An evening at Rent One Park was very nice last Thursday, with a nice breeze to help keep us cool, along with the $1 soda that is that night's draw. A hot dog and Mr. Koolz strawberry treat added to the enjoyment of watching the Miners. And, even though they lost, it was still a good night of baseball.
Invited by friends, and with people we knew, in front and behind us, there was lots of visiting underway. And, if you haven't been to a game yet this season, hurry out and have a nice evening.
College baseball will be coming to Rent One Park, with the signing of a contract with the Ohio Valley Conference to hold their tournament there in 2019 and 2020. It should be a major economic advantage, bringing in lots of people to stay in the hotels, eat at our restaurants, and buy gas and other necessities of life in our shops. And, they will all get to enjoy our southern hospitality!
• More to come at Rent One will be summer concerts, including St. Louis rapper, Nelly, on Saturday, July 21. On July 22, will be a Christian musical group, Passion Worship. Marion's own Worship Band of Cornerstone Church will open the July 22 event. The first in the series will be on July 20, when country artist, Luke Combs, brings a concert to the stage. Ticket information can be had on facebook.com/pepsi618.
• Mark your date book for the first "Southern Illinois Made Expo" to be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29, at The Pavilion. Anyone wanting a vendor booth, starting at $50, can contact the Marion Chamber of Commerce at 997-6311. This event will be a partnership between State Senator Dale Fowler and the Southern Illinois Chambers of Commerce. This will be a great opportunity to view and purchase merchandise made in our own Southern Illinois. Come out and enjoy!
Stop in at Little Egypt Art Association Centre and enjoy the exhibit of "All God's Creatures," a collection of art genres, that include plants, animals, insects, and people, all created by local artists. The showing will continue through June 30.
• To celebrate the Sesquicentennial, the LEAA Centre will be showing a collection of art, "Historic Structures," that will open on July 2. Stop in and take a look!
• The Marion Garden Club will be holding a meeting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 18, at the Heartland Christian Church on Boyton Street. Visitors are welcome, and you don't have to have a green thumb to join this active club. The program that day will be "Preparing Horticulture to Show at Fairs," presented by Bryan Stearns and Lynn Love.
• Coming up at the Egyptian Hills Resort will be another in their summer concert series, an "AC/DC Tribute" with sounds of that group. The gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the music begins at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 30.
The concerts are held on a stage overlooking the beautiful Lake of Egypt and should the weather be not so nice, there is an indoor facility as plan B. Tickets can be ordered from egyptianhillsresort.com.
Another entertainment event coming up at Egyptian Hills Resort will be the showing of "Jaws," the movie, starting at dusk on Friday, June 29.
• If the great outdoors is calling, be at the Cache River Wetlands Center at 10 a.m. for "Natural Areas of Illinois," on Saturday, June 23. Call 618-657-2065.
• At 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 24, learn about rare plants of Southern Illinois at Giant City State Park visitor center. Call 618-457-4836.
• Keep in mind that June 29 is Marion Community Night at Rent One Park. Get your tickets at the Marion Chamber of Commerce at 2305 West Main through June 25 at 4 p.m. A portion of the ticket sales will go to the MHS Grad Spree.
• Ladies! Save the date of July 11, for another luncheon at Kokopelli's by the Southern Illinois Women's Connection of Stonecroft Ministries. The program, Diamonds in the Rough, will be brought by Rachel Kramer, with music by she and Maria Kramer Wolfe. Call for reservations, at $17, at 618-889-7426 or 618-889-6089 by July 6.
• The Second Act of Southern Illinois Healthcare is offering an opportunity to get out of town for a while with their coach trips. On September 29-October 7, enjoy all that Maine has to offer. On July 17, a one-day trek to a mansion with a performance while you enjoy lunch, and then take a tour. On August 29, board a steamboat at Grafton, IL. for a 2-hour cruise with lunch on the Illinois River. Call 877-480-4040 for details.
• Seeing three of our great-grands splashing in the water at The Hub on Facebook, was a reminder that this would be a great place to take your visiting grands on a hot and humid day.
• Coming up at Marion Cultural and Civic Center will be Jimmy Fortune at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 29.
Get your books here! At 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, June 22-
23, the Carnegie Library will be holding another book sale, at bargain prices, for your summertime reading.
• We welcome your newsy happenings in this, your community column. Tell us about your new grand, an anniversary, a birthday celebration, church events, or a summer trip or your recent house guests. Call 995-2491; email to dixieterry85@yahoo.com; or via mail to 101 Sidney Lane, Goreville, 62939.
Enjoy the week around town!
