Worth the drive 5/22/08

Less than 1 hour

Riverside Park, Murphysboro, Ill.

The wineries of Southern Illinois join together this weekend for the first Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Wine and Arts Festival. As the name implies, there will be wine and art, but the festival covers more with concerts by Ivas John, Bourbon Nights and bluegrass and blues all day Saturday. A Memorial Day service at 11 a.m. precedes the concerts Saturday. At 1 p.m. the Murphysboro Clarks baseball team hosts the St. Louis Perfectos. Both teams will be in historic 1800s uniforms and using the old 1800s rules book. Wine can be purchased from booths set up from all nine wineries of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Association, and even a wine slushy. The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and there will be hourly giveaways. There will be a $3 fee for nondrinkers. Bands will be performing both days from noon to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 618-967-4006 or visit www.friendsofmurphysboro.com.