Southwestern IL calendar features Lenten fish fries, blood drives, concerts & more
Noon Thursday, Feb. 18, is the deadline to appear in next week’s What’s Happening. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Due to the large number of submissions, events may run only one time in print, will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.
Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: Lifestyle, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.
Events
▪ Free Suicide Prevention Training — 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb, 24. Online via Zoom. Virtual suicide prevention training appropriate for ages 14 and older and intended for any community member interested in learning how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, questions someone about their suicidality, persuade them to get help and learn about resources to help. Training is free and limited to 30 participants per session. Held monthly on the fourth Wednesday. For additional information or to register: https://tinyurl.com/yxr6q2wb.
▪ ‘Fight Like a Tiger: African American Ambition in the Era of Slavery’ — 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Online via Zoom. Presented by Victoria Harrison, Ph.D., instructor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Historical Studies. The presentation aims to engage those interested in African American history, the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction, and local history, since Barbour and his family played an important role in Black Alton in the 1860s and beyond. Register at https://siue.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ttL7EX8SSU-eYzav3EEJXA.
▪ Virtual Midwest Boat Show — Thursday, Feb. 25, through Saturday, Feb. 27. Online event at MidwestBoatShow.com. Program will include a live video broadcast of presentation of each of Cope Marine’s (O’Fallon) boat brands. These videos and accompanying photos will take attendees on tours of and reserve them. Manufacturer representatives will be available via a live chat to answer questions. Register at MidwestBoatShow.com.
▪ Share the Puppy Love Donation Drive — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays through Friday, Feb. 26. Wisper Internet, 9711 Fuesser Road, Mascoutah (drop-off location). Wisper Internet is working to support the animal rescuers in rural communities they serve. Recommended items: food, toys, beds, towels, leashes, leads, collars, blankets, cleaning supplies, pet carriers and more.
▪ Southwestern Illinois College Red Bud Campus annual Poetry Contest — Through 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. Individuals of all ages are invited to showcase their creative abilities in the contest through poetry. Divisions for entries are as follows: adult, high school, eighth grade, seventh grade, sixth grade, fifth grade and fourth grade. Each contestant is allowed to submit one poem and all entries must be turned in with a completed entry form by 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Entry forms can be found online at swic.edu/poetry-contest. Submissions can be mailed to Amy Brockman, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville, IL 62221, or turned in to the SWIC Red Bud Campus Student Development Office, Room 175.
Food
▪ Belleville/Swansea Moose Lodge Wings & Things — 4:30-7 p.m. Thursdays. Belleville/Swansea Moose Lodge, 2425 N. Illinois St., Swansea. Carryout and dine-in. Call in orders at 618-233-2600 or 618-233-1450. facebook.com/BellevilleSwanseaMooseLodge1221
▪ O’Fallon Fish Fry — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Fridays. Knights of Columbus Hall, 402 E. U.S. 50, O’Fallon. Traditional menu of cod available with several side dishes. Dine-in and carryout. Credit cards accepted. Orders can be called in at 618-632-6229.
▪ Waterloo VFW Fish Fry - 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays during Lent. Metzger Crook Post 6504, 406 Veterans Drive, Waterloo. Sold by the pound, sandwich or plate. Cod, catfish, walleye, salmon and shrimp. Carryout only. 618-939-7999.
▪ Swansea Fish Stand – 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 216 Service St., Swansea. Cod, walleye, catfish, shrimp and more. Saturday: fried chicken. Open for carryout, call-in and dine-in orders. 618-222-7171. facebook.com/swanseafishstand
▪ Millstadt Fish Fry — 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays. Millstadt VFW Post, 200 Veterans Drive, Millstadt. Eat in or carryout. Call ahead for carryout. 618-476-1180.
▪ Collinsville American Legion Fish Fry — 3-7:30 p.m. Fridays. Collinsville American Legion, 1022 Vandalia St., Collinsville. Curbside delivery and dine-in. Cash or check only. Place a curbside order by calling 618-345-2508. facebook.com/legionpst365
▪ St. Joseph Church Fish Fry — 4-6:30 p.m. Fridays from Feb. 19 through March 26. St. Joseph’s Parish Center, 6 N. Alton St., Freeburg. Fried cod loins, (plate, sandwich or pound), shrimp, green beans, fries, homemade slaw, mac and cheese. Sponsored by the Support Committee. Carryout only. Order in person or by calling 618-539-4720.
▪ Collinsville Fish Fry — 4-7 p.m. Fridays. Knights of Columbus Hall, 1 Columbus Plaza, Collinsville. Limited menu. Dine in and drive-thru. No call-in orders. facebook.com/KC1712
▪ Highland Fish Fry — 4-7 p.m. Fridays. VFW Post 5694, 1900 VFW Road, Highland. Fish, chicken, shrimp, sides. Carryout and limited indoor dining. Masks required for customers going through the serving line. No call-in orders. facebook.com/vfwpost5694
▪ National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Lenten Fish Fry — 4-7 p.m. Fridays during Lent. National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, 442 S. DeMazenod Drive, Belleville. Cod and fried pollock (sandwich, plate or pound), shrimp, sides. Dine-in or carryout. 618-397-6700 or snows.org/fish-fry-fridays
▪ St. Elizabeth Church Fish Fry - 4-7 p.m. Fridays during Lent. St. Elizabeth Church, 2300 Pontoon Road, Granite City. Cod, pollock, shrimp. Carryout only (may change to drive-up/in-house as COVID dictates).
▪ St. Mary Parish Fish Fry — 4-6:30 p.m. Fridays from Feb. 19 to Good Friday, April 2. 1706 W. Main St., Belleville. Drive-thru only. Menu includes fried cod, potato salad, slaw, fries, sweet potato fries, jalapeno poppers and fried mac and cheese. Fish is $14/lb.
▪ St. Teresa Catholic School Fish Fry — 4-7:30 p.m. Fridays from Feb. 19 through March 19. St. Teresa Catholic Grade School parking lot, 1108 Lebanon Ave., Belleville. Drive-thru fish fry.
▪ St. Henry Church Fish Fry — 4-7:30 p.m. Fridays from Feb. 19 through April 2. Monsignor Voss Parish Center, 5303 W. Main St., Belleville. Fried cod, shrimp, baked salmon. Sides: Spaghetti, fries, homemade slaw, mac and cheese, onion rings, hush puppies. Desserts. Carryout only. No call-in orders. Credit and debit cards accepted. For information: 618-540-8062.
▪ O’Fallon American Legion Fish Fry — 4-8 p.m. Fridays from Feb. 19 through April 2. O’Fallon American Legion, 109 N. Penn, O’Fallon. Dine-in or carryout. 618-632-8879.
▪ Troy VFW Fish Fry — 4-8 p.m. Fridays during Lent. Troy VFW Post 976 and Auxiliary, 123-A W. Market St., Troy. Cod, catfish, jack salmon, baked fish, chicken strips, shrimp. Call-in and carryout only. 618-667-8387. facebook.com/TroyVfwPost976
▪ Aviston Legion Fish & Chicken Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. Fridays. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod, catfish, shrimp, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311. avistonlegion.com
▪ Belleville/Swansea Moose Lodge Fish Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. Fridays. Belleville/Swansea Moose Lodge, 2425 N. Illinois St., Swansea. Call in an order at 618-233-1450 or 618-233-2600. Stop in to pick up or dine in. facebook.com/BellevilleSwanseaMooseLodge1221
▪ Shiloh Eagles Fish Fry — 5-7 p.m. Fridays. Shiloh Eagles 545, 100 Eagle Drive, Shiloh. Cod, walleye, catfish, shrimp and sides. Full menu. Dine-in or carryout available. For carryout, call 618-624-5412.
▪ Mascoutah Fish Fry — 5-8 p.m. Fridays. Mascoutah VFW Post 7682, 620 Donaphan St., Mascoutah. Call 618-566-2288 to order.
Club News
▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) — 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. Online via Zoom. Virtual support meetings for family members and other caregivers of individuals with mental illness. Meetings are peer-led and rely on the knowledge and experiences of the group to help one another. Registration is required in order to receive the link to these meetings. For more information or to register, contact Pat Rudloff at silverlining6@charter.net.
▪ Saint Louis Astronomical Society: ‘The Perseverance Rover Mission and the Search for Early Life on Mars’ — 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19. Online via Zoom. An illustrated presentation by Professor Raymond E. Arvidson of Washington University will be featured at the February meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held via Zoom online. Free and open to the public. For information: slasonline.org
▪ Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. If you would like to join the teleconference, please call/text 618-567-6095 or email craigloddeke@yahoo.com. palgroup.org
▪ O’Fallon Sunrise Rotary Meeting — 6:45 a.m. Wednesdays. Online via Zoom. See weekly email for link or email ofallonsunriserotary@gmail.com. 618-210-8156 or ofallonsunriserotary.org
▪ Brain Wave Class — 8:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 24. St. John’s Community Care, 222 Goethe Ave., Collinsville. Brain Wave is open to people experiencing early memory loss. This group provides a safe, positive, strength-based environment where participants will learn, share and engage together with an expert. Classes will be held Wednesdays and Fridays for 10 weeks starting Feb. 24. Registration and assessment required. Call by Feb. 19 to schedule an assessment appointment. 618-344-5008. stjohnscc.org
▪ Bible Study Fellowship Belleville Women’s Class — 6-6:45 p.m. Wednesdays. Online via Zoom. The class will be studying Genesis, a recounting of humanity’s shared story and an exploration of life’s deepest questions. For information or to register, call Jane at 618-520-8357 or Paula at 618-593-4104.
Theater/Concerts
▪ Be.Be. & The Neosouls: Elements — 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N. Boyle Ave., St. Louis. Brianna Elise Brown, who performs under the moniker “Be.Be.,” is a vocalist and pianist whose repertoire spans styles from traditional jazz to neo-soul, R&B, and more. Born in Queens, New York, she relocated to St. Louis in 2002, where she graduated from Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. She is currently a Jazz Vocal Performance student and Psychology major at Webster University. Tickets start at $15 for live performance, $15 for livestream. bluestrawberrystl.com.
▪ Musical Ancestries: Native America — 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. Online event. Musical Ancestries is a quarterly program designed to teach school-aged children about world music. This new episode explores the music, instruments, dance, pow wows, and cultural traditions of Native Americans. Additional air dates: 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. classic1073.org/musical-ancestries-native-america
▪ Tish Haynes Keys: Neo Nights — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N. Boyle Ave., St. Louis. “The Voice” finalist Tish Haynes Keys returns to Blue Strawberry after a triumphant, sold-out debut in December. This inspired performer, St. Louis’ own, brings you a night of Neo-Soul. With a stellar band: pianist Phil Graves, bassman Shawn Taylor, saxophonist Corey Allen, and percussionist Drew Exum. Tickets start at $20 for live performance, $15 for livestream. bluestrawberrystl.com.
▪ The Hett presents Music from the Metro East with Special Guests Thomas and Brian Owens — 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. Virtual event. Celebrate Black History Month with a soulful concert featuring talent from throughout the Metro East. Features: Courtney Walker, the Anthony Wiggins Band, the Owens family, and McKendree students, faculty, and staff. View it live at youtube.com/watch?v=vzWPS66rTg8
Reservations Required
▪ Virtual Saturday Morning Yoga — 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. Online via Zoom. Get fit and healthy when you join us for a energizing session of yoga with instructor Sarah Hartwig. Register at glencarbonlibrary.org/calendar.
▪ Virtual Starting Your Native Garden Workshop — 12:30-1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. Online event. At The Nature Institute, the greenhouse is preparing for another season of growing native plants. Join educators as they walk through the process of prepping and planting native seeds in the greenhouse. While you might not have as large of an operation as we do, these tips and tricks will be helpful for any seeds you are starting indoors. This program will be virtual with a combination of pre-recorded content and live discussion. Registration is required so that we can get you the information for the virtual discussion. thenatureinstitute.org
▪ Gateway Greening’s 12th annual Community Agriculture Conference — 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22 through Friday, Feb. 26 (classes) and 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27 (keynote speaker). Virtual event. Classes are conducted by experiences local and national experts, and Gateway Greening’ own community education and program staff. For information or to register: gatewaygreening.org/community-agriculture-conference
▪ Madison County Employment and Training Press Day — By appointment Wednesday, Feb. 24. Madison County Employment and Training Department, 101 E. Edwardsville Road, Suite 1302, Wood River. Press Day to showcase Employment and Training’s resources and services. You will have the opportunity to interview department officials and people who’ve gone through the program and their “Success Stories.” To highlight the services offered by Madison County Employment and Training; including job seeker services available to the general population, funding to help individuals receive training and/or education at no-cost to them, and services for employers who are seeking to fill a workforce need. The County wants the public to know about these services and how to access them. RSVP by Feb. 22 to 618-296-4445.
▪ Virtual Evening Flow Yoga — 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Online via Zoom. Classes are suitable for those newer to yoga or those wanting a basic flow class. This class introduces traditional yoga postures, teaches you how to breathe, and helps you feel more comfortable in the yoga practice. Instructed by Anne Hughes. Register at glencarbonlibrary.org/calendar.
▪ Cultures and Continents 4-H Workshop: Arctic: The Inuit People — 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. Online via Zoom. The workshop covers different idnigenous cultures; this one will cover the Inuit People. Presentation also includes a cultural art/craft and a food/drink recipe to do together. Each workshop cost is $5 per person that will cover your activity supplies. The supply kits will be available to pick up from our offices prior to each workshop. You will receive the pickup information with your registration. Workshops are limited to the first 24 participants. For ages 8 and older. To register: https://go.illinois.edu/Inuit
▪ Teen Science Café: Deep Space AI – Navigating Swarms of Small Satellites Beyond Earth Orbit with Neural Networks — 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. Online via Zoom. Join us in this interactive virtual Teen Science Café to learn about satellites in deep space and train a neural network to recognize different objects in space. Free and open to all middle and high school students grades 6-12. For information or to register: academyofsciencestl.org
Blood Drives
▪ Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center Blood Drive — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. OSF HealthCare Platelet Drive, 200 Alton Square H1, Alton. Appointments are required. 866-448-3253 or bloodcenterimpact.org.
▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 1-6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. Glen Carbon Centennial Library, 198 S. Main St., Glen Carbon. To make an appointment, 800-733-2767 or RedCrossBlood.org.
▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 2-6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. LeClaire Christian Church, 1914 Esic Drive, Edwardsville. To make an appointment, 800-733-2767 or RedCrossBlood.org.
▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 3-7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. Public Safety Building, 285 N. 7 Hills Road, O’Fallon. To make an appointment, 800-733-2767 or RedCrossBlood.org.
▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23 and Thursday, Feb. 25. Turner Hall, 211 E. Cherry St., Columbia. To make an appointment, 800-733-2767 or RedCrossBlood.org.
▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — Noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. YMCA, 1200 Esic Drive, Edwardsville. To make an appointment, 800-733-2767 or RedCrossBlood.org.
▪ Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center Blood Drive — 2:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Governor French Academy, 219 W. Main St., Belleville. Appointments are required. 866-448-3253 or bloodcenterimpact.org.
▪ Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center Blood Drive — 3-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. American Legion Post 2007, 301 Service St., Swansea. Appointments are required. 866-448-3253 or bloodcenterimpact.org.
▪ Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center Blood Drive — Noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, 442 S. DeMazenod Drive, Belleville. Appointments are required. 866-448-3253 or bloodcenterimpact.org.
Worth the Drive
▪ Missouri Bicentennial Photography Exhibit — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Tuesday, March 2. Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center, 66 S. Main St., Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The My Missouri 2021 Photography Exhibition features 200 photographs from both professionals and amateurs selected from over 1000 entries for this exhibit. They showcase the geographic and cultural landscapes of Missouri. The exhibition captures Missouri glory in all the four seasons and provides an opportunity to reflect upon the state’s rich diversity and the many things its people share. Free admission. visitstegen.com
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 10:00 AM.