Peoria Civic Center kicks off it 25th Anniversary celebration

25th Anniversary Celebration This

Weekend at the Peoria Civic Center;

Free Popcorn, Soda and Tours!

As the Peoria Civic Center kicks off it 25^th Anniversary celebration, we are inviting you to come down to the Civic Center this Thursday through Saturday, July 26-28, 2007.

The Grand Opening weekend will feature a "Rock 'n' Roll Up Your Sleeve" Red Cross blood drive and rock concert this Thursday, an Alison Krauss & Union Station concert this Friday, an Art Garfunkel concert this Saturday, backstage tours of the Arena and Theater on Friday and Saturday, and a city services trade show in the Exhibit Hall with raffle prizes and giveaways from 4-7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The weekend will officially kick off on Thursday, July 26, with the "Rock 'n' Roll Up Your Sleeve" Red Cross blood drive and rock concert. The blood drive will be held in Meeting Rooms 135-136 from 3-9 p.m. and the concert will be held in Exhibit Hall B from 4-11 p.m., featuring local rock bands Asleep on the Couch, 3-AM Project, Stepdown, JTM, and Mindset Evolution. Admission to the concert is free for blood drive participants and $10 for all others ages 16 and up.

At 4 p.m. on Friday, July 27, Peoria Civic Center Authority Chairman Peter Couri and Mayor Jim Ardis will speak at a rededication ceremony as a plaque is unveiled in the Great Hall.

From 4-7 p.m. on Friday, July 27, and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, the public is invited into the Civic Center's 110,000 sq. ft. exhibit space to check out a variety of city services booths that are showcasing what the Peoria community has to offer.

At this city services trade show the city's fire, police and maintenance departments will have vehicles on display, and Fun on the Run will have a kids' area featuring a variety of games.

During the hours of the trade show, the Civic Center will offer free parking, free Coke, and free popcorn.

Many of the participating groups will offer raffle prizes and giveaways, including two round trip ticket vouchers for Orlando, Florida, and two round trip ticket vouchers for Las Vegas, Nevada, courtesy of the Greater Peoria Regional Airport.

From 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 27, and 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, Civic Center staff will offer tours to the public. The tours will start every half hour at the Guest Services Desk in the Great Hall.

Friday's tours will feature the Theater, the new Jefferson Ave. concession stand located in the old Box Office lobby in the Arena, and the Ballroom. Saturday's tours will feature the Arena, the new Jefferson Ave. concession stand located in the old Box Office lobby in the Arena, and the Ballroom.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, July 27, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas will bring its award-winning artistry and stellar musicianship to the Peoria Civic Center Arena. The show will consist of fan favorites and selected titles from "A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection," an album that encompasses Krauss's diverse career as a master vocalist, instrumentalist, collaborator and producer.

Tickets for Alison Krauss & Union Station are $37.50 and $48.50 and are on sale now at the Peoria Civic Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, including Schnucks and Bergner's, by phone at 309-676-8700 or online at ticketmaster.com.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, five time Grammy winner Art Garfunkel, of the legendary duo Simon and Garfunkel, will perform at the Peoria Civic Center Theater. Although it has been 30 years since "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was recorded, Art Garfunkel's image and signature vocal remain one of the most instantly recognizable in popular music. His "beautiful countertenor," as Neil Strauss described Art's voice in The New York Times, is clear and resonant, surely one of the finest instruments in all of popular music, and a time-honored friend to a world of listeners.

Tickets for Art Garfunkel are $36.50, $46.50 and $61.50 and are on sale now at the Peoria Civic Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, including Schnucks and Bergner's, by phone at 309-676-8700 or online at ticketmaster.com.