Welcome to Historic Jefferson City-

You're Invited to Feel the History

and Join in the Fun

For Immediate Release:

June 29, 2012

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. - Day or night, the family fun spotlight shines brightly on Jefferson City. Missouri's capital city lures visitors year-round with history, attractions, shopping, dining, lodging and fun events. Its streets reflect a unique character and small-city charm that presents a pleasant surprise from sunrise to sunrise.

Jefferson City is Missouri's "life of the party," with a limitless love of music and excitement. The capital city celebrates this love in style by blocking off downtown streets and turning up the music for outdoor block parties such as its Thursday Night Live series and the Capital Jazzfest and Street Fair.

But Jefferson City isn't just alive during its block parties; it's buzzing every day of the week. In the downtown area, a visitor can have a meal or a beverage under the shade of a colorful umbrella, while in the fresh air, at one of the many restaurants, bars and cafes. Downtown visitors also can stroll to retail shops, an art gallery, museums and a beautiful flower garden, all within mere minutes of each other.

Elsewhere around Jefferson City, golfers can tee off at one of five area golf courses. Cyclists, hikers or joggers can hit the Katy Trail State Park for some recreation in the great outdoors. Families and nature lovers can explore over 3,000 square feet of Missouri wildlife exhibits - including a 3,580-gallon fish aquarium - at the Missouri Department of Conservation's Runge Nature Center. Outdoor movies, classical theater, the infamous Missouri State Penitentiary and the picturesque Missouri State Capitol offer even more places to explore.

STREET FAIRS

Jefferson City shuts the streets down for two epic downtown block parties and it's all during the same week in September:

• On Sept. 6, Thursday Night Live features live music, outdoor bars and specials from downtown restaurants, stores and nightspots. Bring your lawn chairs to the corner of Madison and High Streets and enjoy this rockin' block party from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• The 21st Capital Jazzfest and Street Fair kicks off a day of fun, food, art and jazz Sept. 8 from noon to 9 p.m. at the corner of Madison and High Streets. The event features five jazz acts performing on stage, including the University of Missouri Concert Jazz Band at 2 p.m.; Tom Andes Trio with Margaret Bianchetta at 3:25 p.m.; the St. Louis-based Michael Terry Group at 4:50 p.m.; Kansas City jazz group Sons of Brasil at 6:15 p.m.; and singer Erin Bode, who has been featured on TV's Fox News This Morning and The CBS Morning Show, at 7:35 p.m. The event also includes street artists chalking concrete canvases, "Kids' Art" activities, food and drink vendors, and much more. For more information about the Capital Jazzfest and Street Fair, call Jessica Dulle at 573-635-8355 or Jeff Bassinson at 573-635-6866. You also can visit the Jazzfest and Street Fair on the web at  www.capjazz.org or visit  www.capitalarts.org.

FAMILY FUN

Searching for some free fun for the whole family? Jefferson City has a couple of upcoming events that break out some fun without breaking a family's bank account:

• The Capital Arts Center at 1203 Missouri Blvd. will have a Family Fun Day on July 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Guests will be invited to explore the gallery, view the exhibits and create chalk art masterpieces. Kids and adults also can visit the Imagination Station designated for children and parents to create art together. The Imagination Station is equipped with recycled materials (plastic containers, paper towel tubes, egg cartons, etc.) as well as scissors, glue sticks, crayons, markers and paints for putting together the perfect hand-made masterpiece. To find out more about this Family Fun Day or for more about the Capital Arts Center, call 573-635-8355, email artsadmin@capitalarts.org or visit CapitalArts.org.

• Families can enjoy a free movie, drive-in style, in the open air on the Missouri State Capitol's South Lawn. Jefferson City's outdoor movie series, "Stars Under the Stars," allows spectators to bring all the candy, popcorn and drinks (no alcoholic beverages) they can haul. Just bring a lawn chair or lay out a blanket and delight in movies on the large, inflatable screen. The fantasy action movie Jumanji plays on July 13 and the musical Meet Me In St. Louis shows on Aug. 3. Show activities start at 7:30 p.m. and the movies begin at dusk. For more information about these family nights, call 573-634-6482.

For more information about other fun family activities and events in and around Jefferson City, contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-769-4183 or go to the CVB's website at VisitJeffersonCity.com.

SPEND THE NIGHT IN JAIL

If you've always imagined yourself as somewhat of an amateur ghostbuster, then the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) Ghost Hunts are right down your dark paranormal alley. On these evening MSP Ghost Hunts, tour guides provide tour-goers with a history lesson about the 176-year-old decommissioned prison as well as the strange unexplained occurrences that have happened behind the walls. Participants on the three-hour tour will be given "paranormal activity" devices, as well as flashlights, and the group will creep around the various "hot spots" in the prison, including the infamous MSP Gas Chamber where 40 inmates were executed. These Hunts are $35 per person and due to the spooky nature of the tours, no one under 14 is admitted. There are also specialized Ghost Hunt Classes that allow potential Ghost Hunters to learn from genuine paranormal experts about using equipment, how to take great ghost photographs and how to recognize paranormal activity. Regular two-hour Ghost Tours also are available as well as a variety of other regular historical tours in both the daytime and at twilight. To find out more about the MSP or to book a tour, call 866-998-6998 or visit MissouriPenTours.com.

Coming Up ...

The 62nd Annual Jefferson City Jaycees Fair

Dates: July 30 - August 4

Time: 5 p.m. - 1 a.m. (Every Day)

Admission Cost: Monday, July 30: $5. Tuesday, July 31-Saturday, August 4: $10.

Description: Expect carnival rides and games, 4H and FFA events and beauty pageants throughout the fair. Other activities are scheduled as follows: tractor pulls (July 30-31), an Outlaw Nationals Monster Truck Show featuring the world-famous Bigfoot (Aug. 1-2), wild Figure 8 racing (Aug. 3), the Mid-Missouri Off-Roaders Mud Run (Aug. 4) and much more. This year's featured concerts are: Brooke Burrows (July 30), Ira Dean (July 30), Kip Moore (July 31), Keith Anderson (Aug. 1), Chris Cagle (Aug. 2), Fuel (Aug. 3) and Mark Chesnutt (Aug. 4). A complete schedule of events and concerts are available at the Fair's Facebook page at Facebook.com/pages/Jefferson-City-Jaycees-Fair/324339202294. You also can email jayceesfair@embarqmail.com for more information.

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For more information about these and other attractions in and around Jefferson City, please contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-769-4183, at

DES MOINES, IA (06/26/2012)(readMedia)-- On opening day, August 9, the Iowa State Fair will jump-start the 11-day celebration with free admission from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and Healthiest State Initiative activities. The 2012 Fair runs August 9-19.

From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Fairgoers can take advantage of free admission with a coupon from the Iowa State Fair special section of the August 5 Des Moines Sunday Register and in the full-page Hy-Vee ad in the Wednesday, August 8 Des Moines Register. One coupon per person, parking not included. Gate admission is also half-price after 5 p.m. Monday through Thursdays. Valid at all gates.

Beginning at 6 a.m., join us on the Grand Concourse for a morning of wellness sponsored by The Healthiest State Initiative. Opening ceremonies will be at 8 a.m., followed by Iowa's largest ZUMBA® class. ZUMBA® is a Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness program.

Fair fun continues all day with contests, food, games and entertainment including performances by The Nadas, JJ Grey and Mofro, Bob Wootton and Steve Holy. Christian music stars TobyMac, Tenth Avenue North and Jamie Grace will perform on the Grandstand stage at 8 p.m. Tickets for the Grandstand show are $32 (plus convenience charges) and are available now through Ticketmaster outlets and the Iowa State Fair Box Office.

A complete listing of opening day activities will be available at iowastatefair.org in July.

About The Healthiest State Initiative

The Healthiest State Initiative is a privately led, public effort that engages Iowans and their communities throughout the state. Its goal is to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by 2016 as measured by the Gallup?Healthways Well?Being Index®. The Healthiest State Initiative involves individuals, families, businesses, faith?based organizations, not?for?profits and the public sector in a broad?based community?focused effort. For more information, visit www.iowahealthieststate.com.

Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 235 retail supermarkets and drug stores in eight Midwestern states. Founded in 1930, the company is famous for offering quality, convenience, value and "a helpful smile in every aisle." For fiscal year 2011, Hy-Vee recorded total sales of $7.3 billion, ranking it among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the nation. Hy-Vee's 62,000 employee-owners carry out the company's mission of making lives easier, healthier and happier. For more information, visit the website at www.hy-vee.com.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. For more information, call

800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

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Do you love gold? The "Gilding Arts" exhibit opens in Pontiac, Illinois, opens on Friday, June 29, 2011.  The Society of Gilders, in cooperation with the City of Pontiac, will open an exhibition space inside the Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum on 217 Mill St, in the center of downtown Pontiac.

The Society of Gilders is an international organization of artisans who work with gold and metal leaf.  The Society's members' works include using gold on picture frames, architectural items, sculpture, signs, furniture, fine art and other media like jewelry, mirrors, decorative objects, and more. The Society teaches interested artists and craftspeople to work with gold or other metal leaf.  For centuries, it has been a carefully guarded technique.  The Society, through its members, brings the techniques to all.  Artisans work with everything from 23 karat gold, silver, copper, aluminum and various other mixtures of metals to produce glittering objects.

The exhibition space offers an introduction to gilding, a glimpse of the famed "Swift Collection," a brief tour through how gold and metal leaf is made, a primer on how to gild, and showcases everyday items that are brought to brilliant life with gold and metal leaf.  The "Swift Collection" is comprised of tools and work stations that were used during the late 1800s in the hand production of gold leaf.  In addition to the historical artifacts found in the new exhibit, there are gold leaf works for sale.

It is the goal of the Society of Gilders to open a larger, more complete Museum of the Gilding Arts in Pontiac, with expanded exhibits, as well as classrooms and other learning opportunities.

The new exhibit space will be hold its grand opening during the Pre-War Festival that is taking place in the downtown area Friday night,  June 29th, and all day Saturday, June 30th.  A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, June 29 at 10 AM.  The public and press are invited to attend.

Celebrating Union Paci?c's 150th Anniversary

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Paci?c Railway Act 150 years ago, establishing the Union Paci?c Railway Company and connecting the nation. On Saturday, July 14, and Sunday, July 15, Lauritzen Gardens, the Union Paci?c Railroad Museum, The Durham Museum, Joslyn Art Museum, the RailsWest Railroad  Museum, and the Historic General Dodge House are coming together to celebrate Union Paci?c's sesquicentennial and explore this region's rich railroad heritage at Railroad Days 2012!

Each participating venue will offer a variety of family-friendly activities in addition to the venues' ongoing programs and exhibits. A $15 family pass allows admission to and transportation between all six locations. A $5 pass is also available for one additional adult with the purchase of a family pass. While supplies last, each child will also receive a coloring book complements of Union Paci?c. Additional information is available at
www.OmahaRailroadDays.com.

Railroad Days is made possible thanks to the generous support of Union Paci?c Railroad and a grant provided by the Iowa West Foundation. Media support provided by KETV. Printing support provided by Elman & Co.

At Lauritzen Gardens, experience a stunning collection of Mother Nature's ?nest in incredible, vivid, living color. Enjoy 20 inspiring gardens- each a welcoming place of surprise and wonder that change with the seasons and evoke a sensory experience. During Railroad Days, botanical meets mechanical at Lauritzen Gardens.

Visit the model railroad garden to discover seven bridge-chugging, tunnel-zooming G-scale train lines winding through replicas of Omaha's favorite landmarks. Look closely- all bridges, trestles and buildings are made of natural bark, twigs, acorns and seeds. Amazing! Stop by the control shed to meet our friendly engineers.

Fun is just around the bend with free rides through the garden on board the popular Union Paci?c miniature train, a scale model of a 900-series locomotive. Children can also enjoy complimentary rides on a classic 1949 King Amusement Company On-Track Train Ride as it chugs along tracks through the scenic festival garden patio.

Join the Union Paci?c Railroad Museum in celebrating Union Paci?c's 150th anniversary with our newest exhibit "Building America". Since opening in 2003, the Union Paci?c Railroad Museum's ?rst ?oor has been dedicated to sharing the experience of building the Transcontinental Railroad. The new exhibit takes the telling of this story to an entirely new level. With a new immersive design and cutting-edge technology, visitors will be transported to the 1860s as they learn about the monumental work needed for constructing the railroad and the communities that were created along its route. Showcasing over 200 artifacts, some dating back to the 1860s many of our larger collections will be on display for the ?rst time; including 55 ?rearms, 60 railroad lanterns and 64 stereographic images from the building of the transcontinental railroad.

Housed in a historic Carnegie library, the Union Paci?c Railroad Museum features one of the oldest corporate collections in the nation. Here, you'll journey through more than 150 years of history, experiencing the transcontinental railroad's construction; the Lincoln Collection, featuring artifacts from President Abraham Lincoln's rail car and funeral; the "America Travels by Rail" exhibit, which celebrates the height of passenger travel; and the technology and innovation that sustain Union Paci?c as a railroad industry leader.

On January 15, 1931, Omaha's Union Station opened its doors to the public and was recognized as one of the ?nest examples of art deco architecture in the Midwest. In its heyday, the station served over ten thousand passengers daily. Today, Union Station is home to The Durham Museum, one of the country's most vibrant and beautiful hands-on museums. Visitors can explore exhibits that preserve the areas rich history including an extensive train car exhibit with steam engines, a Pullman car, Lounge cars, and a caboose. There is also an impressive 100-foot O gauge model train layout representing Union Paci?c's double track main line during the 1950s. Be sure to stop by the museum's original soda fountain for decadent ice cream treats.

During Railroad Days, see the original Paci?c Railway Act signed by Abraham Lincoln in July 1, 1862. This national treasure is on loan to The Durham Museum from the National Archives. There will also be many activities for children including a puzzle station with images from The Durham's Photo Archive, temporary tattoo stations, and crafts including design your own name train and create your own postcards.

Joslyn Art Museum is a major regional resource for the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the visual arts. The Museum was a gift to the people of Omaha from Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, George - both were involved Omaha citizens and generous philanthropists. The Museum's original 1931 building is one of the ?nest examples of Art Deco architecture in the nation, with 38 types of marble from seven countries.

See the exhibition The Great West Illustrated: Celebrating 150 Years of the Union Paci?c Railroad, organized by Joslyn in collaboration with the Union Paci?c Railroad Museum. While visiting Joslyn during Railroad Days, hear Toby Jurovics, Chief Curator and Richard and Mary Holland Curator of American Western Art, give an introduction to The Great West Illustrated in the Museum's lecture hall at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm each day. Younger visitors will enjoy making "train art" by decorating their own 2-D train car and adding an easel backing to make it stand. We'll line them up and see how far the train stretches! Live music will be performed outdoors in the garden throughout the weekend to keep everyone's toes tappin'. An array of self-guided activities, from the Kids Can Do art station and Art Packs to sculpture garden and gallery scavenger hunts, will also be available.

Perhaps one of Council Bluffs' most famous residents, Gen. Grenville M. Dodge has been called "the greatest railroad builder of all time." A Civil War veteran, Dodge's involvement in political, ?nancial and military affairs made him an associate of many of the most in?uential Americans of his time and counsel to presidents, including Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.

In 1869, Dodge built his handsome Victorian home at 605 Third Street at the cost of $35,000, a lavish sum for that day. The fourteen-room, three-story mansion stands on a high terrace overlooking the Missouri Valley, and displays such architectural features as parquet ?oors, cherry, walnut and butternut woodwork, and a number of "modern" conveniences quite unusual for the period.

During Railroad Days, the Historic General Dodge House will unveil its newest exhibit, Dodge's Tracks and Ties in the eight lower level display cases. Follow the footsteps of General Dodge from his early years in Massachusetts, traveling to Iowa with the railroad, his business ventures, military career and friendships with such notable people as Lincoln and Grant. Civil War re-enactors will also be present on the grounds.

The RailsWest Railroad Museum, located in the historic Rock Island Depot, features displays and artifacts from the numerous rail lines that passed through Council Bluffs. The museum is home to an extensive H.O. scale model train layout operated by the Greater Omaha Society of Model Engineers that is a must see for rail fans of all ages. Outside in the train yard visitors are invited to climb aboard the old steam engines and take a ride down memory lane or just sit back and relax in the Omaha Club car that ran between Chicago, IL and Lincoln, NE with a stop in Council Bluffs. Visitors can imagine themselves riding along behind the train in the 1918 cupola style caboose or in the 1967 bay window style caboose. For a challenge, try your hand at sorting mail in the mail car and learn  some interesting facts about the men and women that worked the rails. There is always plenty to see and do while visiting the RailsWest Railroad Museum.

During Railroad Days, visitors will be treated to live music by Perry Burkum and other talented local bands. Vendors will be on hand with mouthwatering hamburgers, hot dogs, and refreshments and there will be plenty of fun and games for the whole family.