Here are 3 things to do for the weekend of June 21-23, 2024, curated by WGLT's Lauren Warnecke. You can find more coverage on our Datebook - Arts & Music page or by subscribing to WGLT's Weekend Scoop email newsletter, which goes out every Friday.
A weekend Juneteenth celebration: Bloomington’s long-running Juneteenth festival now takes place in Miller Park, with music and dance performances (and a line dance for all to join in), plus vendors, food trucks and a kids’ zone. Kids' haircuts, hotdogs, zoo admittance, headshots, paddleboats and put-put are free for all, with V8 Vast Change as the cherry on top at 3 p.m., whose new album Melanin King is finally ready to launch. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday; free.
Daz is back: Bloomington-raised, Atlanta-based DaZ Exotic released the single Uncomfortable Truth in March, new beats leading to an album he calls Lunatik’s Manifesto. The title is borrowed from Dave Chappelle, who scrapped Lunatic’s Manifesto as the title of his latest Netflix special—and wound up calling it The Dreamer. Intentional? Probably. DaZ Exotic is nothing if not layered; he plays a set this weekend at Nightshop, part of his (mostly) annual trip home. 9 p.m. Saturday; tickets $10 at nightshop517.com.
The corvettes are back: Gearheads, greasers and automotive enthusiasts from all eras gather for Bloomington Gold, the longest-running Corvette convening in the country. This year, the car cruise makes its way through Lexington Saturday night before parading down Route 66 for block party in Uptown Normal. And for the first time, four gulf oil racers will be on display together at the Bone Student Center on Illinois State’s campus. Gates open at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday; tickets $30-$60 at the gate and bloomingtongold.com.
