Upcoming Local Events: April 22-26, 2021

Check out these local events that are happening in the surrounding areas! 

Thursday, April 22

Danny Kalaher Acoustic – Bennies Pizza Pub!

Belleville, IL – Stop by Bennies Pizza Pub and enjoy a live acoustic show of your favorite tunes from Danny Kalaher.
Time – 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Earth Week at the Park – Pere Marquette State Park

Grafton, IL –Let’s all try to leave Earth a better place than when we arrived. Cue Pere Marquette State Park’s Earth Day Week! April 22nd (Thu), April 23rd (Fri), and April 24th (Sat) we invite you and yours to help assist us on this mission! Each day from 8am-4pm we will be planting native plants in a selected area of the State Park. We ask that you bring gloves if desired. Gardening tools are not needed but a plus! We will have live feathered friends (hawks, owls, & more) from The Treehouse Wildlife Center, guided nature hikes, a symbolic tree planting, and live music by Rockabilly Revival!
Time – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Friday, April 23

Live Music from David Graham & the Eskimo Brothers – Mikey’s Pub

Smithton, IL – David Graham has become known as one of Nashville’s can’t miss live entertainers over the past 8 years as frontman of the Eskimo Brothers. The honky tonk trio has honed their stage show and sound from nearly 300 shows per year and thousands of gig hours in the Music City honky tonks in a variation of high energy ensembles. When not playing their usual residencies in Nashville and Memphis, David has a steady lineup that tours throughout the United States. Stop by Mikey’s Pub to have a honky-tonk good time! (21+ SHOW)
Start Time: 8:00 PM

Saturday, April 24

Trails for Tails at Tanglewood

Collinsville, IL – Come walk your dog for a cause! Entry Fee for 1st dog $25 & $5 for each additional dog. There will also be a free food truck, Doggie Macs, and swag bags with special offers from local pet vendors.
Time – 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

5th Anniversary Party/Schoppe-Fest! – Stubborn German

Waterloo, IL – Stubborn German Brewing is 5 years old, help us celebrate! We’re not doing our annual “Sausagefest” at this time, but we WILL be celebrating with “Shoppe-fest”, pronounced shoppy-fest! Chris is brewing 5 different historical beers for the occasion and they will be the only beers on tap that day…we’ll have a beer for everyone (in addition to our bourbon and mixed drinks)! We’ll be sharing fun facts about the beer Chris is brewing, Mr. Schoppe’s brewing ledger, and info about the party. We’ll have music from White Stone Revival from 7-10pm, too!
Start Time – 12:00 PM

SWIC Annual Plant Sale and Family Fun Day

Belleville, IL – To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow! Come by the annual plant sale this Thursday-Saturday (see link for sale hours) and enjoy Family Fun Saturday. Enjoy food and drinks available from Ollie’s Eatery Food Truck, free flower pot decorating, carnival games, and explore SWIC’s CNC mobile truck , helicopter and more!
Time – 10 AM – 2 PM

Belleville Recycling Drive

Belleville, IL – Join us for a scrap metal & electronics recycling drive benefitting the International Kiwanis Club of Belleville, IL. Free event, no appointment needed. **Fees applied to all CRT/Tube/Box big screens based on size ($20-$40).
Time – 9 AM – 12 PM

 

Sunday, April 25

Baby Shark Little Leapers – Sky Zone

Fairview Heights, IL – Join us for Baby Shark Little Leapers for $12.99 per kid! Kids walking to age 7 can jump for 120 minutes, create a special craft, get a temporary tattoo, and meet & take pictures with Baby Shark! To reserve your spot and for more information, click the link above!
Time – 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Yoga Poses & Plants – Eckert’s Country Store & Farms

Belleville, IL – Enjoy a 45 minute stretch yoga class (perfect for beginners) at Belleville Eckert’s farm. Arrive 15 minutes early to get settled for the yoga class. We request that you wear a mask or face covering while making your way to your yoga mat.  Social distance guidelines will be practiced. Admission is $25. Once booked, reservations can be transferred and not refunded.
Time – 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Sunday Funday – Triple Lakes

Dupo, IL – Come party with The Saloonatics and close out the weekend, this Sunday afternoon!
Time – 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Monday, April 26

St. Louis Riverfront Cruise

St. Louis, IL – Relive the days when steamboats ruled the river on this one-hour cruise along St. Louis’ diverse riverfront. Narrated by the captain or a National Park Service ranger, this cruise highlights the Mississippi River’s important role in St. Louis history and the significance of the working river today. On board concessions are available. Time – 12:00 – 1:30 PM

Tuesday, April 27

Kids Workshop – Hammer & Stain

Fairview Heights, IL – Join us for a kids workshop. Customize your project in studio or at home with your choice of stain & paint. Several projects to choose from.
Time – 6:00 – 9:00 PM

 

Upcoming Local Events: April 1-4, 2021

Spring has arrived and it is time for the Easter Bunny to make his rounds! Check out local events that we have found and have a hopping good time! 

Thursday, April 1

Drive-Thru Easter Egg Hunt – Aperion Care Mascoutah

Mascoutah, IL – Hop on over to Aperion Care Mascoutah for a Drive-Thru Easter Egg Hunt on Thursday, April 1st!
Time – 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

MLB Opening Day – Drake’s

O’Fallon, IL – Life’s a pitch! Refuel and come play at Drake’s for MLB Opening Day on April 1! $3 Coors Light in a souvenir cup (keep the glass while supplies last) $3 Hot Dogs w/ toppings + a box of Cracker Jacks.
Start Time – 11 AM

Spring Gardening & Planning Your Growing Space

Online Event – This virtual class is hosted by the St. Louis County Library and will be taught by Gateway Greening staff. Learn how to prepare your garden for the growing season and create a plan to keep your garden producing all year. Adults. Registration required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering. Click this link to registerStart Time – 2 PM

Friday, April 2

Easter Egg Drive-Thru – Century 21 Advantage

Columbia, IL – C21 is hosting a FREE Easter Drive Thru event this year!  This is a family-friendly, fun Easter opportunity for the community while social distancing. Attendees can stay in their car while seeing the Easter Bunny, blow ups, kids will receive a free goodie bag and have the option to snap a selfie with the Easter Bunny! We know this year has looked different for everyone and wanted to create a safe way for kids to celebrate Easter!
Time – 10 AM – 2 PM

Saturday, April 3

Easter Egg-Citement – Eckert’s Country Store and Farms

Belleville, IL – Hop on down the bunny trail and fill your basket with fun! Eckert’s Annual Egg Hunt, animals for viewing, tractor ride around the farm, plant a seed to take home and a free photo scene with the Easter Bunny. Join in on the fun & continue making memories at our farm. Please remember to wear a mask while visiting our farm and don’t forget to bring an Easter Basket for the Egg Hunt. Time – 9 AM – 4:20 PM

Spring Craft Fair – Skyview Drive-In 

Belleville, IL – We’re doing it again! Come out to Skyview Drive-In in Belleville, IL. We will have crafters, vendors, and food trucks. The event has no entry fee. Do not buy tickets to attend this event. Masks are required for all customers and vendors. Time – 9 AM – 3 PM

SCC Easter Egg Hunt – Smithton Village Park

Smithton, IL – Stop by Smithton Village Park and participate in their annual Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny will be hopping by for pictures. Bring your phone or camera to snap a photo! Sign-in begins at 12:30 PM and the egg hunt will begin at 1 PM.

Easter Egg Hunt – Freeburg Care Center

Freeburg, IL – Freeburg Care Center will be holding an Easter Egg Hunt in 3 separate areas for ages 1-3, 4-7, and 8-12. We will have Golden Eggs with money prizes in them! Bring your cameras to take pictures with the Easter Bunny. BYOB (Bring your own baskets) Start Time – 10 AM

Dark Hollow Bluegrass Festival 

Waterloo, IL – Come out for a day of bluegrass, spread out on a the three acre property, bring your own everything. There will be a few vendors selling some food and crafts, all well behaved dogs are allowed and we hope to see everyone there and please be kind and respectful and drive slow on the private road. We kindly ask for a $25 donation per person kids are free, we understand that times are tough lately so give what you can and come enjoy some live music spread out on a beautiful property! Start time is 11 AM. Address: 6518 Brand Lake Dr., Waterloo, IL 62298

Sunday, April 4

Xtreme Bar Bingo – Sunset Overlook

Columbia, IL – Xtreme Bar Bingo is back! Xtreme Bar Bingo is a NO COST, NO COVER bingo consisting of 9 games! Winners could win awesome prizes such as: cash prizes, TVs, gift cards, and more! Xtreme Bar Bingo has a progressive cash Jackpot that increases a ball every week until its hit! Since 2018 Xtreme Bar Bingo has given away over $190,000 in cash and prizes! Join us to be our next big winner! Time – 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Is Renting Better Than Buying?

Being a homeowner has its perks and privileges but it also comes with a lot of responsibilities which all involve money. You need to think of repairs, taxes, insurance and maintenance. Not to mention city maintenance and repairs for streets, sewers, curbs and sidewalks near your home. If your house is in the corner of the block, these costs are doubled. 

But don’t let these costs discourage you from becoming a homeowner. If you have the desire and enough funding to purchase a home, you should also have a good understanding of government policies so your house becomes a good investment. Consider it as a business with the city and state financial departments so your chances of making a promising investment is high.

Know what it takes to become a homeowner. Learn the ropes from completing and filing paperwork and getting in touch with necessary agencies. All the hassle involved in the process can be confusing and discouraging.

Your role is an investor. Your responsibility is to own and maintain your property. But you are not expected to know everything including the business side of owning a home. You need to team up with people you can trust who can help you ensure your house’s value will increase. This team should be able to guide you in making prompt payments, tax assessments, insurance, maintenance,( H.O.A. requirements, when applicable), upgrades and necessary repairs or maintenance. If these sounds all too overwhelming for you, you ight as well stick to renting.

Through renting you are giving business to the owners. Being a renter, you don’t need to come up with a large amount of money and no need for taxes.

Think about these things:

  • How much is my income?
  • How much is my rent?
  • What is your credit rating?
  • How much do you spend and how much do you save?
  • How well do you handle your money?

You need to think about these things to determine if you’re ready to be a homeowner. You should also consider the economy. Do you know the current market climate? Do you believe it’s looking up? Are you knowledgeable when it comes to government regulations.

So ff you want to buy a property and work towards increasing the value, you as homeowner needs to be knowledgeable about finances, real estate, taxes, government policies and regulation, city building codes and restrictions and have good credit rating. If you know these things, you can make your investment grow and start other investments for your family’s future.

After some time, the value of the home you invested in will increase. This is the measure of your success as a financial wizard. You were able to take advantage of the government tax system and policies and borrowed against it. The money you borrowed is tax free and your earnings from it is tax-deductible.

People who used this method was able to finance other things like school tuition, payment for a new home or a new investment.

If you bought a home for $600,000 and you sell that same home for  $1,000,000, you can have the gain tax-free for up to $500,000 for a married couple. Real estate transactions like this is the only one that have a no tax income advantage. You may want to consider them for your retirement fund.

When it comes to investing, no time is better than now. But don’t do it in haste. Careful planning is required. And do it with a team of professionals who can help you with financial and legal matters.

A real estate agency is really a team that lead you to good investments and they teach you how you could maximize your earnings – tax free.

Renting versus Buying

RentingBuying
no tax deductiontax write -off
rental fee can go up anytimehouse expensie will not go up
not free to make changesyou can make physical changes as you please
you can be evictedhome value increases over time
temporaryyour home for as long as you want