May 22 Wednesday
The Springfield-Greene County Park Board, in partnership with Downtown Springfield CID, will host Wednesday Concerts at Noon in Founders Park through May and June.
May 1: David HinsonMay 8: The Summit Prep All StarsMay 15: Kenny Key & Juanita LeeMay 22: Mike MacMay 29: Uke 66June 5: Y.E.S. TroupeJune 12: The Springfield Community Jazz EnsembleJune 19: The B-SidesJune 26: Coaches 4 Quartet
May 23 Thursday
The invasion is happening! Once in more than a decade, millions of red-eyed, buzzing bugs are or will soon be just about everywhere in much of Missouri! Mass emergences of millions of periodical cicadas, which happen every 13 or 17 years, are happening this spring.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites everyone to join its free, online Wild Webcast on the Cicadapocalypse on Thursday, May 23, from noon to 1 p.m.
The Wild Webcast will feature MDC Urban Wildlife Biologist Erin Shank who will share her expertise and excitement on the happening or pending mass emergences of periodical cicadas. Periodical cicadas are different from the familiar annual cicadas, which emerge from the ground every year and make their droning noise during the heat of late summer.
The Wild Webcast will answer many questions on the mass emergences of periodical cicadas. What are annual and periodical cicadas and how are they different? What will be happening, when, and where? Why is it happening and how do they know? When did this last happen and when will it happen next? Do they bite? What do they eat? What eats them? Do they hurt trees and plants? What is the life cycle? What do you do with the masses of shells and carcasses?
Register in advance at mdc.webex.com/weblink/register/rd6d7e500bd1293a82eebd4db2f9038a5. You will then receive an email confirmation before the event that includes information on how to join the Wild Webcast live on May 23 at noon.
Ready to learn ways to make your money work for you? Financially speaking, Community Partnership of the Ozarks' four-week Making Sense of Money (MSOM) course offers realistic tools to reach that goal.
💲Manage your money instead of it managing you.💲Develop habits to reach your financial goals.💲Establish a basic and reasonable budget.💲Be eligible to earn $100 Savings Match.💲Complete all four weeks and earn a $50 credit towards your utility bill.💲Open a zero-fee savings account.
Date: Thursday evenings - May 9th, 16th, 23rd, & 30thTime: 5:00pm to 7:00pm (dinner at 5:15pm and class starts at 6:00pm)Location: The Fairbanks ~ 1126 N. Broadway Ave. ~ Springfield, MO 65802Cost: Free!
Registration is required & seating is limited. To register, email Kelly at kpaparella@cpozarks.org. There will be dinner and childcare.
If you enjoy mushrooms, look beyond spring morels to summer when various other edible mushrooms appear. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a free virtual Foraging Summertime Mushrooms program from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23.
Mike Snyder, a certified mushroom identification expert, will talk about mushrooms that appear in summer. Snyder will talk about how to find edible mushrooms and how to avoid the toxic ones. There will be a 30-minute question and answer session after his presentation.
This online class is open to all ages. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/46m.
May 24 Friday
Picked up a new gadget and need help figuring it out? Bring your device to us for basic tech assistance or to get started on self-paced technology tutorials. Recommended for adults, ages 18 and older. No registration required.
May 25 Saturday
Support local artisan's booths.
The Springfield Conservation Nature Center will host a hike on the Blue Loop trail on the White River Valley Traill system at Table Rock Lake State Park.
This 3-mile trail is rated moderate in difficulty. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring trekking poles or a hiking stick if you have one. Bring lunch and a water bottle. Meet at the Nature Center and carpool.
Ages 18 to adult.
Registration required. Register online at mdc.mo.gov/SouthwestEvents or call 417-888-4237 for more information.
Swap your old buttons, pins and stories with others while participating in button making magic. Plus, door prizes. Recommended for all ages. No registration required.
The Missouri Prairie Foundation and sale host Mother’s Brewing Company will hold a native plant sale on Saturday, May 25 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., at 215 S. Grant Ave, Springfield, MO.
Native plants beautify landscapes and help support songbirds and other treasured wildlife. Buy native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees from these Grow Native! professional members: Ozark Soul, Papillon Perennials, Grass Roots Garden Center, and Gaylena’s Garden. These vendors will donate a percentage of sale proceeds to benefit the conservation work of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.
“We are happy to partner with the Missouri Prairie Foundation as they expand our knowledge on all things nature and how to preserve and protect it,” said Mother’s Brewing Company Production/Sales Coordinator Amir Abdanan. The Missouri Prairie Foundation will offer one free plant per household to sale shoppers, while supplies last, as well as native landscaping information and other free literature.
Some vendors accept cash, check, Venmo, or credit cards; some only cash or checks. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own crates or boxes for transporting their purchased plants home. Volunteers will be available to load plants into vehicles for those needing assistance.
Shoppers can stroll through the sale and purchase plants from each vendor. Shoppers can also pre-order plants and have their orders ready for pick up at the event. The following vendors are accepting pre-orders. When placing your pre-orders, please include your phone number and note that the order is for the Mother’s Brewing Company sale in Springfield on May 25:
Gaylena’s GardenFor plant availability and to pre-order email gaylenasgarden@gmail.com by May 23.
GrassRootsPre-order by May 23: call 417-840-2348, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Ozark SoulOrder via website (preferred) or phone by 5:00 p.m. on May 22: https://preorder.ozarksoul.com/; 816-809-4062. Please visit https://www.ozarksoul.com/availability.php for a current plant availability list.
Enjoy an afternoon of competitive family fun with a wide selection of board games. Recommended for all ages. No registration required.