization—ciaopeoria.com
Contemporary Art Center—peoriacac.org, 674-6822
Corn Stock Theatre—cornstocktheatre.com, 676-2196
Diplomatic Relations—facebook.com/diplomaticrelationsil
Eastlight Theatre—eastlighttheatre.com, 699-7469
Fine Arts Society of Peoria—fineartssociety.net, 693-7600
First Fridays—peoriafirstfriday.com, ciaopeoria.com
Five Points Washington—fivepointswashington.org, 444-8222
Foster Gallery for Christianity and the Fine Arts—fumcpeoria.org, 673-3641
Heartland Festival Orchestra—heartlandfestivalorchestra.org, 339-3943
Heritage Ensemble—heritageensemble.com
The Hive—thehive305.com, 360-4880
Howlin’ on Water—howlinonwater.com, 494-9100
Illinois Art League—illinoisartleague.com, 472-6747
Illinois Central College/Arts at ICC—artsaticc.com, 694-5136
Jefferson Street Studio & Gallery—rosehubbard.com, 696-9015
Jukebox Comedy Club—jukeboxcomedy.com, 673-5853
Limelight EventPlex—limelighteventplex.com, 693-1234
Luthy Botanical Garden—peoriaparks.org/luthy-botanical-garden, 686-3362
Mackinaw Valley Vineyard—mackinawvalleyvineyard.com, 359-9463
Morton Fine Arts Association—mortonfinearts.org, 266-5135
Penguin Project—penguinproject.org
Peoria Civic Center—peoriaciviccenter.com, (800) 745-3000
Peoria German-American Society—peoriagermans.net, 691-7484
Peoria Heart Ball—peoriaheartball.org 
Peoria Park District—peoriaparks.org, 681-2861
Peoria Players Theatre—peoriaplayers.org, 688-4473
Peoria Public Library—peoriapubliclibrary.org, 497-2141
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—project16twelve.wix.com/project1612, 798-0375
Rhythm Kitchen Music Café—rhythmkitchenmusiccafe.biz, 676-9668
Sculpture Walk Peoria—sculpturewalkpeoria.org
Spalding Pastoral Center—cdopmuseums.org, 671-1550
Speakeasy Art Center—speakeasyartcenter.com, 267-2058
Studio 825—studio-825.com, 453-8291
Sunbeam Building/Studios On Sheridan—sunbeambuilding.com, 573-8404
Sun Foundation—sunfoundation.org, 246-8403
Toraason Glass—facebook.com/ToraasonGlass
Wheel Art Studios—bit.ly/wheelart, 306-1741