Here are 3 things to do for the weekend of May 2-4, 2025, 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.
Get your kicks: Communities along the Mother Road from Joliet to Bloomington-Normal each celebrate the annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival their own way. Among the activities: Meet the mayor at Gardner’s 1906 two-cell jail, check out Odell’s historic 1932 pumping station, or buy fine art in Pontiac near the Eagle Theater. Saturday and Sunday; ilroute66redcarpetcorridor.com.
Pollinators rock: Miller Park Zoo gives an info session on pollinators and preserving native plants under threat. Spoiler: As part of the zoo’s conservation efforts, they’ve got a pollinator garden of their own. 12 p.m. Saturday; free. bloomingtonparks.org.
A dramatic reading: Lexington superfan Nick Rynerson pours his Central Illinois heart out in a new poetry collection, set to arrive in hardback any day. To celebrate, catch launch event for Seasons: A Year of Midwestern Life at Emerald & Amethyst. 1 p.m. reading and Q&A with the author Saturday. impededstram.com.
