As summer comes to a close in central Illinois, there are still plenty of big concerts and popular festivals to check out.
Here are 15 things to do in the Peoria area in the month of August.
1. Blues & Heritage Music Festival
The 34th annual Peoria Blues & Heritage Music Festival will be held Aug. 30-31 at Peoria Riverfront Festival Park. This end-of-summer event will include a world-class lineup of artists from blues, roots, funk, soul and everything in between. For a full schedule of performances and to purchase tickets, visit www.PBHFest.com.
2. 36th annual Duck Race
The 36th annual Duck Race benefiting the Center for Prevention of Abuse will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at EastSide Centre, 1 Eastside Drive, East Peoria. Food, family fun and live music will begin at 11 a.m., and the Duck Race will be held at 1 p.m. at the giant water slide. For more information and to adopt a duck, visit www.duckrace.com/peoria.
3. A tribute to The Eagles
A Tribute Night to The Eagles featuring Life in the Fast Lane will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at Five Points Washington, 360 N. Wilmor Road, Washington. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39 and can be purchased online at www.fivepointswashington.org.
4. Peoria Irish Fest
The annual Peoria Irish Fest will be August 23-25 on the Peoria riverfront. Get ready to enjoy Celtic culture galore through music, dancing, Highland Games, exhibits, interactive sessions, culture, music, food, storytelling, dance and more. For more information, visit peoriairishfest.com.
5. Dunlap Days festival
The annual Dunlap Days festival will take place Thursday, Aug. 22, through Saturday, Aug. 24, at North Park in Dunlap. The event will include carnival rides, games, live entertainment, food, drinks and more. For a full schedule of events, visit the Dunlap Days Facebook event page.
6. India Fest on the Riverfront
The Peoria Park District and the Indo-American Society will present India Fest on Saturday, Aug. 17, at the CEFCU Center Stage on the Peoria riverfront. Enjoy authentic Indian cuisine served by local Indian restaurants. The event will also include Bollywood-style entertainment, arts and crafts, rangoli, yoga demonstrations, Bollywood dance lessons and much more. For more information, visit peoriaparks.org/events/festivals/india-fest.
7. Italian Society Festa
The Italian American Society’s 93rd Festa Picnic will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Hickory Grove Park, 12403 N. Hickory Grove Road, Dunlap. The picnic will include authentic Italian food and desserts, Italian and domestic beer and wines, Italian t-shirts and gift items, live music by Vince Amore and Jack Miuccio, children’s activities, local artisans, a bocce tournament and more. For more information, visit www.italianamericansociety.com.
8. Concert on the Riverfront
Grammy Award-winning artist Blues Traveler and platinum-selling rockers Big Head Todd and the Monsters will bring their Blue Monsters Tour 2024 to CEFCU Center Stage at Riverfront Festival Park at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. To purchase tickets, visit https://bluestraveler.com/tour/.
9. Wizard of Oz festival
Hollis Park will present the 14th annual Illinois Wizard of Oz Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Butler Haynes Park in Mapleton. Festivities include meet and greets with all your favorite Oz characters, trolley rides and story time with Auntie Em, live entertainment, contests, children’s activities, a vendor market and more. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children age 3-12 and free for children ages 2 and under.
10. Ignite Peoria 2024
Ignite Peoria, presented by ArtsPartners, will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Peoria Civic Center. This one-of-a-kind festival boasts over 65 hands-on creation station booths where attendees can learn about singing, writing, dancing, building, acting, painting, drawing, coding, 3D printing, robotics and more. Admission is free.
11. Sports memorabilia auction
The Greater Peoria Area Crime Stoppers will be hosting their 17th Annual Sports Memorabilia Auction from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at the Par-A-Dice Hotel, 21 Blackjack Blvd., East Peoria. Reality TV star Dog the Bounty Hunter will be the featured guest. Admission is $100. For more information and to purchase tickets, email Info@PeoriaSportsAuction.com.
12. Alice Cooper in concert
Legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper will bring his “Too Close for Comfort” Tour to the Peoria Civic Center at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4. Tickets start at $60 and can be purchased online at www.peoriaciviccenter.com.
13. German Society Bratfest
The Peoria German-American Society Harmonie Club will present Bratfest, a traditional German picnic, from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, at Hickory Grove Park, 12403 Hickory Grove Road, Dunlap. The event will feature Keith Zweifel and his band from Wisconsin performing a wide range of music from polkas to rock ‘n’ roll. Other special activities include a Muscle Car, Hot Rod and Customized Motorcycle Cruis’n, a playground for the kids, a shooting tent and a German gift tent. Plenty of traditional German food will also be available for purchase. Admission is free.
14. Wildlife Prairie Park anniversary
Wildlife Prairie Park, 3826 N. Taylor Road, Hanna City, will celebrate its 46th anniversary with a special gala at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Tickets are $150 each and includes cocktails, dinner, program, auction and afterparty. For more information, visit https://wildlifeprairiepark.org/events/annual-gala/ or call 309-676-0998.
15. River City Soul Fest
The Peoria Park District’s River City Soul Fest and Gospel Fest will celebrate its 25th year August 2-3 at RiverFront Festival Park, 200 NE Water St. The event feature a lineup of both acclaimed and local artists performing a variety of R&B, soul and gospel music. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.soulfestpeoria.com.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 15 fun things to do in Peoria in August: Big concerts, diverse festivals and more
Reporting by Josh Jenke, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
