ARTifacts 8/31/12

Annual vinyl, media sale in Illinois set

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The fifth annual SIRIS Classic Vinyl and Media Sale is scheduled for Sept. 8 and 9 at the University Mall in Carbondale, across from the food court. Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 8 and noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 9. The Southern Illinois Radio Information Service and WSIU Public Radio, a public broadcasting station of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus, are co-hosting the sale with the mall. Record albums will start at $1 each. Games will include Nintendo Game Boys, discs for Xbox 360 and educational computer programs for children. Electronic gear like turntables, cassette players and stereo systems also will be available. Proceeds from the sale will benefit SIRIS. Volunteers are needed to help organize sale items and to help with cleanup duties. Questions should be directed to Vickie Devenport at 618-453-6148 or vickie.devenport@wsiu.org, or by calling SIRIS at 618-453-2808.

Murphysboro to host music festival

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- The Riverside Park Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival, hosted by Friends of Murphysboro, will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 8 at the band shell in Riverside Park in Murphysboro. Gate admission is $10; tickets are also available online through Escape Locally. Scheduled to perform are Tom Cat Hill Social Club, The Rural Kings, Banjovi, The Pickin' Chicks, The Hughes Family, After Barbed Wire and The Whistle Pigs. Food and beverage vendors will be 17th Street Barbeque, Alto Vineyards and Kite Hill Vineyard. For more information, contact Julie Sitorski at jwittski@gmail.com.

KRCU adds more NPR news programming

Beginning Monday, KRCU will make programming changes that will bring more National Public Radio news to the region, while continuing to offer classical music during the midday and evening. "The Diane Rehm Show" will air weekdays from 9 to 11 a.m. "Performance Today" will move to 8 to 10 p.m. weeknights. KRCU broadcasts 24 hours a day from the campus of Southeast Missouri State University on 90.9 FM in Cape Girardeau and 88.9 FM in Farmington, Mo., and Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

Country notables to play SEMO District Fair

The SEMO District Fair, set to run Sept. 8 to 15 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau, will feature the country music talent of Gretchen Wilson, Travis Tritt and Colt Ford. In addition, the fair will host two tractor pulls on opening day, barrel racing Sept. 10, a dual demolition derby Sept. 11 and Heartland Idol on Sept. 12. Wilson will perform Sept. 13, Tritt on Sept. 14 and Ford on Sept. 15. Tickets for all events are on sale at the fair office, or by calling 334-9250 or 800-455-3247. For more information, contact the fair office by phone or email at info@semofair.com.

Camel, pony rides offered over weekend

Lazy L Safari Park in Cape Girardeau will be open during the Labor Day weekend. The zoo will offer camel and pony rides Saturday, Sunday and Monday for $5 per rider. After Labor Day weekend, the hours of operation at Lazy L Safari Park will change, and the zoo will be open to the public on weekends only from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the rest of September and October. However, it will still be open during the weekdays for birthday parties, group tours or venue rentals with a reservation. New this year, the public will also be able to attend Zoo Fun Nights, which will be scheduled through Oct. 31 and which are part of the new fundraising program at the zoo. For more information, contact 243-7862 or visit www.lazylsafari.com.

Cache River Days to be Sept 8 and 9

ULLIN, Ill. -- The 18th annual Cache River Days will be celebrated in Ullin on Sept. 8 and 9. The weekend event will include food, music, exhibits and family activities such as guided canoe tours through the Cache River Wetlands. The wetlands support cypress trees that range from 500 to more than 1,000 years old. It shelters more than 100 Illinois state threatened and endangered species, including river otters, bobcats and little blue herons; and it has been designated a Wetland of International Importance. To reserve a spot for a guided canoe tour or for more information about the weekend's activities, call the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge at 618-634-2231, or Mike or Millie DeWitt at 618-845-3445. For information on accommodations and other area attractions, contact Southernmost Illinois Tourism at 1-800-248-4373.

Tickets available for 'The Buried Life'

MTV's "The Buried Life" will present "What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?" at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 in the Show Me Center. "The Buried Life" originated in 2006 when four now-20-somethings -- Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, Duncan Penn and Jonnie Penn -- set out in an old RV to complete a list, "100 Things We Want to Do Before We Die," and help strangers along the way accomplish things on their own lists. In mid-2008, MTV helped the team check off No. 53, "Make a TV Show," by capturing the four in a reality show in real time and with no manipulation or assistance from MTV, except for cameras rolling. Tickets are free for Southeast faculty and staff members and students with a valid Redhawk ID. Tickets can be picked up in the University Center Room 202, Center for Student Involvement or Show Me Center box office. Tickets are $10 for the public and are available at the Show Me Center box office or at www.showmecenter.biz.

-- From staff reports