Weekend’s Best Bets

Antique road show

It’s an even dozen this year as the annual Antique Auto Exhibition at Bloomington’s David Davis Mansion returns for the 12th time Saturday. You can bet your sweet hood ornament that there’ll be a lot more than a dozen vehicles on display. In fact, the current estimate is around 75 cars hailing from the early 1900s through the ancient ’70s. In addition to being on display, they’ll also be part of the event’s traditional “Parade of Progress” cruise round the grounds at 2 p.m. On tap, too: a bevy of Illinois Country Music Association performers, picnic goodies for sale and non-motorized (i.e., walking) tours of the manse itself. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: $2 donation. For more car talk: (309) 828-1084.

Past perfect

Blasts from the past will reverberate through the length and breadth of downtown Decatur’s annual summer fete, the Decatur Celebration, which sprawls over several dozen city blocks Friday through Sunday, and is stocked with about half as many (11) entertainment stages. Filling them will be the golden-oldie likes of Edgar Winter, the Bay City Rollers, the Smithereens, Jr. Walker’s All-Stars, Vince Vance, Otis Day & The Knights from Animal House’ and lots more where they came from (i.e., the past). They’ll come from more recent times, too, including current hit-makers The Plain White T’s and Christian rockers Caedmon’s Call. Plus tons o’ carnival rides, food and more. Hours: 4 to 11 tonight (carnival rides only), 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Adam at em

Now that he’s out of high school and heading to higher education, local jazz prodigy Adam Larson will no longer be wowing audiences with his regular gigs around town, fronting various ensemble configurations, from trios to quartets to quintets. According to dad John Larson (no mean jazz drummer himself), it appears our last chance to catch the U High sax wunderkind before he splits will be at 7 tonight in a free concert at Morton’s Idlewood Park.

In towns

Among other offerings in B-N this week are … the McLean County Fair, tonight through Sunday at the Interstate Center in Bloomington … the McLean County Dance Association Grand Opening Celebration, 6 to 7:30 tonight at the new studios at 1316 E. Empire St., Suite C, Bloomington … the Indian Music Society’s Classic Vocal Music Festival, with concerts Friday at One Normal Plaza’s Normal Community Hall, One Normal Plaza, and Sunday at 1901 Woodfield Road, Bloomington … and In a Dark Dark House, the Neil LaBute drama premiering at 8 p.m. Friday as a TheatersCool production on the stage of downtown Bloomington’s Black Box Theatre.

Around towns

Outside B-N city limits, this week’s options include … comedian- juggler Jason Huneke, 7 o’clock tonight in Champaign’s Virginia Theater … Smoke on the Mountain, premiering its late-summer run tonight at Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theater near Goodfield … and the Logan County Fair, tonight through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Lincoln … Minier’s Corn Daze, Saturday and Sunday downtown.

Down the road- Flatt-liners: A reminder that country threesome Rascal Flatts’ return to Central Illinois – 8 p.m. Sept. 19 in the Peoria Civic Center Arena – goes on sale this weekend. Tickets, priced at $48.25 and $63.50, are up for grabs at 10 a.m. Saturday via the PCC box office and area Ticketmaster outlets. Teen country sensation Taylor Swift is the opener.- A second round for Ron: Whiskey-swilling comedian Ron White’s first Peoria Civic Center Theater show was such a fast-seller back in June that the glasses need to be refilled. So a second date for the Blue Collar Comedy alum has been added to the original Sept. 19 concert (which goes head-to-head with Rascal Flatts in the Arena, see above), this one set for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18. Tickets are again $39.75, and go on sale at noon Friday via the above channels.-

– Dan Craft

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