ExplorePeoria

06/19/2026

This latest Entertainment Report features the 2026 Illinois Shakespeare Festival and their production of Romeo & Juliet which is one of 3 shows that will be performed in repretoire during the Festival which runs June 24 through August 2 at the Ewing Cultural Center in Bloomington. The other two shows include Two Gentlemen of Verona and the classic play, Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder. The Festival also produces a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) throughout the season. This year's show is Get, Set, Romeo and Juliet! written by local author Nancy Steele Brokaw which is performed most Thursdays and Saturdays at 10 am on the Ewing Cultural Center grounds. Admission for the TYA performances is free. Tickets for the Festival shows are available now online at https://illinoisshakes.com/tickets

06/18/2026

Our most recent Entertainment Report features the Chillicothe Players production of Mean Girls High School Edition at IVC High School running Thursday, June 25 through Saturday, June 27. This production includes updates to the story for a modern audience, incorporating new songs with a blend of pop, hip-hop, and rock. Tickets are available at https://www.chillicotheplayers.org/events

06/16/2026

Our latest Entertainment Report features The Great American Trailer Park Musical which opens at Eastlight Theatre on Friday, June 19. A comedic and heartfelt story set in the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park, the show focuses on the lives of its quirky residents, particularly the love triangle involving a stripper, an agoraphobic housewife, and her husband. Performances continue Saturday & Sunday plus next Wednesday through Saturday (June 24 - 27). Tickets are available at https://tickets.eastlighttheatre.com

06/13/2026

Register now to Win the 4th of July BBQ at East Port Banquet Center in East Peoria - Click on Sign Up below to register!

Simply read the rules & complete the form below to register! Contest Rules: 1) One entry per person (not email address). Entrants must 21 years old or older to enter. 2) By registering for the contest, you will begin to receive the ExplorePeoria.com weekly e-newsletter featuring events & entertainme...

06/11/2026

Our latest Entertainment Report features Simply the Best at Peoria Players Theatre Friday through Sunday, June 12 - 14. Featuring a night of Broadway's best music performed by area high school students, tickets are general admission seating $15 for all ages and are available now at https://www.peoriaplayers.org

05/26/2026

Enjoy Shakespeare under the stars at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival - register to win 2 tickets now at

Simply read the rules & complete the form below to register! Contest Rules: 1) One entry per person (not email address). Entrants must 21 years old or older to enter. 2) By registering for the contest, you will begin to receive the ExplorePeoria.com weekly e-newsletter featuring events & entertainme...

05/19/2026

Our latest Entertainment Report features On Golden Pond at Peoria Players Theatre which runs Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24 and on Thursday, May 28 through Sunday, May 31. A character-driven drama following elderly couple Ethel and Norman Thayer during their 48th summer at their Maine lakeside cottage. The story explores aging, strained family dynamics, and reconciliation as their estranged daughter, Chelsea, visits, leaving her boyfriend's teenage son, Billy, in their care. Tickets are on sale now at the box office, by calling 309-688-4473 or online at www.peoriaplayers.org

05/11/2026

Our most recent Entertainment Report features the 2026 Peoria Bach Festival which will take place at Westminster Presbyterian Church (located at 1420 W. Moss Ave. in Peoria) running from Sunday, May 31 through Friday, June 5. The Festival kicks off with the Bach Iben Organ Marathon on Sunday, May 31 at 4 pm. Daily concerts will begin at Noon running Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, June 1, 3, 4 & 5. On Tuesday, June 2 beginning at 7:30 pm "Friends and Rivals: A Baroque Chamber Concert on Period Instruments" will be presented. Then, the final Festival Concert will be held on Friday, June 5 beginning at 7:30 pm with pre-concert lecture beginning at 6:45 pm. That concert will feature the Peoria Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra. Andrew Bruhn of Illinois State University is this year's guest conductor. Tickets for the Tuesday and Friday evening concerts are $20 for adults and $10 for students. All the other events of the Peoria Bach Festival 2026 are free. For information on all the events, visit www.peoriabachfestival.org

05/09/2026

Register at https://explorepeoria.com/one-more-step-2026-rodeo-contest to win a Family 4 Pack of tickets including 2 adults and 2 kids to the Post 1115 American Legion Rodeo on May 23. Total value of the prize is $83!

05/05/2026

Our newest Entertainment Report features the upcoming Encore 2026 - A Musical R***e featuring the Morton Civic Chorus which will take place at the Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center on Thursday through Saturday, May 21 - 23 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 24 at 2 pm. Under the direction of Denise Adams, all proceeds benefit the Central Illinois Memorial Kidney Fund (CIMKF), supporting kidney dialysis patients in the tri-county area. Tickets are available in advance at http://mortoncivicchorus.org