On Saturday, July 23rd, the Concert in the Vineyards Series presents “Sushi Roll”, a high energy cover band that plays everyone’s favorite hits from Bruno Mars to Rick Springfield. Concert starts at 7:00 P.M. and runs through until 11:00 P.M. No advance tickets, $10 per person at the door.

On Saturday, July 30th at 10:30 A.M., starting at the Dee-Mack bridge is “Drizzledabs 3rd Annual Float". Floaters provide their own floats whether it be a tube, kayak, paddleboard, or canoe for a 3 hour float trip with shuttles provided. Floaters are then invited to Pub 52 for live entertainment, food and drink specials, 50/50 door prizes, and a grand prize drawing for a kayak. Registration can be found on Eventzilla.net.

At the Mackinaw Community Center, New Castle Bible Church presents “1 Way Kidz”. Children in the Mackinaw area are invited to come hang out at the Community Center and enjoy games, activities, and friends. Kids will be well supervised and cared for in a safe environment with lunch included every day. This event runs every Monday and Wednesday from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Registration is easy at myncbc.org.

The last Art Tuesday for the Atlanta Public Library will be next week! This Art Tuesday will occur on July 26th from 1-3 pm. Call the library at 217-648-2112 to pre-register for ages 5+.

Christmas in July is happening this weekend on the 23rd and 24th! The event will take place on Arch Street in Atlanta. There will be decorations, food, and a huge vendor fair. Saturday hours are 10am-4pm and Sunday from 11am-4pm.

Sonshine Daycare is looking for more fun things to do this summer with the kids! They are open to volunteers that would like to come in to read or color with the children for example. If you have a special talent or hobby you would like to showcase, feel free to contact Sonshine Daycare. If interested, call 309-874-2522.

The 9th Annual Route 66 Race will be on Saturday, August 27th. Participants will walk or run from Funks Grove to McLean in a benefit for the community of McLean. Many fun events and activities will be running throughout the day at the square too! The cost is $45, but to guarantee a t-shirt, you must sign up by August 1st. Registration is open to participate in the race online and via mail.

The Mt. Hope Funks Grove Park District has recently installed an outdoor track. One lap around is ¼ mile. No motorized vehicles are allowed. Come out for a walk, jog, or run!

The Waynesville Library is having a Teen Summer Art Club on Tuesday, July 26th from 4-5 pm. Karen Sue Eilts will host a fun summer art project with snacks. Junior high and high school students are welcome.

In-Person Story Hour at the H.A. Peine District Library for July is happening on Tuesday the 26th at 11:00 am. Like previous story times, those who want to attend should call the library at 309-392-3229 to register for a spot and bring a blanket to sit on while the stories are being read.

The farmer’s market in Hopedale opened on July 6th and will continue to occur on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. For those who want to sell their own items, there will be no table fee so you are free to bring your own produce, crafts, baked goods, and so on. There will be weekly advertising for the market; new vendors are welcome to join weekly. If you have any questions or want to learn more you can message Barb Lawson on Facebook who is in charge of the market.

The Minier Christian Church has opened up registration for their VBS event. Their VBS is for ages 3 up to those entering 6th grade. The event will run from July 18th to July 21st, Monday through Thursday, during the evening. In addition to this opportunity for kids, there is also an opportunity for those older to help out at the event and work as a helper. A background check is required to be a helper and supper is provided for helpers at the event. To both register and sign up to be a helper, you can visit the MCC Kids Facebook page and fill out the registration form linked on the page.

Registration for fall soccer at Bulldogs Futbol Club is now open to kids aged 4, or 3 year olds turning 4 on or before October 31, 2022, to 4th graders. Registration fees are $45 a player but if you have multiple players in the same household the fee will be discounted by $5 per player (2nd player is $40, 3rd is $35, etc). Game shirts are included in the fees as well. Practices for the season will be on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 pm and will start on August 8th. Games will be on Saturday mornings at West Side Park in Minier and will begin on August 20th with the last game being scheduled for October 15th. More information and the link for registration can be found on the Bulldogs Futbol Club Facebook page and registration is due on July 27th.

Ron Wade, a lifelong resident of Stanford, has been dealing with severe health issues since early April. In an effort to help him and his family cover hospital bills and day-to-day expenses until he gets back to work there will be a fundraiser hosted at the Allin Township Community Building in Stanford. The fundraiser will host a silent auction, a bake sale, and a donation meal. This event is planned to occur on August 21st from 2:00 to 8:00 pm and more details on the event are to come.

Sunday, July 17th, The Mackinaw Valley Vineyard is hosting their Art and Wine Festival from 12:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. Cars of all kinds will be available for viewing, crafts, and live music.

Wednesday evenings are Good Pantry Days at the Mackinaw Community Center from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Donation drop offs are also accepted during this time.

Community Church in the Park: Hosted by New Castle Bible Church in Mackinaw's Veterans Park at 100 East Fast Avenue on Sunday, July 17th. Service starts at 11:00 A.M. Bring a lawn chair!

The Mack-A-Fest begins on July 14th at 5:00 P.M. and ends Saturday, July 16th at 10:00 P.M. Dozens of activities will be available, as well as a food vendor and beer tent. Don't miss out!

The farmer’s market in Hopedale opened on July 6th and will continue to occur on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. For those who want to sell their own items, there will be no table fee so you are free to bring your own produce, crafts, baked goods, and so on. There will be weekly advertising for the market; new vendors are welcome to join weekly. If you have any questions or want to learn more you can message Barb Lawson on Facebook who is in charge of the market.

The Danvers Township Library will host their July Story and Craft on Tuesday, July 12th. The Story and Craft will start at 10:00 am and will have a balloon theme. A couple of books about balloons will be read and then attendees will be able to make their own Balloon Buddies.

On Monday, July 11th at the Pizza Ranch in Morton the 2022 Hopedale Area Veterans Memorial fundraiser will be hosted from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. All tips and 10% of the profits will go towards the upkeep of the Hopedale Area Veterans Memorial. Make sure to arrive at 5:00 pm or later, not earlier, as the event will start exactly at 5:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community and enjoy a delicious pizza buffet.

The Hardesty Company will be hosting, in partnership with Micki’s Farm to Table, Micki’s Hopedale Cruise on July 16th from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. This event has free admission and any toys are welcome with some examples being cars, trucks, boats, planes, bicycles, and motorcycles. There will be no judging or trophies at the event. In addition, the Willis Snowmobile Museum will be open for visitors at the event to view over 150 sleds in their 3-story building. Micki’s Farm to Table will be serving their regular menu at the event as well. If you have any questions or want to learn more you can do so by emailing Hardestycompany@gmail.com

Every Friday night, a game night will be hosted at the Hopedale Community Center at 6:00 pm. There will be many games to play and it is open for anyone who wants to join in on the fun. All you have to do is let Beau Baker know that you’ll be there in order to attend.

The Atlanta Public Library will be having Art Tuesdays for ages 5+. Art Tuesday will occur on July 12th and 26th from 1-3 pm. Call the library at 217-648-2112 to pre-register.

Christmas in July is happening on the 23rd and 24th! The event will take place on Arch Street in Atlanta. There will be decorations, food, and a huge vendor fair. Saturday hours are 10am-4pm and Sunday from 11am-4pm.