The Teen Challenge Annual Fundraiser Banquet will be held at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria tonight beginning at 6:30 pm.  Tickets are $35 each or $350 for a table of 10 and are available by calling 673-3716. Special guest speaker wil be Don Wilkerson, the co-founder of Teen Challenge.

Costaki Economopoulos returns to the Jukebox Comedy Club for 5 peformances: tonight at 8 pm and Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and 10:30 pm both nights.  The show is rated PG-18.  Tickets are $16 or $15 with cash,  except for the tonight's show and the Friday late show which are just $12 with cash.

The Neil Simon comedy Rumors continues at Conklins Barn 2 Diner Theatre this weekend with doors opening at 6 pm, buffet at 6:30 pm, and the show at 8 pm tonight through Saturday and doors & buffet open at noon with the show beginning at 1:30 pm on Sunday. Prices are $30 for Thursdays, $32 for Fridays and Sunday brunch and $34 for Saturdays. For more information, call 965-2545 or click HERE.

Wildlife Prairie State Park holds its Annual Rummage Sale/"Fun-Raiser" today through Sunday from 8 am - 4 pm at the Parkside Pavilion, located across from the main entrance to the park. Admission to the park is not required. Call 676-0998 for more information.

Spider Hill at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe is back with The Haunted Express, the Massacre Mansion and Trail of Terror plus the Boo Barn for Kids (which is not so scary). Gates open Friday at 6 pm, activities begin at 7 pm and run through 11 pm each night. Tickets are $8 per attraction or wristbands including unlimited "scares" plus a balloon ride are $20.  For more information call 274-8837 or click HERE.

The ICC Theatre Deptartment presents A Party to Murder on Friday & Saturday  with performances begin at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:30 pm.  Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students & senior citizens.  For more information or to order tickets, call 694-5136.

Peoria Area Community Events (PACE) presents their annual Ribfest & Chili Cook-Off at Fesvial Park on the Peoria Riverfront on Friday & Saturday.  There will be great food, live music including Nootril Drop, Mister Sister and American English (a Beatles Tribute Band) on Friday night plus Danny Fox (Bob Dylan Tribute act), Coco Loco and Ronnie Baker Brooks with South Side Cindy & the Sliptones on Saturday. For more details, click HERE.

Then Auto Show for Arthritis Mega Cruise will be held from 5 - 9 pm on Saturday in the streets of downtown Peoria & from 8 am - 3 pm on Sunday on the Peoria riverfront.  The event is free to attend.  There will be entertainment, food vendors, raffles and an old-fashioned "Main Street Cruise" with an early bird cruise-in at the Rib Fest at Noon on the riverfront on Saturday and live music, food, shopping, a kid's corner plus a silent aution & 50/50 raffle on Sunday.  For more information, call 682-6600.

A Year with Frog & Toad, Kids presented by Corn Stock for Kids at the Corn Stock Theater Center continues Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children 12 & under and are available at the Corn Stock Box Office or by calling 676-2196. 

Preston Jackson & Friends will perform at the Contemporary Art Center's Live at the Five Spot on Friday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. Tickets are $7 for members and $10 for non-members. 
The CAC also presents Salsa at CAC, a Latin dance lesson and open dancing on Friday: the dance lesson runs from 8:30 - 9:30 pm with open dancing from 9:30 pm -12:30 am featuring DJ Ed Caballero. Admission is $3 for CAC members and $6 non-members.

The American Red Cross Young Leaders Cabinet presents "Party Like It's 1989," a "Thriller" prom event to benefit the Central Illinois Chapter from 6 - 11 pm on Friday night at the Packard Plaza.  Relive the magic of your high school Prom with a night of '80s music and dancing, taking posed photos and voting for king and queen. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information, call 677-7272 Extension 216.

Join the Paranormal Investigation Tour on Friday and Saturday night as they explore the darker side of Macomb Illinois. Cost is $13 and meets at Sullivan Taylor Coffee house at 7 pm.

The 42nd Annual Spoon River Drive in Fulton County is this Saturday & Sunday as well as next weekend. For more information, call 647-8980 or click to go to the Fulton County Tourism Council website.

The Peoria Rivermen Season Opener is against the Grand Rapids Griffins is begining at 7 p.m on Saturday night in the Peoria Civic Center (Carver) Arena. On Sunday at 3 pm, they take on the Rockford Ice Hogs plus it's Family Day:  kids get in for just $1 and hot dogs, chips and Cokes are just $1 each for one hour prior to the game.  There will also be inflatable games, balloon art and face painting plus a post-game skate with the Rivermen players. Tickets are $15 and $20 and are available at the Peoria Civic Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

The 2009  Alzheimer's Assoc. Memory Walk begins at 2 pm Sunday at Liberty Park on the Riverfront.  There is no fee to participate. For more information and to register, click HERE.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk is a two to three mile evening walk on Sunday beginning at the Peoria Riverfront near the CEFCU Stage.  Check in is at 5:30 pm, walk start time is 7 pm.  Prior to the walk, enjoy live entertainment, food, kids activities, and more. For more information, click to go to the Light the Night Walk website.

The 3rd Annual Quentin Yerby Memorial Auction to benefit the Old Times Baseball Association will take place from 1 - 4 pm Sunday at Sky Harbor Steakhouse. A $2 donation includes light lunch, admission to silent auction and the Raffle Ticket drawing at 3 pm. For more information, call 369-0821 or go to the Sky Harbor website.