The Young Professionals of Galesburg are having a First Friday to Benefit Haiti Relief!! The Y.P.G. will be selling Walking Tacos, there will be door prizes, a drawing for 5 pairs of tickets to the Chris Beard Show on February 7th, 50/50 drawing.  ALL proceeds will go to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.  Come out, have fun and help the people of Haiti.

The Galesburg Civic Art Center is proud to persent an exhibition by local photographer Tom Foley, entitled Helena and Hopson.  An opening reception will take place on Friday, February 5th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM, the reception is free and open to the public and the artist will be present.  Tom will be giving a gallery talk on Thursday, February 18th at 7:00 PM in the Art Center gallery, the talk is titled "Where is Helena and What is Hopson?",  it will shed light on Tom's new work.  The public is invited to attend and the exhibition is free. 

The Galesburg Civic Art Center's retail store One12 will feature the work of local potter Christine Dokolasa in the month of February.  Mrs. Dokloasa will be present at One12 on Friday, February 5th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM to showcase her work and answer questions.  Christine Dokolasa is a Galesburg native who has found a love for creating beautiful platters and bowls with clay.  Of working with clay, Christine says: "I love working with clay.  It is such a versatile media.  Not only does it allow me to work with three-dimensional form, but I can also attend to the clay surface in many different ways.  My possibilities are endless."

The Knox-Galesburg Symphony Trio featuring David Suda on violin, Carolyn Suda on cello and Bruce Polay on piano.  They will be performing Robert Schumann's Second Piano Trio.

Presentation by Living Lands & Water founder Chad Pregracke.  Pregracke is the founder of America's only "industrial strength" river clean-up organization.  Living Lands & Water, a not-for-profit organization based in East Moline is dedicated to cleaning up and preserving the nation's rivers.  Since the project's inception in 1998, Chad, his crew & over 60,000 volunteers have collected over Six Million pounds of debris from the nation's greatest rivers. During his presentation "Helping to Clean America's Rivers," Pregracke tells a compelling and funny story about growing up on the river and how his river experiences led to his unique vision to clean up the Mississippi River.  This event is free and open to the public.

Judy Koon, visiting professor of art at Knox College will give a talk about her landscape paintings.  Koon's works have been exhibited in New York, Chicago & Portland, Oregon.  The exhibit features Koon's landscape paintings of Umbria, Italy & the Hudson Valley of New York.  She creates "a sense of flux and fleeting beauty, as well as a feeling of immersion in the elemental vitality of the natural world," writes Keven Wixted of the Lohin Geduld Gallery.  The exhibit will be on display through February 12 in the gallery immediately outside the lecture site in the Round Room.  The lecture is FREE and open to the public.

Bring your favorite partner and come dance the evening away to Big Band Era music.

The Juanito Pascual Trio will perform a concert of flamenco music at 7 PM.  Pascual will lead a hands-on workshop in flamenco at 4 PM.  Dance scholar Michelle Heffner Hayes will give a talk "Somos Anti-Guapas: Against Beauty in Contemporary Flamenco" at 5 PM.  Her talk will examine the gender dynamics of contemporary flamenco and women dancers who question their own gendered positions within the dance.   All events are FREE and open to the public.

The Galesburg Historical Society presents their annual Chocolate Festival featuring homemade and commercially made chocolate treats.  It is an endless buffet of tortes, trifles, cheesecake, brownies, fudge, cookies, cakes, pies, candies, chocolate punch and much more all with the main ingredient of CHOCOLATE!!   Definately a chocolate lover's dream.  Chocolate art contest, games, prizes, live entertainment, fun for the entire family.  Being held on the third floor of the Galesburg Antiques Mall, please use the elevator.  There will be a Chocolate Fountain!!

The Maple City Antique Tractor Association's 10th Annual Tractor Show.  Bring the family and celebrate the 10th Anniversary of a community favorite event.  A variety of tractors will be rolling into Sandburg Mall.  There are typically 80 - 90 tractors on display.  This year's featured tractor is the Massey Ferguson.  Nationally known painter Charles Freitag will be set-up in center court painting and selling pictures that depict American farm life.  Reinertson's Embroidery will once again have a kiosk set-up in Kmart Court selling a wide variety of tractor design sweatshirts and t-shirts.  Children will have an opportunity to jump in the Jorge of the Jungle Bounce House in Center Court Saturday from 11:00 am - 3:00 PM.  There will be a FREE concert by Missy Vail on Sunday, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM in center court.  Bring the whole family and enjoy the day.

Valentine's Day Package!!  A wonderful evening for you and your sweetheart for Valentine's Day.  Package includes Dinner for Two (off the menu), Bottle of Champagne (complimentary in your room), Hot Breakfast (morning of departure), Deluxe Accommodations (in our well appointed guest rooms).  What a perfect way to say I Love you to your special some one.  Cost is $139.

A Magical Tea Party  On Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 2:00 PM A Magical Tea Party is being held.  There will be a program on fairies by author Sandra McCone, a free copy of "The Secret in Nana's Garden" and a CD signed by the author, introduction of her new book, "The Magical Tea Party", tea and goodies and a fairy wand for all.  So put on your party clothes and hat and fairy wings if you like and join the magic of the The Three Little Lasses.

Tickets are $16 each, limited seating, call 309-344-3288 for reservations, deadline for reservations is February 13th.  Program starts promptly at 2:00 so get there early.  Tickets may be picked up at the Welcome Center at any time.

Treat your Valentine to a special night of great comedy!!!  Tim Wilson is a regular on the Bob & Tom show as well as the Bob & Tom All Star theater tour.  As a recording artist for Capital records Tim has released 8 CD's and had numerous hit records including "First Baptist Bar and Grill" and many others.  Tim has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CMT, Grace Under Fire, A and E, and has opened for many acts in Vegas and Atlantic City.  He has appeared at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

Area bird fans are invited to join the Galesburg Area Bird Club for a birdwatching walk at Lake Storey, leaving from the Joe E. Anderson are promptly at 7:30 am.  Bring your cameras and lets hope to see many of our area birds.

The Nova Singers present Morning Light and Evening Rest, a program of contrasts, from the dark anguish and radiant joy of Brahms' Warum ist das Licht gegeben, to the richness of Lauridsen's Nocturnes and the beauty of folk songs.  This program will also be performed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, IA on Sunday, February 21 at 4:00 PM.

The Western Illinois American Red Cross presents the 15th Annual Country Concert.  Featuring: Joe Diffie; "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)", "Third Rock From the Sun" and Hazzard County. 

GREAT BOWLS of SOUP!!!! Galesburg Civic Art Center is proud to present their 2nd Annual Great Bowl of Soup Fundraiser, come join us for a soup supper where you get to keep the bowl which will be created by a local artist. Bowls created by; April Devena, Chris Dokolasa, Dove Tail Arts, Chuck Flagg, Jeffrey Goard, Jared Lacy, Melissa Ziegler Monroe, Gabe Moreno, Matt Moyer, Sheridan Ray, Susie Richardson, Mary Schuytema, Linda Sickmon, Caleb Thompson or Tracy Wilmes.  Bread provided by Cornucopia.  Soups provided by; Best Western Prairie Inn, Budde's Pizza, Chez Willy's, Cornucopia/Uncle Billy's Bakery, Innkeeper's Coffee, Landmark Cafe, Packinghouse Dining Company, Q's Cafe, and Vintages. Tickets are $20 at door $15 in advance, tickets available from any Board member, Budde's Pizza, Chez Willy's, Dove Tail Arts, Innkeeper's Coffee, Q's Cafe, and the Galesburg Civic Art Center.

Bring your family to the Winter Carnival and get rid of some of the yearly cabin fever!!  The Winter Carnival will include the following activities: Chris the Crayon Inflatable Bounce House, Slide from Fun on the Run.  Balloon art from the Unique Twist, face painting provided by Alethea Penteric.  There will be a craft table set up, register to win prizes. Bring the whole family as all activities are FREE!!!!

Come and enjoy a day of classes and fun!!!  The 27th Annual Class Day offers over 40 classes presented by volunteer instructors on many topics of current interest including food, collecting, history, technology, day tripping, personal enrichment and much more.  Instructors come from the educational, legal, local businesses and other venues.  Choose five 50 minute classes (some are two 50 minute classes) with lunch included in the registration.  Teachers earn 5 CPU credits, scholarships are available for 4-H members and the public is invited and welcomed..  Early registration is recommended as class size is limited, first registrants get first choice of classes.

"The Saxophone,"  FREE Knox-Galesburg Symphony (KGS) concert preview for preschool through 5th grade children.  It will be presented by Russell Peterson, KGS alto saxaphone soloist.  The program is co-sponsored by the KGS & Friends of the Galesburg Public Library in cooperation with Galesburg School District 205 and is open to the public.

The Knox-Galesburg Symphony concert featuring saxophonist and composer Russell Peterson.  The KGS will perform Concerto for Alto Saxophone, a composition of  Peterson as well as Miacomet Dreaming by Carson Cooman and Tchailovsky's Symphony Nr. 4 in F minor.