Alton Main Street Newsletter March 2024

Director’s Note ~

Calling all creatives! Join us on Sat, March 23rd from Noon-3pm for the Halfway to Earthtones Artist Gathering at Jacoby Arts Center. This will be a brainstorming session for art installations, theme, collaborations, etc. to take place at the Mississippi Earthtones Festival on 9/17. All are welcome to get involved in this celebration of our river through art, music & conservation, and we have resources to help bring your big art ideas to life!

A sure sign of spring is hearing about Community Easter Egg Hunts! Alderwoman Rosie Brown invites you to her 3rd Annual event on Sat, March 30th from Noon-3pm, to be held at Rock Spring Park (2115 College Ave.) You may call her with any questions at 618-580-2394 and she hopes to see you and your little ones there!

~ Sara McGibany, Executive Director

Sharing Space: Honeybee Vintage, Moondrops + Wellness, Alton Odyssey Tours and Grotto Bike Rental!

Mom Said No and Mississippi Hippie are moving… across the street!

The grand (re)opening of two more downtown retail shops has now become a chance for the Riverbend community to come together for a day of fun, free entertainment, refreshments, and great deals!

Mom Said No offers an assortment of classic toys, collectibles and gift ideas, and Mississippi Hippie serves as the area’s authentic hippie and boho clothing shop. Since 2018, both had been located in the historic Mineral Springs Hotel, and are now moving across the street into the same space at 300 E. Broadway, the previous location of A&A Boutique.

A celebration at their new home will be held on Sat, 3/30 from 11am-6pm, featuring live music, free refreshments, raffle baskets, giveaways, new inventory and vendors, and 20% off the entire store (vintage collectibles not included)! Enjoy live entertainment courtesy of FreakShow Deluxe, a carnival style sideshow, with performances at 12:30, 2, 3, and 5pm that will include fire breathing, body modifications, and much more!

Rushmore Boutique is headed to the CWE

After five fabulous years in Alton, we’re moving to a new location in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. Join us in our last month as we bid a bittersweet farewell to our Alton location, and get ready to explore our stylish new space at 4742 McPherson Ave. We’ll still be open in Alton throughout March, with hours on Thursday & Friday from 12pm-5pm and Saturdays 11am-3pm. Follow our journey on social media (@rushmoreboutique) and our website (www.rushmoreboutique.com). A big thank you to everyone who helped support us in Alton – we can’t wait to welcome you to our new location! Sign up for our emails on the Rushmore website for a special invite and details on our grand opening.

Another move- LuciAnna’s and Epicurean Fare 

It’s sad to lose Epicurean Fare & LuciAnna’s Pastries downtown, but also very exciting that they will be reopening at the stunning property at 1020 W. Delmar in Godfrey (formerly Strangelovely) later this month! The restaurant will be rebranded as LuciAnna’s Bistrot & Patisserie, and the catering arm of the business will be known as Epicurean Fare.

My Just Desserts closing March 30th

We bid farewell to My Just Desserts at the end of March; this Alton staple will be sorely missed…you can still place orders for Easter! Call (618) 462-5881 or send an email to myjustdessertsalton@gmail.com to order.

St. Pat’s Pub Crawl

Presented by the RiverBend Growth Association and the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau- May the luck o’ the Irish be with you in Downtown Alton on Sat, March 16th! Celebrate all things Ireland with beer, food, entertainment and games, available from 11am until 7pm. From green beer to corned beef, Irish car bomb drinks to great music, Alton bars will pull out all the stops.

Participating businesses include: Bluff City Gril, The Brown Bag Bistro, Bubby & Sissy’s, Catdaddy’s, Danny’s Lounge, The Firehouse, Johnson’s Corner, Mac’s Time-Out, Morrison’s Irish Pub, Ragin’ Cajun Piano Bar, Slotty’s, State Street Market, The Conservatory, and Tony’s Steakhouse & Bar.

There is no entry charge, and free shuttle service will be provided running a continuous loop throughout the event. For a list of shuttle stops as well as specials, entertainment and activities at each location, please visit THIS LINK.

It’s a birthday party at Old Bakery Beer!

Old Bakery Beer is turning 9, and throwing a party to celebrate! Buzz’d Beer Festival is set for Sun, March 24th from 1-5pm. Tickets are $35 and include a commemorative glass, samples of over 50 different beers, and live music from Loftys Comet! Plus you can feel good knowing that a portion of proceeds will support the Piasa Palisades Sierra Club and their work with pollinators! Click here for tickets!

Bridged LLC

Welcome to Bridged LLC, your loyal business ally partnering with entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. From launching your organization and ensuring all the legal boxes are checked – to providing full back office support so you can devote your time and energy on doing what your business does best – we are the bridge to your success.

Find them at THIS LINK,  314-884-0033 or Hello@BridgedLLC.com

YWCA of SW IL 

For over 30 years, YWCA has recognized 300+ area female leaders for their exceptional contributions to community, eliminating racism and empowering women. YWCA is hosting our 33rd Annual Women of Distinction event on Thurs, April 25 at the Lewis & Clark Community
College Commons. Support opportunities are available for area businesses, which include event seating, and additional marketing. Contributions support critical programming including Riverbend Reading, Community Tutoring, Youth Support Groups and Racial/Social justice. Purchase tickets or make a donation at THIS LINK.

Please contact Dorothy Hummel, Executive Director with any questions at execdirector@ywcaswil.org or 618-465-7774.

Senior Services Plus

We have a lot of great programming coming up, including a presentation from Chestnut Health Systems on promoting safe medication practices in an effort to prevent the misuse of prescription drugs on 3/12,  a presentation from LCCC Dental Hygiene students on 3/15 which is applicable to all stages of life and dental health, including those with appliances like dentures and partials, as well as the Advocacy Manager for the Illinois State Treasurer who will give a presentation on Unclaimed Property on 3/22. Their team will also perform free, unclaimed property searches, RSVP required.

For details call 618-465-3298; located at 2603 North Rodgers Ave.

Theodora Farms

Our annual plant sale is open for online pre-ordering! We will have vegetables, herbs and flowers available for pick up at our FarmStore this spring. Visit this link for more details.

River Bend Yoga

What is a yoga workshop? Workshops are longer yoga sessions specifically focusing on a concept, posture, or theme; sometimes, delicious eats, healing energies, or takeaways come with the experience. This month’s workshops include:

3/9 Grow Your Crow hosted by Shea Radcliff
3/17 Spring Prep Workshop hosted by Kali Mills and Amanda Vaughn
3/24 Restorative Yoga with Reiki hosted by Emily Zipprich and Stephanie Greenhalgh
3/24 Vasisthasana and Visvamitrasana (Side Plank Variations) – Parables and Poses hosted by Breann Bailey

Namaste!

2nd Annual Wedding Expo at Post Commons

Back by popular demand, Post Commons is hosting its second annual Wedding Expo in their beautiful event space at 300 Alby Street!

Have you recently gotten engaged? Then don’t miss this fun and informative event on Sun, March 10th from 11am-2pm that will leave you feeling prepared! Dozens of wedding themed vendors will have booths at the event with samples and examples of their offerings.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 on the day of the event—get yours today by clicking here!

Alton Little Theater announces its 91st Season

ALT’s ’24 – ’25 season will showcase the following Mainstage Shows:
MAKING GOD LAUGH (September Comedy),
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (New Adaptation for the whole family in December),
THE eXes (Jan.’25 Comedy),
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Musical in March ‘25), and
WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE (May ’25 Comedy).

The Extra Extra Entertainment Series begins with a
DISNEY TRIBUTE (June),
LIONEL BART’S OLIVER (Musical in August),
ROCKY HORROR (October), and
THE BEST OF THE BEST OF BROADWAY (November).

The STUDIO SERIES will feature two plays:
FRONT PORCH and the
WIDOW LINCOLN’S HAUNTING (February ‘25)

Tickets to individual shows as well as Season Tickets are available at this link right here!

Enjoy early bird pricing by purchasing now! Any questions? Box Office: 618-462-3205