Thursday, Jul. 02, 2009

Dylan, Nelson, Mellencamp take the field for Sauget concert

The musical bases will be loaded at GCS Ballpark in Sauget when Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp all take the field for a concert tonight.

Gates will open at 5 p.m. for the 5:30 show, which will feature The Wiyos as the opening act before Nelson and Family kick off the heavy hitters at 6:10. After Mellencamp sings a medley of his hits at 7:35, Dylan will cap the night at 9:10.

Tickets for the show are $67.50 each, good for one adult and one child under 15. They are available at 337-3000, online at www.gatewaygrizzlies.com, at the ballpark or through Ticketmaster locations. Parking will be an additional $10. Those attending the concert should remember that the Mousette Lane exit off I-255 (Exit 15) will be closed at 4 p.m. today and that concert traffic will be redirected to the park via Illinois 157 (Exit 13).

Music festival ends with twinbill

Southern Illinois University Carbondale will wrap up its weeklong music festival with a notable doubleheader today at McKendree University in Lebanon.

The twinbill opens at 10 a.m. with the popular Klassics for Kids program, a free performance designed to introduce classic and jazz music to children 5 years old and younger. This morning's concert will spotlight a woodwind quintet.

Then, at 7:30 p.m., adults will be treated to a fully staged performance of Verdi's classic "La Traviata," a three-act opera that follows a Parisian courtesan and her tragic love affair with a young nobleman. The opera, sung in Italian with English supertitles will feature soprano Laura Portune, tenor Jay Morrissey, mezzo-soprano Katherine Calcamuggio and SIUC's own David Dillard, baritone.

Both concerts will be in the school's Hettenhausen Center for the Arts. Opera tickets are $18, $15 for seniors and $5 for students. For reservations, call 537-6863.

Fair's got something for equine lovers

Horse lovers will want to gallop over to Nashville Sunday for the opening of the Washington County Fair.

The annual weeklong gala will kick off at 10 a.m. with a free Western-style horse show featuring 19 halter, performance and speed classes vying for a purse of more than $6,000.

Through the rest of the week, fairgoers will be treated to tractor pulls at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and July 10, demolition derbies at 8 p.m. Wednesday and 7 p.m. July 11 and a motocross at 7 p.m. next Thursday. Admission to these events is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.

Theatre anniversary cause for old-time fun

The Skyview Drive-In Theatre will raise the curtain on its 60th anniversary Monday with a week of admission specials and old-fashioned fun.

The Skyview lit up its outdoor screen for the first time on July 8, 1949, and at one time was one of more than 5,000 drive-ins throughout the country. Now the familiar rocket that lights up its marquee is become a rare beacon in the night; the Skyview is the only drive-in left in the St. Louis area and one of only 400 in the country.

To celebrate its longevity, the theater will offer its original admission price -- 60 cents -- to the drivers of the first 60 cars entering the theater on Monday and Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, customers will be able to meet KTVI-Fox2 personalities and receive a $2 discount for donating a can of food for the LiveFeed food pantry.

Adding to the fun will be live music on the patio on Wednesday and Thursday and free hayrides, train rides and face painting throughout the week. The movie lineup will be family-friendly, too: "Transformers 2" and "Star Trek" on one screen and "Ice Age 3" and "Night at the Museum 2" on the other.

The box office will open at 7 each night.

Jazz festival will cool summer

It will be an ultracool way to spend the Fourth of July when Corey Allen presents a jazz and heritage festival Saturday night in Centreville.

The talented saxophonist and his Music Unlimited will be the featured artist for Jazz on the Lake from 6 to 10 p.m. in Frank Holten State Park. Tickets are $10 per person or $15 per couple and available through 482-7913. Food and drink will be available, but you should bring your own seating.

Parish hosts picnic, homecoming

Life will be a picnic in Paderborn Saturday when St. Michael's parish throws its annual homecoming.

They'll start serving up their all-you-can-eat chicken dinner at 3 p.m. and follow it up with quilt bingo at 6 and other picnic attractions. Masses will be offered at 3:30 and 5.