What is there to do in Peoria, IL?
Hardly a weekend goes by in summer and fall when there isn’t a fair or festival somewhere in central Illinois.
In early summer, the Olde English Faire attracts jousters and jesters, lords and ladies to Wildlife Prairie Park, just west of Peoria. July draws a crowd to Peoria’s riverfront every Independence Day for a fireworks display, while August brings Taste of Peoria and Peoria Irish Fest.
September means Peoria Oktoberfest, the Morton Pumpkin Festival and the Pekin Marigold Festival. October attracts thousands to the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive. November and December bring the Santa Claus Parade in downtown Peoria – the longest continuously running holiday parade in America – and East Peoria’s Festival of Lights Parade and display.
There has been something of a live music comeback in Peoria. Summer Camp Music Festival at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe features more than 100 bands on seven outdoor stages, entertaining some 20,000 fans over three days each year. Every Saturday from May until October in Peoria Heights, the Courtyard Concert Series introduces up-and-coming musicians to the public.
“State & Water,” a live-audience performance series at public television station WTVP, showcases musicians from Peoria and the region, and music of every genre can be heard up and down Peoria’s riverfront on any given weekend evening. The Betty Jayne Brimmer Center for the Performing Arts features local and regional comedy acts and intimate musical performances.
Peoria Players Theatre, Corn Stock Theatre and Eastlight Theatre offer opportunities for getting involved in community productions. The Peoria Civic Center hosts nationally touring music acts and a traveling Broadway theater series, as well as Bradley University men’s basketball and Peoria Rivermen hockey.
The major leaguers of tomorrow play at Dozer Park, home to the Peoria Chiefs, a Class A minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The summertime Steamboat Classic race attracts runners to the Peoria streets. Disc golf has taken off in the Peoria area, with the PDGA Disc Golf World Championships held here in 2019.
The Peoria Park District boasts over 60 square miles of parks and woodland preserves, including Forest Park Nature Center, along with 50 miles of biking and hiking trails. Glen Oak Park is home to the Peoria Zoo and The Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum. Golf courses in the area are plentiful.
Wildlife Prairie Park showcases animals, including herds of bison and elk, in a habitat close to their natural ones. People travel from all over to nearby Bath every summer to make the best of a bad situation – the Asian carp invasion of the Illinois River – by participating in the Original Redneck Fishin’ Tournament, fishing poles strictly prohibited.
Big Picture Peoria promotes and supports local artists and puts on an annual street and film festival. Sculpture Walk Peoria along Washington Street showcases work from throughout the Midwest and the country.
Peoria Riverfront Museum is a multidisciplinary educational facility showcasing art, science, history and achievement, complete with a dome planetarium and giant screen theater. Next door, take a virtual ride in a mining truck or design a piece of heavy machinery yourself at The Doug Oberhelman Caterpillar Visitors Center.
If you like higher stakes, visit the Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria.
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