Free & Open to the Public!
Peoria Inventions that Changed the World: A Journal Star Panel Discussion
Wed, Oct 30, 6 pm
Giant Screen Theater
Moderated by Dennis Anderson, Executive Editor, Peoria Journal Star
PANELISTS
Chris Kaergard, Associate Editor | Caterpillar R&D
Phil Luciano, News Columnist | Penicillin mass production
Steve Tarter, News Reporter, ret. | Distilleries
Mike Rucker, Duryea Historian | Duryea car
Free & open to the public! Secure your seat by registering ahead - click here!
Join us for a special evening with our greatest keepers of history and storytellers, our journalists, as they discuss the remarkable, life-changing inventions from Peoria that changed the world.
Peoria, founded in 1680, is Illinois' oldest settlement. It's also home to some of the world's greatest minds and inventions: the first gasoline-powered automobile, invented by the Charles and Frank Duryea; the first diesel-powered engine, invented at Caterpillar; the mass-production of penicillin, invented at the Ag Lab (USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR)); the myriad inventions spawned by Peoria distilleries; the game-changing medical education work by Jump Simulation & Education Center, the White Cane for the Blind, invented by Lions Clubs International member George A. Bonham, and many others.
Moderated by Journal Star Executive Editor Dennis Anderson, our panel of Journal Star journalists, including Chris Kaergard, Phil Luciano, and Steve Tarter, along with historian Mike Rucker, will focus on four of Peoria's most important innovators and inventions.
Free & open to the public! Secure your seat by registering ahead - click here!
You may also register in person at the front desk or call 309.686.7000.
Sponsored by the Journal Star & the Visionary Society
Friday, May 2, 2025 - Sunday, May 4, 2025
This May, the Peoria Riverfront Museum becomes the Happiest Place on Earth! Join us, for Disney Fest!
Disney Fest 2025 brings to life decades of Disney, with special activities that are fun for the whole family! Experience classic Disney films, shorts, and documentaries on the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Giant Screen Theater, the largest Film Society screen in America. 2025's Disney Fest brings more to the movies: join us for a Disney Trivia Night, an exclusive talk on the creation of iconic Disney character Tinker Bell, animation workshops, and so much more!
Renowned Disney author and historian J.B. Kaufman will join us for fascinating pre-film talks and post-film Q&As as well as book signings after select films. Mr. Kaufman is a film historian and author who specializes in Disney animation history and silent films. His books include The Fairest One of All, Pinocchio: The Making of the Disney Epic, and Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse.
Award-winning author, historian, filmmaker, educator and musician, Mindy Johnson will return to the Peoria Riverfront Museum for pre- and post- film discussion on the history of women in Disney animation. Her books include Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, Tinker Bell: An Evolution, and Pencils, Pens & Brushes: A Great Girls’ Guide to Disney Animation.
For the full schedule of Disney Films, click HERE.
Programming Schedule:
Friday, May 2, 2025
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Sunday, May 4, 2025
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Disney Fest 2025 is sponsored by Visionary Society, Friends of Art, and Illinois Arts Council
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars: Exploring the Universe
May 9 | 7-9 PM
Astronomers have been using the Hubble Space Telescope to discover new views of our ancient universe for 35 years. We will be celebrating some of Hubble’s best images this evening, including the new anniversary image released in April. Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan will show you what you can see in the evening sky, and end the night with a flight through our Solar System, to the Milky Way and beyond.
Each ticket includes up to three glasses of wine or other drinks and a charcuterie box from Bella’s Charcuterie.
Doors open at 6:50 PM
The program will be in two parts, allowing time to socialize and refill your wine glass between the shows.
Ages 21+
$45 members | $55 public
Presented by Commerce Bank
May 15, 2025 - September 25, 2024 | Thursday Nights | Doors Open at 6 p.m., Performance at 7 p.m.
Join us on the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Sun Plaza for a summer music series featuring local and regional jazz artists, inspired by Preston Jackson's Bronzeville to Harlem: An American Story . This series event will take place select Thursdays from May 15, 2025 to September 25, 2025, featuring artists from the Chicago area as well as regional and local musicians. Get down and boogie with us!
Cash bar available.
Ticket prices
Members- $10
Non-Members- $15
Student- $7
Visionary Society-$7
Ticket price includes admission to Preston Jackson's Bronzeville to Harlem: An American Story.
Schedule of events
May 15, 2025 | Rogue Parade (The Greg Ward Band)
Get tickets HERE
Saxophonist, composer and producer Greg Ward out of Chicago, Illinois, with Peoria ties, presents his new band Rogue Parade to kick off the 2025 Rhumboogie on the Plaza Series. Born in Peoria in 1982, Greg Ward has evolved into a musician with focus and vision. As a student at Northern Illinois University, began composing for NIU’s jazz combos and started performing in jazz clubs in Chicago. After graduating with a degree in in Jazz Studies/Saxophone Performance, Ward stayed in the Midwest to expand his musical experiences, composing and performing with the International
Contemporary Ensemble, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Series, and commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago for a new composition, Ward performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival in 2009. That same year, he made the move to NYC, became immersed in the jazz scene, produced and released his first CD, and collaborated with renowned jazz musicians. In 2012, Ward was selected as one of the New Music USA Van Lier Fellows. In 2014, he premiered Capturing Sunlight, and hour-long septet performance that included a short documentary by Diana Quinones Rivera.
Commissioned by the Jazz Gallery, the collaborative project was inspired by the life and work of Preston Jackson. Ward tours internationally and performs with various prestigious ensembles, but continues to favor Peoria, Illinois with occasional performances, with a very warm welcome home.
June 26, 2025 | Todd Kelly and the Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra ft. Maggie Sloter
Get tickets HERE
Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra, founded in 1998, is a seventeen-piece big band committed to keeping the ‘big jazz’ sound alive in central Illinois. CIJO is made up of professional and semi-professional musicians from the heart of Illinois that include music educators, business professionals, and full time performers. The group plays classic jazz charts from Count Basie, to Stan Keaton, and from Duke Ellington to Maynard Ferguson. The CIJO is fronted by trumpeter and Bradley University’s Todd Kelly. and at this performance, the vocal stylings of the one and only Maggie Sloter.
July 24, 2025 | Pippi and Daniel Music & the Experience
Get tickets HERE
Pippi Ardennia and Daniel Leahy are composers and recording artists that create intentional, soul-stirring music that ignites self-empowerment and inspires positive change. The will showcase a 9-piece jazz band to perform at this special Rhumboogie on the Plaza in July. Pippi and Daniel are songwriters and performers that have individually been in the Music and Entertainment Business for the majority of their lives. When these two dynamos connected they realized they shared the same vision and purpose for themselves and the planet. Their purpose is to create a legacy of transformational music which can change lives by allowing new perspectives and ideas to entertain the listeners. This powerful and loving couple have set the intention to restore humanity one heart at a time.
August 28, 2025 | Lenard Simpson Quartet
Get tickets HERE
Lenard Simpson is a saxophonist, composer and educator from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lenard was mostly self-taught through high school, but his natural ability and musicianship earned him accolades such as membership in the esteemed Grammy Camp Jazz Session, and an outstanding soloist award at the Mingus Jazz Competition in New York City. Lenard has had the opportunity to play and travel with artists such as pianist and composer-Billy Childs, Kurt Elling, Marquis Hill, and Clayton Cameron. Lenard received a B.M in Jazz performance at Northern Illinois University. While studying at NIU, Lenard was awarded first place in Chicago’s esteemed Luminarts Jazz Competition. Upon graduation, Lenard moved to Chicago and soon became one of the city’s top call saxophonists playing sideman to legendary local drummers, George Fludas and Charles Heath. Lenard’s trio has appeared at premier clubs and jazz festivals throughout the Chicago and Milwaukee area. Lenard recently graduated from the Thelonious Monk Institute Fellowship, which has since been renamed to the Herbie Hancock Institute where he was selected by a panel of Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, James Newton and Ambrose Akinmusire.
September 25, 2025 | Preston Jackson and Friends | Season Finale!
Get tickets HERE
American painter, sculpture, painter, educator and musician. We’re ending our Rhumboogie 2025 series by highlighting
the inspiration of the entire series: Preston Jackson’s Bronzeville to Harlem: An American Story. Joined by some of the most experienced
musician in the city, Preston Jackson and Friends performing at the Peoria Riverfront Museum is always a delight.
Rhumboogie on the Plaza is presented by Commerce Bank
Sponsored by Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, Visionary Society, Friends of Bronzeville to Harlem and Friends of Performance
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all-new 3D experience & fresh playlist!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
May 23
6:00 – Laser AC/DC
7:15 – Laser Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
8:30 – Laser Floyd: The Wall
June 13
6:00 – Laser ABBA (new show!)
7:15 – Laser Prince
8:30 – Laser Zeppelin: Lazed and Confused
$7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
Saturday, June 7, 2025 | Reception at 5:30 p.m., Program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Experience silent film as never before in the first-ever partnership between the Peoria Riverfront Museum and The Museum of Modern Art, New York, featuring new restorations from MoMA’s renowned collection.
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is proud to present a digitally restored version of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1925 Lady Windermere’s Fan with live musical accompaniment featuring the Peoria Symphony Orchestra. This special performance offers an extraordinary evening combining the art of film with a live musical score that elevates the cinema into a truly immersive experience.
Saturday, June 7, 2025
5:30 p.m. - Welcome reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
6:30 p.m. – Performance begins in the Giant Screen Theater
Tickets $50 for members, $65 for non-members
Lady Windermere's Fan. 1925. USA. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Screenplay by Julien Josephson, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. With Ronald Colman, May McAvoy, Bert Lytell, Irene Rich. Restored by The Museum of Modern Art, with the financial support of Matthew and Natalie Bernstein. Accompanied by a new score compiled, synchronized, and edited by Gillian B. Anderson, based on a cue sheet issued by the Tax-Free Music Co. compiled by Michael Hoffman for the original release. 94 minutes.
This film program is organized by Dave Kehr, Curator of Film, Sean Egan, Senior Producer, Film Exhibitions and Projects, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Live musical accompaniment featuring the Peoria Symphony Orchestra
Presented by Flo and Sid Banwart
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all-new 3D experience & fresh playlist!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
June 13
6:00 – Laser ABBA (new show!)
7:15 – Laser Prince
8:30 – Laser Zeppelin: Lazed and Confused
$7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
