Jacksonville Area Museum to celebrate fifth anniversary Saturday, Sept. 26
The Jacksonville Area Museum will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 26 with free birthday cupcakes and a peek at the progress on the museum’s new gallery construction that will triple the institution’s exhibit space.
“Help us to celebrate our first five years on September 26 and get a glimpse of what’s in store for the next five years and beyond,” said JAM Museum Manager Tori Ohl. “We thank all of our visitors and members for their patronage since 2021, and look forward to seeing many more people coming through our doors in the years to come.”
The Jacksonville Area Museum opened on Sept. 25, 2021, and has since welcomed more than 12,000 visitors. The museum uses original artifacts, storytelling exhibits and the building itself, as well as items from the MacMurray College Foundation and Alumni Association collection, to show people of all ages and backgrounds why the Jacksonville community has been and continues to be one of a kind. The museum has hosted the Smithsonian’s nationally-renowned “Voices and Votes” traveling exhibit, recently hosted the Underground Railroad exhibit developed by the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, and hosts the perennial favorite LEGO display each winter.
The museum is located in the old Post Office building at 301 E. State St. in Jacksonville and exhibit galleries currently occupy the old lobby and office areas of the building. The new gallery under construction is located in the old mail sorting and handling area of the building, which occupies approximately two-thirds of the ground floor’s square footage. The new gallery features life-sized, life-like elm tree reproductions to help interpret Jacksonville’s “Elm City” moniker, and historically-inspired commercial building facades that will feature artifact exhibits in the window spaces. The old Post Office also includes a full basement which will be rehabilitated in the future as part of the museum’s ongoing development plans.
The Jacksonville Area Museum is open Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. There is no admission fee but a donation of $5 is suggested.
Much of the museum’s operating budget comes from museum memberships, and members receive advance viewing of new and traveling exhibits, the first chance at admission for ticketed and special events, and members-only programs. Annual membership levels include Student, $25; Individual Sustaining, $45; Silver for families or couples, $60; Gold, $75; and Platinum, $100. Annual business membership levels include Sustaining, $150; Silver, $250; Gold, $350; and Platinum, $500. Gold and Platinum members in both the individual and business categories will receive recognition on the museum’s donor wall.
A complete membership application is available at jacksonvilleareamuseum.org; click on “donate & support” and then click on the membership form tab.
Visit jacksonvilleareamuseum.org or connect with the Jacksonville Area Museum on Facebook for more information or to find out how to become a museum member or volunteer.
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra to open 2026-27 season this Saturday
The opening concert of the 2026-27 season of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will take place this Saturday, September 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Rammelkamp Chapel on the Illinois College campus. This is the orchestra’s 64th season, and, according to the orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor, Garrett Allman, the concerts will have a variety of music, sure to please everyone. This Saturday’s concert, entitled “Made in America,” consists entirely of music written by American composers, marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. The “Mississippi Suite” by Grofe, is a musical journey down the Mississippi River, from its headwaters, past Huckleberry Finn country, then Creole Days and finally a celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. “Reverie on the Mother Road,” written just last year by Chicago composer Michelle Isaac, celebrates the 100th birthday of Route 66, as it rolls across America. Additional music by Copland, Cowell, Ives and others is capped by highlights from “Porgy and Bess,” by the great George Gershwin.
The second concert of the season, “Ghouls, Goblins & Macabre,” will be a fun evening for the entire family, celebrating the music of Halloween, on October 31 at 7:30 p.m. Allman said that the symphony performs a Halloween-themed concert whenever that holiday falls on a Saturday, which is the orchestra’s traditional concert day. Concertgoers of all ages, as well as members of the orchestra, are all encouraged to dress in costume for this fun holiday celebration.
Join the orchestra on December 19 at 3 p.m. for “’Tis the Season to Celebrate!” The early start time is intended to encourage even the youngest members of the family to attend this festive concert, which will make your holiday season complete. Santa will be there, and he wants to see you there, too!
“String into Spring” on April 3 at 7:30 p.m. will celebrate the coming of the spring season with music written for the string instruments of the orchestra. Taking center stage will be Mozart’s beloved “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” (“A Little Night Music”), as well as the energetic and popular “Suite for Strings” by the renowned contemporary British composer John Rutter, plus more music sure to please each and every audience member.
The final concert of the season, on May 1 at 7:30 p.m., will be a particularly exciting one, featuring one of the world’s most famous and beloved compositions, the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff, famous for its soaring melodies and exciting, driving rhythms. The soloist will be the acclaimed pianist Alla Voskoboynikova, who thrilled the Jacksonville Symphony audience three years ago with her stunning performance of music by Shostakovich. Alla is currently Director of Keyboard Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and was previously pianist and coach with the Kiev Opera & Ballet. She has also performed several times on the Illinois College Fine Arts Series in recent years, both as a solo recitalist and as a chamber musician with soprano Christine Brewer and with the Arianna String Quartet. This performance is sure to be talked about for years to come — don’t miss it!
The orchestra will also present “Music for the Young” youth concerts on February 9 at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. These concerts for elementary students from area public and private schools, plus home-schooled students, are an important educational outreach to our young people by the Symphony. Adults in the community are also invited to attend these free concerts.
All concerts are presented in Rammelkamp Chapel on the Illinois College campus. Tickets for adults are $25 each for individual concerts or $90 for a season ticket for all five performances. Tickets can be used interchangeably for any of the concerts. Children and students of all ages are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available at the door or online at our website, jaxsym-il.org. Please note that if you ordered tickets in recent days, they will not be mailed, but will be available for pickup at the door on the night of the concert.
Centenary United Women in Faith to hold Fall Salad Luncheon
The members of Centenary’s United Women in Faith invite everyone to our Fall Salad Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. in Jacksonville.
The suggested donation is $12. Tickets are available from members of Centenary UWFaith, the church office at 217-245-8417 or at the door. The proceeds will be used for missions.
A variety of delicious salads including everyone’s favorite, German potato salad, will be served in our beautifully decorated Fellowship Hall. Terri Benz will share piano music in the sanctuary as our guests arrive. The church is fully accessible and has an elevator to the basement Fellowship Hall. The doors will open at 10:30 a.m.
Western Illinois Youth Camp Announces 2026 Steak Fry & Auction
Annual fundraiser featuring dinner and a live auction set for October 10 at Western Illinois Youth Camp
Western Illinois Youth Camp will host its 2026 Steak Fry & Auction on Saturday, October 10 at the camp, 2244 4-H Club Lane, Jacksonville, Illinois.
The evening will begin with a social hour at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and a live auction at 7 p.m. Community members, camp supporters, alumni, families and friends are invited to gather for an enjoyable evening in support of Western Illinois Youth Camp.
The event is Saturday, October 10 at Western Illinois Youth Camp, 2244 4-H Club Lane, Jacksonville, IL
Social Hour starts at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and a live auction at 7 p.m.
The Steak Fry & Auction offers guests an opportunity to connect with others who value the camp and to help sustain its work for young people. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available from any Western Illinois Youth Camp Board member, at Rexx Battery by asking for John, or by emailing Tina Freeman at wiycpresident@gmail.com.
Western Illinois Youth Camp provides day and overnight camp experiences for youth in the region. Through outdoor activities and shared experiences, the camp offers opportunities for campers to connect with others, develop confidence and enjoy time in nature. Learn more at wiyc.net.
‘Speakers’ Corner’ established in Jacksonville, Illinois
A “Speakers’ Corner” has been established in Jacksonville, Illinois as a place for people to gather and express their opinions on local, national, or international issues. The location is the north-east corner of the downtown Jacksonville square, near the Charters of Freedom, a permanent display of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
The first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m., starting October 6, 2026, the public is invited to gather and hear the opinions of the community. It is open for all to speak, or just sit back and listen.
Pat Kennedy, retired English teacher from Jacksonville, feels the United States right of free speech is an important freedom granted by our Bill of Rights, and needs to be emphasized and utilized by its citizens. He ‘declared’ the location on Sunday, July 19, 2026, with the first event commencing on September 1, 2026.
“Anyone can come, and affirm their right of freedom to speak, surrounded by these documents, that remind us that all Americans indeed have the right to say whatever they want in the United States of America,” says Kennedy.
The idea is based on similar speakers corners around the world. The most well-known is located in the north-east corner of Hyde Park in Westminster, England, near Marble Arch. Speakers’ Corners have been established elsewhere in the United Kingdom and in other countries on a limited basis, and Kennedy felt that Jacksonville would be a perfect addition to the world-wide roster of sites.
“I’m going to show up, and I don’t care if anyone else is here, and I’m probably going to have something to say and get off my chest, what’s happening in the country, or what’s happening in Jacksonville,” says Kennedy. “It’s mostly going to be positive, as I love my town, and I love this plaza, and I’m just going to reiterate the fact that I have the right to come here. I declare it a Speakers’ Corner.”
As with other Speakers’ Corners around the world, the rules are simple. Discussions are civil, each speaker waits for their opportunity to speak, engagement with the assembled crowd is allowed to be lively but not violent or crude, and no artificial amplification is allowed. It is intended to be a place of lively civil opinion in a public location.
Kennedy concludes, “No bullhorn, no microphone, all these documents are behind you that give you the right that so few people in the world have to say whatever is on your mind or whatever is on your heart.”
A full video of Kennedy’s inauguration of the speakers corner is available at:https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleSpeakersCorner/.
State DAR Regent presents Illinois 250 history
The Illinois Daughters of the American Revolution State Regent, Marria Elliott-Blinn, presented a fascinating program about how people who lived in what is now Illinois helped with Revolutionary War efforts at the September meeting of the Rev. James Calwell Chapter of NSDAR.
Also attending the meeting was IL DAR District V Director, Lynda Kerstein. Included in this month’s meeting was the swearing in of two new members, Lynn Hollahan, of Jacksonville, and Kathy Reid, of Mt. Sterling. The women of NSDAR would love to have you connect your family lineage to the Revolutionary War — especially during this year of 250 celebrations!
