Barbershoppers reschedule concert
Danville Barbershop Chorus will be recalling “Christmas Memories” at their rescheduled Christmas benefit concert.
The concert — originally scheduled for Dec. 13 — will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10. It will begin at 3 p.m. at St. James United Methodist Church in downtown Danville.
“We’ll have nearly 30 barbershoppers sharing some of their favorite Christmas carols,” said Tom Fricke, chorus director. “They will sing a number of traditional Christmas favorites, such as ‘Deck the Halls,’ ‘Winter Wonderland,’ and ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.’
The chorus will also be performing ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain,’ ‘Mary Did You Know’ and ‘Somewhere In My Memory’ among others.
Unfortunately, the Westville High School Chorus, scheduled to join us during our Christmas concert, will not be available to join us on this rescheduled date.
“Our Christmas concert is traditionally a benefit concert for a local charity,” said Fricke. “This year, the proceeds will benefit Wreaths Across America.” This organization strives to honor those buried at the National Cemetery on the Illiana VA grounds in Danville by placing a wreath on their grave for Christmas.
Tickets previously purchased are good for this rescheduled concert.
Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $10 for adults and $5 for children K-12.
Grand opening for Hometown Garage
Hometown Garage, located at 102 E. Main in Westville, is holding a grand opening today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will include tours of the shop, free donuts and door prizes.
Higher Dimension hosts Foodmobile
The Foodmobile, created by the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, will be stopping at the Higher Dimension Faith Center, located at 1700 N. Bowman Ave., at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
The Foodmobile program bridges the gap between pantry visits for those in rural and underserved areas. Anyone meeting state income guidelines is welcome to attend a distribution, regardless of residency. No documentation is require to receive food. For more information, email the Eastern Illinois Foodbank at marketing@eifoodbank.org.
Museum hosts new exhibit
The Vermilion County Museum Society, located at 116 N. Gilbert St. in Danville, is hosting a new exhibit, Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad, from Jan. 15 through March 28.
The exhibit shares stories of freedom seekers, conductors, and communities that were part of the Illinois Underground Railroad. This exhibit is sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, also known as Looking for Lincoln.
The Grand Opening of the exhibit will be at the Museum on Thursday Jan. 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.. Heather Feezor from Looking for Lincoln will share some background on the individuals highlighted in the exhibit and how the exhibit came to be. To accompany the Journey to Freedom exhibit, the Museum Society is mounting a small exhibit, highlighting aspects of African American history in Vermilion County.
This is a free event and there is extra parking in the Carle lot adjacent to our building.
Light refreshments will be served.
For additional information, call the Museum at 217-442-2922 during regular business hours Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
MLK Celebration set for Jan. 19
The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee is pleased to announce that the Community-Wide Service for the 2026 MLK Celebration will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19 at St. James United Methodist Church, 504 N. Vermilion Street, Danville. The theme for the 2026 MLK Celebration is “Equals in Humanity”.
This event is open to the public.
The Reverend Dr. Dwight Ford will serve as the speaker for the service. Rev. Ford is currently the President/CEO of Project NOW, which is a community action agency that serves low-income families and seniors in Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer counties. Also, he is the founder and pastor of Grace City Church in Rock Island. The service will also include the presentation of the $6,000 MLK Scholarship to a Danville graduating high school senior who plans to pursue an education at an institution of higher learning. In addition, an ensemble of singers, under the direction of MLK Music Director Brett Dupree, will perform at the service.
For additional information, email: Elder Tyson Parks, Chair, at eldert.parks@comcast.net or Sandra Finch, Program Chair, at sandrafin28@gmail.com.
CRIS, YMCA offer fitness classes
CRIS Healthy Aging is offering the Fit & Strong! falls prevention program in collaboration with the YMCA of Danville, starting Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Fit & Strong! is a free, evidence-based program designed for older adults. Developed by the University of Chicago, it has been shown to help prevent falls, reduce arthritis symptoms, and enhance overall quality of life. Just as important, participants enjoy the welcoming environment and the chance to build new friendships while staying active.
Classes will be held twice a week — 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays — through April 14. The YMCA of Danville is located at 1111 N. Vermilion St. The program is built specifically around any older adult capable of walking.
There are 24 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, with 60 minutes of exercise and 30 minutes of discussion and education.
To register, contact the YMCA of Danville at 217-442-0563, or for more information reach out to Claire at CRIS Healthy Aging at 217-902-4210.
Expo set for March 21
The Covington Business Association will be hosting its 4th annual Home, Garden and Business Expo on Saturday, March 21 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (Eastern) at the Fountain County Fairgrounds, in Veedersburg, Ind.
Potential vendors may reach out to Brad Smith at 217-213-1055 (bsmith9@farmersagent.com) or Amy Thompson at 765-585-5945 (amyjothompson18@gmail.com) to request a booth space. Spaces are $60 for non-Covington Business Association members.
Apple Fest applications being accepted
Applications are now being accepted for the 35th annual Covington Apple Fest to be held on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Spaces are limited for this event so we are encouraging securing your booth placement early.
To obtain an application and form please email Amy Thompson at amyjothompson18@gmail.com
St. Joseph Library used book sale
The St. Joseph Township-Swearingen Memorial Library is holding a winter used book sale starting Jan. 5 and running through Jan. 28.
Available items will include adult fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, adventure, biographies, crafts and cookbooks as well as children’s fiction, non-fiction and picture books. There may also be DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks and large print books. All items are for sale by donation — pay what you want to pay.
The sale will run during normal library hours, which are: Mondays from 1 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesdays from 1-6 p.m.; Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Please call to set up a time to bring in donations for the book sale. No donations will be accepted after Jan. 15.
For more information please call 217-469-2159.