Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon, Sunshine 66 Festival on tap this weekend

Abraham Lincoln "ran" for office at several levels of government during his lifetime. He probably never ran a half marathon, though he had to cover great distances on foot.

The Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon returns Saturday, one of the offerings on tap this weekend in Springfield.

You can also enjoy the cosmic sounds of the Sunshine 66 Music Festival or show off your basketball moves at the Jr. NBA Skills Competition.

Here is the rundown:

Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon

The Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon, a 13.1-mile USA Track & Field certified course, will take runners past the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office, the Old State Capitol, the Lincolns' tomb, the Lincolns' home and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

And, yes, Lincoln portrayers have been known to take part in the race, which is put on the Springfield Road Runners Club.

Springfield motorists should be on the lookout for rolling traffic stops and street closures in effect from 7:30 to 11 a.m.

Visit the SRCC website to view Saturday's course.

Adult Easter Egg Hunt

Chatham-Auburn Memorial VFW Post 4763 hosts its Adult Easter Egg Hunt at Veterans Memorial Square in Chatham at 5 p.m. Friday.

The eggs will hold candy and tickets. After the hunt, there will be a raffle at the VFW Hall, 214 W. Chestnut St., for items like a 58" Hisense TV and St. Louis Cardinals tickets using tickets found in the eggs.

There is a $5 suggested donation.

Proceeds will go toward helping local veterans. For more information, visit VFW Post 4763's Facebook page.

Sunshine 66 Festival

The Sunshine 66 Festival descends on the Route 66 Hotel and Conference Center, 625 E. Saint Joseph St., with full musical lineups Friday and Saturday.

A two-day pass is $45-$55 while a single-day pass is $25-$30.

Friday's bill includes the Rumpke Mountain Boys, Sunshine Daydream, Square of the Roots, Dead Man's Dog, Prairie State of Mind, Ben Gourley (Rumpke) & Alyssa Richardson and Gia Welch.

On Saturday, it's Sunshine Daydream, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Pete Jive, Merry Travelers, Positively 4th Street, Jay Larson Band, Mace Hathaway, Nectar Valley, Chickadee Sermon, Kyle Tasch and Gia Welch.

There are special discounted rooms at the hotel. Visit the Sunshine 66 Festival Facebook page for more information or call 217-529-6626.

Jr. NBA Skills Challenge

Boys and girls hoopsters (ages 9 to 13) can participate in the Jr. NBA Skills Challenge at the Salvation Army, 1600 E. Clear Lake Dr., at 9 a.m. Saturday.

On the line is a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to New York City.

The free event is being put on by the Springfield Park District.

For more information, contact Marty Strieker at 217-753-2800, Ext. 2003, or visit the Jr. NBA website.

Morgan Co. Fair Kickoff Party

The Morgan County Fair board will announce this summer's concert headliners at a free kickoff party at the fairgrounds 4-H building, 110 N. Westgate Ave. in Jacksonville, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The fair runs July 11-16.

The kickoff party features entertainment by Drew Baldridge ("Somebody's Daughter"), who is a Patoka native.

There's a post-kickoff party at Don's Place, 207 W. Morgan St., with DJ Eddie B. For more information, call 217-245-6800.

Springfield Ballet breaks boundaries

The Springfield Ballet Company performs "Breaking Boundaries" at the University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.

The innovative performance combines classical ballet with neo-classical dance.

There are performances from "Swan Lake," "Romeo & Juliet" and Caitlin Helton Scherer's "Undercurrents."

Tickets are $17-$30. Visit the PAC website for more information.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon, Sunshine 66 Festival on tap this weekend