Community Calendar

Celebrate the season with Cape Ballroom at our Winter Wonderland dance on Friday, December 19, from 7:00-9:00pm. Doors open at 6:45pm. The evening begins with a 30-minute lesson on Rumba, followed by dancing to winter-themed songs from a variety of genres. Line dances included.

Admission: $5.00 per person, at the door, cash only. No large bills over $20, please.

No smoking. No alcohol. You may bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.

Cape Ballroom Friday Night Dances are held at the American Legion Hall, 2731 Thomas Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

Questions? Facebook message, text/call 480-857-7286, or email dan@capeballroom.com.

www.capeballroom.com

The Big Muddy Brass Quintet will present a Christmas Brass & Organ Concert on December 20.

The concert will feature traditional holiday favorites for brass and organ, including "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Lo How a Rose," "O Holy Night," "The First Nowell," and more.

The free concert will take place on Saturday, December 20, at 7:00 p.m. at Old St. Vincent’s Church in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Join us for a discussion of “The Twelve Topsy-Turvy Very Messy Days of Christmas” by James Patterson and Tad Safran.

Program for ages 18+.

To receive a Zoom invitation, contact Eunice at 573-243-8141 or eschlichting@rrlmo.org

Enjoy the serenity of a winter night with the Missouri Department of Conservation during a Winter Candlelit Walk on December 26.

Cottonwood Trail will be lit by luminaries, offering a new perspective of the forest. After your stroll, enjoy a warm fire and some hot chocolate or cider. Due to gravel and the uneven nature of the trail, strollers and wheelchairs are not recommended.

The Winter Candlelit Walk will take place Friday, December 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center.

*This program is weather dependent and in the event of inclement weather or icy trail conditions, the trail walk will be cancelled.

The Kellerman Foundation will host “Inventing Immigration Crisis in 19th Century Missouri” on January 4.

This second program in the U.S. Semiquincentennial series will feature historian Dr. Luke Ritter in an exploration of how 19th century Missourians “invented” an immigration crisis long before modern debates over the border. Drawing on newspapers, political rhetoric, and community reports, Dr. Ritter will examine how anxieties around immigrant communities were shaped, amplified, and used to advance cultural and political agendas.

The Kellerman Foundation proudly welcomes Dr. Luke Ritter, Ph.D. as part of our ongoing Speaker Series in preparation for America’s 250th celebration of freedom. His presentation, Inventing Immigration Crisis in 19th-Century Missouri, continues our commitment to meaningful historical reflection ahead of the nation’s 2026 Semiquincentennial.

Dr. Luke Ritter is Assistant Professor of American History at St. Louis Community College – Forest Park. He is the author of Inventing America’s First Immigration Crisis: Political Nativism in the Antebellum West (Fordham, 2021) and the editor of American Conspiracism: An Interdisciplinary Exploration (Routledge, 2024).

This program is made possible through The Kellerman Foundation’s grant award from the Missouri Humanities Council, titled From Colonies to Cape Girardeau: 250 Years of Independence, a contribution to Celebration 250 Missouri.

“Inventing Immigration Crisis” will take place on Sunday, January 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Kellerman-Lorimer Hall in Cape Girardeau.

Riverside Regional Library will host a New Year Vision Board event on January 5. Ring in the New Year by making a collage of what you want your 2026 to look like!

For ages 18+ at the Main Branch, Jackson.

A New Year – a new day and time!! Come to learn, play, or teach others at the Main Branch, Jackson. Adults are welcome but this club is primarily for youth ages 6-17. The chess club meets weekly on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.

Riverside Regional Library in Jackson will host a Book Swap on January 8 from 4-5 p.m. Discover your next favorite read! Bring a book from home and trade it in for something new.

For ages 18+ at the Main Branch, Jackson.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will host a  Maple Syrup Discovery Station on January 10.

As part of the MDC Historic & Primitive Skills series, community members will see some of the equipment involved in making maple syrup and learn about the process—from selecting the correct tree to tapping, storing sap, and cooking it down to syrup. Staff will be present to answer questions from 1-3 p.m.

The Maple Syrup Discovery Station will take place on Saturday, January 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center.

KRCU is partnering with the Cape Girardeau Public Library and the American Red Cross for a blood drive on January 13.

Every two seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion. You can do your part for our community by giving blood at our American Red Cross Blood Drive. If you are healthy and eligible to donate, please join us and give the gift of life.

The blood drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13, at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

To sign up, visit Schedule a Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation | American Red Cross or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.