Normal
Normal, IL · Lifestyle
smilepolitely.com
Str8 Drip added to The Yard
The Yard on Broadway food hall has a brand-new business in the house. Str8 Drip has replaced Columbia Street Roastery’s short-lived cafe location, joining The Yard as the seventh vendor. The rebranded cafe is owned by Smith Restaurant Group (Smith Burger Co, Regal Pig, Public House 1833, and The Yard) and will still serve the same menu of coffee and assorted pastries. The owners told me they will slowly roll out even more food and drink options.
smilepolitely.com
A brief glimpse through A Window Into Tennessee
If you’re even a casual fan of the works of Tennessee Williams, you know that his backstory, filled with family tragedy, informed the creation and content of many of his plays. This engine of pain, hard as it must have been for him to endure, gave us the ethereal hopelessness of The Glass Menagerie and the brutal poetry of A Streetcar Named Desire. What it took from him, in the process, is the primary focus of A Window Into Tennessee, written by Sandra De Helen and presented October 16 and 17 at Fire Doll Studio under the direction by Dustin Yocum.
takingthekids.com
everafterinthewoods.com
This Small-Town Illinois Bakery Makes Fluffy Donuts That Draw Massive Weekend Crowds
By ten thirty on a Saturday morning, the donut case at one little Illinois bakery can look almost bare, and that is the best compliment it could get. The glazed raised donuts here are big, light, and gone fast, so early birds win the prize. Families stop on their way...
Central Illinois Proud
WCIA
Boo at the Zoo is back at the Scovill Zoo!
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — CI Living Host Kayla Campbell visits the Scovill Zoo and talks to Director Heather Purdeu about some of the animals and Boo at the Zoo. Boo at the Zoo continues for the last two weekends in October. It runs from October 22-25 and the 29-31.
courierpapers.com
Town & Country Gardeners to meet Oct. 27
The Town & Country Gardeners of Washington will meet on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. The program, “Seeds of a Nation,” will be presented by Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle, an Agriculture and Natural Resources (Horticulture) Educator with the University of Illinois Extension serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties.
fastfoodclub.com
This Small-Town Illinois Cafe In A Revamped Gas Station Serves Homemade Pie And Good Coffee
Some people drive an hour across central Illinois just for a slice of pie, and they do it more than once. The building they head for once sold gasoline. Now it pours lattes, keeps a pie case stocked, and runs a drive-thru for folks in a hurry. Gridley is a small town, the kind of place you might pass on the way somewhere else.
WMBD/WYZZ
What’s on Your Table? | Ep. 47: Seasons Gastropub
MORTON, Ill. (WMBD) — To everything there is a season and if you go to Morton, there’s plenty to enjoy when it comes to Seasons Gastropub. The What’s On Your Table? crew headed out there for the weekly “Friday Night Bites” series as the Morton Potters were taking on the Metamora Redbirds at Dozer Park […]
wcbu.org
Museum unveils rare original Abraham Lincoln photo taken in Peoria
The Peoria Riverfront Museum now possesses a rare original ambrotype photograph of Abraham Lincoln that was taken in Peoria. Known as “the Peoria Portrait,” the 1858 image showing Lincoln without a beard was used in his U.S. Senate campaign against Stephen A. Douglas before they both ran for president, four years after Lincoln gave a pivotal speech in Peoria.
25newsnow.com
New Peoria mural celebrates aging and brings generations together
PEORIA (25News Now) -A colorful new mural in Peoria’s Warehouse District is celebrating the importance of connecting people of all ages while recognizing the contributions of older generations. The “Celebrating Generations, Peoria!” mural was officially unveiled Wednesday at C.T. Gabbert Art Park on Southwest Adams Street. The...
smilepolitely.com
Peek in the new Pekara
Pekara Bakery & Bistro has relocated back to Downtown Champaign. The cafe now neighbors Martinelli’s Market & Deli off Walnut Street by Stango Cuisine restaurant. Offering the same menu as the old location, the new Pekara serves toasts, sandwiches, bagels, quiche, omelettes, crepes, soups, pastries, and espresso drinks. The...
smilepolitely.com
Being quintessentially fall with Rachel Coventry of Curtis Orchard
Apples, pumpkins, and cider, oh my. Those things are synonymous with fall, and it just so happens we can find all three at Curtis Orchard, a place also synonymous with fall in Champaign-Urbana. The family-owned and operated orchard has been a C-U institution for generations, with the business celebrating its 46th season in 2026.
Journal Star
Improper hand washing and violations: Peoria food inspections for September
The Peoria City/County Health Department conducts food inspections for a wide range of establishments in the area. Inspections look for issues that could contribute to the spread of foodborne illness , as well as general cleanliness and maintenance of the establishment. The Journal Star examined routine inspections for restaurants, mobile establishments and bars in Peoria County. There were just over 115 inspections for these categories in September. The establishments listed below received either no violations or enough violations to warrant a warning from the health department. A section on establishments with 10 or more violations total − with no warning comment − is also included. According to the Peoria City/County Health Department, "inspections only provide a snapshot of a food establishment's practices, as they are based on what is seen at the time of the inspection." 'Standing sewage' and flies: Peoria County food inspections for August Terminology used by the health department Core violation: These violations relate to "general sanitation, operational controls, sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs), facilities or structures, equipment design, or general maintenance," according to the health department. Priority foundation violation: These violations could lead to priority violations if they are not corrected. Priority violation: These violations are
isu10news.com
Annual Haunted Constitution Trail Returns to Normal
Halloween fun is returning to Constitution Trail as Normal prepares for its annual Haunted Trail, a longtime tradition bringing spooky decorations and seasonal excitement to the community. The Haunted Trail has been a fixture in the area for more than 30 years, drawing people back year after year. “I think...
nowdecatur.com
Heinkel’s Packing Donates Thousands of Pounds of Turkey Legs to Local Food Pantries
October 18, 2026 -Heinkel’s Packing Co. is donating thousands of pounds of hickory-smoked turkey legs to local food pantries, with United Way of Decatur & Mid-Illinois facilitating the distribution. 50 cases of Turkey Legs will be distributed to Neighborhood Care Center in Clinton and Northeast Community Fund will receive...