The Metro East Messenger 2.10.23 Issue

Upcoming Local Events

Live Music Every Weekend at The Cabin at Judy Creek, 3730 S. State Rte. 157, Glen Carbon. Upcoming music, 2/10Salmon Creek, 2/11- Sweetbottom Band, 2/17-Strangers, 2/19- Ryan Hoelting Acoustics, 2/24- Double Wide Duo, 2/26Blake Fultz. Follow their Facebook page for more updates.

2nd Annual Girls Night: Wine, Dine & Design! Feb. 10th, 6-9pm, Taste of Country, Granite City. We are so excited to announce another year of our girl's night Valentine Event! $50 ticket includes variety of appetizers, tea & coffee, dessert sampler, DIY craft and lighted photo booth. We will have specialty cocktails as well as our make your own flower bar for additional purchase! Tickets must be pre-purchased to save your spot, limited tickets available! Tickets can be purchased by calling 618-920-7082.

Sweetheart Dance, Feb. 10th, 6:30-9pm, The Regency, O’Fallon. Formerly the Daddy/Daughter Dance, the Sweetheart Dance is a great opportunity get those dad's or father figures dressed up for night of fun and dancing with their little sweethearts. Participants must pre-register. $60 per pair, each additional daughter is $20. Fee includes a professional photo, food, flowers, and the opportunity to dance the night away! Register at bit.ly/3CHNG0A

Father Daughter Dance 2023, Feb. 11th, 3-5pm, Rec Plex, New Douglas. DJ Angie will provide the music, while you provide the Dance Moves. Dress for the Occasion! Bring your Daughter, Niece, Granddaughter or neighbors' daughter. Pictures will be taken and sent through text or email. Tickets in advance are $10.00 per couple, and $5,00 for each additional young lady. Tickets at the Door are $15.00 per couple, $7.00 for additional young lady. Root Beer Floats and Snacks will be provided. Call Linda 618-402-1726 for more info. For tickets, go to bit.ly/3GVGAYU

Upcoming Local Events

Galentine's Day Market, Feb. 12th, 11:30am-3:30pm, Old Bakery Beer Company, Alton. Grab your gals and come down to The Old Bakery Beer Company for this seasonal market! Shop from 15 local vendors while enjoying food and drink specials including slushy cocktails and beer and truffle pairings. Create your own aphrodisiac tea blend with Crystal Stevens of Flourish Farmstead to take home. We will have some love-ly new merchandise for sale this day as well!

Daddy Daughter Date Night @ Mosaic! Feb. 17th, Mosaic Church, Highland. One of the most-anticipated nights of the year is back! Bring your favorite princess out for an evening of dinner and dancing while meeting Princesses Mirabel and Isabela! Cost is just $20/child (Dads are free!) For tickets, go to bit.ly/3Xjmf5c.

Daddy Daughter Dance, Feb. 17, 18th or 19th, 6-8:30pm, Wildey Theatre, Edwardsville. Boys and girls, moms and dads, steps and grands or other special guests in your life are invited to put on their dancing shoes and step out together at this year's Daddy Daughter Dance at the Wildey Theatre! Event includes dancing, dinner, photo booth and crafts. Guests can choose from Friday, February 17, Saturday, February 18, or Sunday, February 19. School is off on the 20th for Presidents Day, so you don't have to worry about be out too late if you choose Sunday! $20 per person.

Goshen Winter Market, Feb. 18th, 8am-12pm, 100 St. Louis St, Edwardsville. The monthly Winter Market will be held on the 3rd Saturday of the month, starting in November and ending in April. It will be outside in the market expansion lot. We will still have the EBT, credit, and debit card machine available just like during the normal season, and we will have Goshen merchandise to purchase too! Next date: Mar. 18th .

Ice Jam at the Dam, Feb. 18th, 10am-4pm, National Great Rivers Museum, East Alton. The Rivers Project's second annual Ice Jam at the Dam is an outdoor, winter-themed festival to promote outdoor recreation and celebrate all things icy along the river. The event will, of course, feature live-music from Chris Cahill & Co., tours of the locks and dam, warm food and beverage vendors, Park Ranger campfire programs, education booths, and more! Most activities will be primarily outdoors along the dam promenade to fully embrace the spirit of winter, but there will be plenty of campfires and heaters to keep you warm and cozy. Shed your hat and mittens when you head into the museum to CHILL out in our theatre with popcorn and a winter movie, get ARcTic at the craft table, or stroll through our glacial gallery for the Winter on the River photography contest!

Wordi Gras 2023, Feb. 18th, Worden. Yellow Dog, The Rustic and the American Legion will be open and ready to serve by noon. The parade begins at 3pm. Yellow Dog will have Baywolfe playing from 1pm till 5pm and Cheers Band from 6pm till 10pm. The Rustic will have B&G (Blues n Grass) playing from 1-5pm and the Gusto from 6pm-10pm. The American Legion will have Dustin Coleman playing from Noon till 3pm and Whiskey River playing from 4pm till 8pm. For updates, follow facebook.com/wordigras

Upcoming Local Events

Tea Rex Tea Party, Feb. 18th, 12pm, Fairview Heights Public Library. You are cordially invited to our Dino-Mite T-Rex Tea Party. Families are invited for an afternoon of tea, crafts, and dinosaurs! Register atbit.ly/404Aw86.

Granite City Mardi Gras, Feb. 18th, parade begins at 1pm. Are you ready to Mardi down Madison Avenue? Starting at 29th and State Street, the parade will head down State Street turning at 27th Street and then continue downtown from Madison Avenue. The parade will continue down Niedringhaus Avenue ending at Civic Park. After the parade, the celebration continues with a block party in downtown Granite City at Civic Park and the surrounding streets. Enjoy live music, food and local vendors. Block party: 2-5pm. Local bar crawl: 5-10pm. For more info, email For more information, email gcmardigras@gmail.com.

Downtown Belleville's Mardi Gras Celebration, Feb. 18th, 2-11:55pm, Downtown Belleville. Stay close to home and celebrate Mardi Gras in downtown Belleville with lots of fun places to choose from. Live music, drink specials, and bead giveaways. Street performers from 3-6pm: stilt walkers, fire twirlers, hula hoopers, balloon artist, musician, and much more!

Maryville Firefighters Music Trivia, Feb. 18th, 6pm, Maryville Fire Department. Doors open at 6pm, trivia starts at 7pm. Book your table of 10 for $250. For more info, emaildhartman@maryvillefire.com.

Daddy Daughter Dance, Feb. 18th, 6-8:30pm, North Elementary School, Godfrey. Open to girls ages 3-12 along with their fathers or other adult male relatives or family friends. $20 per adult male, $20 per daughter, $15 per additional daughter. Includes DJ, dancing, appetizers, photo booth fun, arts and crafts. To register, go tobit.ly/3IDxpO5

Upcoming Local Events

O'Fallon Empty Bowl Luncheon, Feb. 22nd, 11am-2pm, Gateway Classic Cars, O’Fallon. The Empty Bowl luncheon is an international event held to combat community hunger. Join us this year for the 14th Annual O'Fallon Empty Bowl Luncheon on February 22, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. $10 admission is good for one bowl of soup, a piece of bread, a bottled water, and a painted bowl.

The Empty Bowl, Feb. 22nd, 11am-2pm, Gateway Convention Center, Collinsville. The Empty Bowl is an annual fundraiser hosted by the Collinsville Women's Club and directly benefits the Collinsville Food Pantry. The funds raised during this event allows the Food Pantry to purchase food items for our families in need.

Movie Trivia, Feb. 28th, 79., Collinsville VFW. Do you know everything about movies? Or maybe you just want to come hang out with some friends? Either way, join us on February 28th at 7pm for Movie Trivia at the Collinsville VFW! This movie quiz is all about the movies you love! From opening lines, to the Oscars, to movie musicals, this quiz has everything. No minimum for a team, with a max of 8 players. Please bring food to share with your team, but all drinks must be purchased at the bar.

Micro Market, Mar. 4th, 9am-12pm, Vine Street Market at O’Fallon Station. Micro Markets are a mini version of the summer weekly season, similar to a soft opening. They are held indoors until the weather is nice enough to move outside and are a shorter time from, 9-noon. Follow their Facebook page for updates on vendor lineup. Upcoming Micro Market dates: Mar. 18th, Apr. 1st, Apr. 15th, Apr. 29th .

Upcoming Local Events

Moonlight Hike, March 7th, 7:30pm, The Nature Institute, Godfrey. Join the Nature Institute on a night hike through the woods! On the trails of the Mississippi Sanctuary and Olin Nature Preservethe terrain is light to moderate (may include some elevation change) and is appropriate for families. You can expect the hike to be about 2 miles, and it will include stops along the way. Keep an eye out for nocturnal animals like owls, white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, and more! Admission is free for member, $5 for non-members. Learn more at thenatureinstitute.org/events/moonlight-hike-28/.

Future dates: April 5th and May 5th .

Hard Road Theatre Production of Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville at Old Wicks Factory, Mar. 10th-19th, Highland. Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville is a musical comedy featuring the most-loved Jimmy Buffett classics, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, “Margaritaville,” “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” and many more. With a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl,” “Raising Hope”) and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley (“Survivor’s Remorse,” “Shameless”), this hilarious, heartwarming musical is the party you’ve been waiting for! Tickets at https://www.hardroad.org/buy-tickets/ or at the door. For more information visit hardroad.org,our Facebook page, or email at hrtptix@gmail.com

Downtown Alton St. Pat’s Pub Crawl, Mar. 11th, 11am-7pm. Downtown Alton is gearing up to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! There will be a FREE shuttle available providing transportation to participating bars and restaurants throughout the day. Stop in and sample all the food and drink specials from the participating locations! Each bar or restaurant will have set pricing for their St. Pat's special. For more info and full list of bars and restaurants, go to stpatsalton.com

Upcoming Local Events

Saint Patrick's Day Block Party, Mar. 11th, 11am-7pm, Main St, Belleville. Get your green on and celebrate all things Irish and the coming of spring with your friends in Downtown Belleville! We will have Live Music, DJs, Food Trucks, Food Vendors, and a family friendly area all open following the Ancient Order of the Hibernians Parade! For more info and updates, go to facebook.com/BellevilleSaintPats.

Daddy Daughter Dance, Mar. 11th, 6-9pm, Tri-Township Park District, Troy. Ticket includes dinner, dancing and photo booth. $30 per couple, $10 for each additional child. Register at bit.ly/3X4pgqh

O’Fallon’s 2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Grub Crawl, Mar. 17th, 5-8pm, Downtown District, O’Fallon. Come out in your greenest green and make your way around downtown O’Fallon, Illinois to the participating pubs! They’ll each be offering a different Irish dish around $5 and a lucky drink special. New this year, Stein Holding Competition! Look for the green tent downtown to compete and take your chance at the Leprechaun’s Pot O’ Gold!

Sham-ROCKED, Mar. 17th-19th, Woodland Park, Collinsville. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Collinsville Parks and Recreation Department and shake off those winter blues by searching for Sham-ROCKS at Woodland Park March 17th-19th, 2023. CPRD will be placing 100 St. Patty’s themed painted rocks throughout Woodland Park, but we need your help! Help us by painting rocks to be sham-ROCKED and “hiding” them throughout the park. Take your family and friends hiding and hunting for Sham-ROCKS to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! If you’re interested in helping with this free event, register at bit.ly/3HQn2EA.

Upcoming Local Events

2023 Mother & Son Dance, Mar. 18th, 6-9pm, New Baden Civic Center. This dance isn’t just for Mommies and Sons. We are accepting of all Family situations (grandmas, aunts, sisters, cousins, friends, etc.) Cost is $25 per pair, and $5 per extra person. You DO NOT have to be from New Baden to attend! All are welcome. For more info and registration, go to bit.ly/3W9heem.

2023 Father/Daughter Dance, Mar. 25th, 6-9pm, New Baden Civic Center. This dance isn’t just for Daddy’s and Daughters. We are accepting of all Family situations (grandpas, uncles, brothers, cousins, friends, etc.). Cost is $25 per pair, and $5 per extra person. You DO NOT have to be from New Baden to attend! All are welcome. For more info and registration, go to bit.ly/3QCancq.

JSC Main Street Carnival Crawl, Mar. 25th, 7pm, Edwardsville. Join the ladies of Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon as we stroll the night away on our Main Street Carnival Crawl. Tickets will include a souvenir shirt and a night of carnival-themed specials and entertainment with our 5 featured local hot spots all within walking distance. Visit all 5 and be entered into to win one of our great prizes. Stops include Big Daddy's, Foundry, Stagger, Recess, Back Bar. Tickets will be on sale SOON at edglenjuniorservice.org.

Granite City Senior Social Club Spring Dance, Mar. 26th, 2-4:30pm, 2060 Delmar Ave, Granite City. Featuring Frankie and the Housekeepers.Refreshments included. Advanced tickets sales (Feb.1st – Mar. 19th): $8 per person, $15 per couple, or $10 per at door. For more info or tickets, call Diana (618)444-6771, Marty (618)797-6749 or the GC Township Office at (618)877-0513.

Upcoming Local Events

Collinsville's 2023 Adult Egg Hunt, Mar. 31st, 6-9pm, Willoughby Heritage Farm, Collinsville. Bring a basket and a flashlight to our first ever Adult Easter Egg Hunt. Participants will search for eggs in designated areas, then bring them back to the Bank Barn to see if they’ve won a prize! Some eggs will be winners; others will be duds. There's a $10 registration fee per participant (ages 18+). Registration is limited to the first 300 participants. A Cash Bar for participants ages 21+ will be provided by the City of Collinsville Catering Dept. In the event of inclement weather, the Adult Egg Hunt will be moved to Saturday, April 1st at Woodland Park in Collinsville. To register, call 618-346-7529 or go to bit.ly/3Im0lK1.

GYSSD Annual Trivia Night, March 31st, 7pm, Collinsville VFW. Tables of eight are available! Select from our general tables and our VIP tables, which include preferential seating and a waiter! We are also accepting round sponsors, event sponsors, silent auction items, and cooler of booze items! Contact sam@gyssd.org for more information. Cash bar & bring your own snacks! (must be 18yrs or older) For more info and tickets, go to bit.ly/3vQVERh.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny 2023, April 1st, 8-10:30am, EVUCC, Highland. Enjoy a fun, all you can eat pancake and sausage breakfast along with crafts, a raffle, face painting, petting zoo and a photo with the Easter Bunny! Presented by the Highland Civic Woman’s Club. $10 admission, kids under 1 year free.

New Baden Spring Market, April 8th, 9am-1pm, New Baden Civic Center. This market will be the perfect place to pick-up last-minute Easter Basket goodies, find the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, or pick up something for an end of year teacher's gift! We will have food trucks, plus FREE photos with the Easter Bunny, FREE face painting, and FREE treat bags (while supplies last).

Upcoming Local Events

Yappy Hour, April 15th, 12pm, Rock Springs Park, O’Fallon. There will be food and drinks from Hi-Pointe as well as different foster agencies so you could possibly be going home with a new best friend! You can register in person at the Katy Cavins Center or on-site the day of the event. Ages 12+. $10/person with dog on fixed leash. $5/person.

MEHS Music Trivia at the Moose, April 15th, 7pm, Edwardsville Moose Lodge. Join MEHS for a night of music trivia with Trivia Riot! Rounds will cover multiple genres and decades of music, so there's something for everyone! $25 per person or $150 for a table of 8. Limited spaces are available, so reserve yours ASAP so you don't miss out on the fun! Cash bar. Outside food and nonalcoholic beverages are welcome. Silent auction, barrel of booze raffle, and more ways to support MEHS will be available as well. For more info and tickets, go to mehs.org/events/musictrivia.

Earth Day Farmers Market, April 22nd, 9am-12pm, Fireman’s Park, Maryville. Join us for our pre-market season for local farm goods, plants, handmade goods, coffee and bakery items, recycle reuse opportunities, free seed swap, kids' activities and more! We are excited to test some concepts to incorporate into our weekly market to better serve the community!

Upcoming Local Events

Saturday Night Special with Legynds 77 and special guest Jeremiah Johnson, April 22nd, 6:30-10pm, Miner’s Theatre, Collinsville. Swain Productions and the Historic Miners Theater proudly present: “A Saturday Night Special” featuring Legynds 77 “A Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd” with guest Jeremiah Johnson. Join us for a 1970’s live Lynyrd Skynyrd experience. They play all the classic hits we all know and love with a handful of deep cuts that will leave any diehard Skynyrd fan jaw dropped. Taking the stage first is Ruf Records Recording artist and 2022 Blues Music Award nominee, Jeremiah Johnson. For tickets, go to bit.ly/3x6npWH.

The Illinois Elvis Festival, April 27-30th, Gateway Convention Center, Collinsville. Calling all ELVIS fans! Join us this April as we come to the great state of Illinois. 3 days of headliner shows paying tribute to the greatest entertainer that has ever lived. Featuring Bill Cherry, Dean Z, Cote Deonath and more of your favorite Elvis Tribute artists! For more info and tickets, go to illinoiselvisfestival.com/illinoistickets.

Collinsville’s 2023 City Wide Garage Sale, April 28 & 29th. Interested in having a Garage Sale at your house? City residents can register by calling the City of Collinsville's Parks & Recreation department at 618-346-7529 by April 21st to be listed in a Garage Sale Guide that will be posted on the City's website and Facebook Page. If you call to register after April 21st, you will be directed to City Hall to apply for a regular Yard Sale permit and will not be included in the City-Wide Garage Sale Guide. Hours for each day are 7am-3pm, rain or shine.

Spring Fling 2nd Annual Event (Cub Scout Pack 103), May 7th, 11am-3pm, St. Elizabeth Catholic School, Granite City. This will be an indoor and outdoor vendor event. With all the shopping you need for Mother’s Day gift, Birthdays or even for yourself. If you get hungry, no worries we will have food as well. Admission and parking are free. Consider stopping by and support our local Cub Scout Pack 103. For questions, email daphelaine@yahoo.com.

Word Search

FOURTEENTH

SWEET HEART

FAIRY TALE

AFFECTION

GIRLFRIEND

TEDDY BEAR

CHOCOLATE

FEBRUARY

BOYFRIEND

VALENTINE

FLOWER DOVES FLIRT CRUSH ARROW CANDY HEART CUPID PINK LOVE

If the way to your loved one’s heart is through the stomach, there’s no better way to start off this Valentine’s Day than with a homemade breakfast prepared with love. Find more recipes you’ll love to share with your nearest and dearest this Valentine’s Day at Culinary.net

Cocoa-Kissed Red Velvet Pancakes

Recipe courtesy of Nestlé

Servings: 10 pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons Nestlé Toll House Baking Cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup reduced-fat buttermilk or low-fat milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon red food coloring

heart-shaped pancake cutters or cookie cutters (optional) butter, for garnish (optional) powdered sugar, for garnish (optional) maple syrup, for garnish (optional) fresh berries, for garnish (optional)

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir well.

In separate large bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, unsalted butter, vanilla extract and food coloring. Add to flour mixture; stir to combine. Allow mixture to sit 5 minutes.

Heat nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush with oil or butter. Add about 1/4 cup batter to skillet. Cook about 2 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on top. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes, or until bottom is lightly browned. Serve immediately with butter, powdered sugar, syrup and berries, if desired.

Tip: If using pancake or cookie cutters, be sure to coat with oil so pancakes don’t stick. Place cutters in skillet and pour batter into cutters. Remove cutters before flipping

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