Upcoming Events Bring Music, Markets and Community Fun
The Riverbend area’s upcoming calendar offers community service, live music, outdoor programs, markets, festivals and family-friendly entertainment. For the complete calendar, visit RiverBender.com Events.
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Alton Block Party for Good returns Friday, Aug. 28, at Soulcial Square in Alton as Soulcial Kitchen continues its monthly community gathering. The free event offers access to the St. Louis Area Foodbank’s Food on the Move free grocery trailer, OSF HealthCare Community Outreach Teams offering free health care services, and free meals from the award-winning Big Meechie Food Truck while supplies last from 2 to 4 p.m.
Rum Boogie - VFW Post 1308 brings live music to VFW Post 1308 in Alton from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. The performance is open to the public.
Alton Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market 2026 Season! continues Saturday, Aug. 29, at the corner of Landmarks Boulevard and Henry Street in downtown Alton. The market runs rain or shine from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 17, featuring locally grown produce, meats, eggs, honey, coffee, fresh bread, baked goods, flowers, plants, handcrafted artwork and ready-to-eat meals, with live music from Psychedelic Symphony Duo scheduled for Aug. 29.
St. Louis Comic Con 2026 returns Saturday, Aug. 29, to Gateway Center in Collinsville. The event features prime comic book dealers, toy and trading card game vendors, artists, guests, a cosplay event and more, with free parking and free admission for children under 12.
Jazz and Wine Festival 2026 celebrates the living legacy of Miles Davis in his birthplace Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Alton Amphitheater. Gates and the box office open at 5 p.m., followed by Kasimu Taylor’s 100 Miles Tribute at 6 p.m., Playadors at 7:15 p.m. and headliner Butcher Brown at 8:30 p.m., with the event concluding at 10 p.m. The evening also includes wine, food vendors, Mississippi River views and ticket options beginning with $10 general admission, not including standard ticketing fees.
Porch Cafe - VFW Post 1308 will perform from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at VFW Post 1308 in Alton. The show is open to the public.
Friday, Aug. 28
Volunteer: Native Seed Collecting at TNI invites volunteers to The Nature Institute in Godfrey to help collect seeds used to increase biodiversity in the prairies and woodlands on the preserve. Participants should bring gloves and water, wear long pants, and will receive collection tools and a demonstration of proper seed collection techniques.
ECO Homeschool Adventures: Wildlife Whodunit: The Pond Caper brings homeschool families to The Nature Institute in Godfrey for a mystery-solving program using samples, tracks and clues. Elementary sessions meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m., while middle and high school sessions meet from 1 to 3 p.m.; registration is required, and the fee is $12 per child, with parents and guardians admitted free.
Moonlight Hike offers a guided night hike through the woods at The Nature Institute in Godfrey on the trails of the Mississippi Sanctuary and Olin Nature Preserve. The family-appropriate hike is about 2 miles with light to moderate terrain, and registration is required; members are free and nonmembers are $5.
Teen Movie Night at Hayner Library in Alton gives teens a chance to watch a movie on the big screen, enjoy available snacks and stay afterward to talk about what they liked, what they did not like and what they might change or keep the same.
Saturday, Aug. 29
Rt 66 Centennial UFO Festival lands at The Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston for a two-day, rain-or-shine celebration of extraterrestrial fun. The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, and continues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, with free admission, free parking, a vendor market, alien-themed games, bounce houses, special guests, the Route 66 Pin-Up Contest, a 5K Alien Chase, food and all-day activities.
Jim Messina & The Road Runners – August 29, 8pm comes to the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville for a performance highlighting Jim Messina’s career with Buffalo Springfield, Poco and Loggins & Messina. The show is set for 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, and will feature music from across the decades in the intimate Wildey Theatre setting.
Tanglefoot is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29, at The Loading Dock in Grafton.
Sunday, Aug. 30
Behind the Glass Brewery Tours offers a look inside Old Bakery Beer Company in downtown Alton at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. The 40-minute tour covers the company, the historic 1800s Colonial Bakery building and the beer brewing process; tours are $10 per person and include a pint of beer and samples from the tank during the tour.
Have an event to promote? Sign in now and add it free to the RiverBender.com Events Calendar.
