The Gillioz Theatre Presents Steel Panther on Friday, May 24th at 8:00 PM. Tickets start at $15.  

They hark back to an earlier, simpler time when men with girly hair and unfeasibly tight trousers peddled neanderthal attitudes and trite songs to absolutely no acclaim and often outright hostility. Steel Panther revive this proud tradition of 80s glam metal, complete with wailing vocals, inane guitar riffs and reckless use of hair products.

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The fifth annual Friends of the Garden Butterfly Festival will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2013, at the Springfield Botanical Gardens in Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., according to event chair Cindy Willis.

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The public is invited to enjoy a free Standard Flower Show themed “Go Country” at The Library Center Auditorium, 4653 S. Campbell, Springfield, Mo., noon to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 31 and 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, June 1. The flower show is sponsored by the Springfield Council of Federated Garden Clubs.

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The Ozark Stream and Fountain at downtown Springfield’s Jordan Valley Park is now operational and running on a regular schedule.

The popular downtown attraction was designed to emulate a meandering Ozarks stream, complete with small waterfalls, ripples and a portion that disappears underground and surfaces downstream. The stream ends in a jetted fountain and is a favorite place for kids of all ages to splash and play.

The fountain show times are scheduled daily at:

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Ask any adult what they remember best about childhood and chances are they will recall riding their bikes, building forts and tree houses and generally playing outdoors until after dark.  Kids were connected—to each other, their family and the outdoors.  And, according to several studies, they were physically and emotionally healthier. Information taken from The Conservation Fund website at http://www.conservationfund.org/children-nature states that researchers suggest “that the decline in children’s health is linked, in part, to their growing disconnect from nature and outdoor activity.”

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The Springfield-Greene County Park Board invites the community to celebrate a century of parks at the Park Board’s 100th Birthday Bash, Saturday, May 18, 12-4 p.m. at Phelps Grove Park, 950 E. Bennett St., Springfield

The 1913-themed event features live music from the New Creole Jazz Band, free carnival midway games, food & drink at 1913 prices, a birthday cake, parks history, croquet, badminton, horseshoes, maypole dancing and the sealing of the Centennial Time Capsule.

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 For the sixth year, Master Gardeners of Greene County will again sponsor their signature children’s event, “Young Sprouts in the Garden,” from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at Nathanael-Greene Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Ave. The free event, in collaboration with National Kids to Parks Day, will take place rain or shine.

“It’s an exciting time for adults to watch their children and friends’ children have one of the special times of their lives,” said Master Gardener Susie Joplin. “They bond with nature and learn how nature is very important to everyone’s lives. Young Sprouts impacts and makes a difference in a child’s life.”

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Tickets for the 2013 Ozark Empire Fair go on sale at 10 a.m. May 17 at www.OzarkEmpireFair.com.

The theme for this year’s fair that runs July 25-Aug. 3 is “Sweet Summertime.”

New attractions include a free stage on the east end of the fairgrounds along with new ground acts. 

The KY3 Grandstand line up and special days are:: 

• July 25 - Collective Soul w/Special Guest TBD
• July 26 - Jerrod Niemann w/Special Guests Gloriana, Rachel Farley, Drake White and Noe Palma.
• July 27 - Exciting news coming soon! Watch www.OzarkEmpireFair.com for information.
• July 28 - Randy Rogers Band w/Special Guests TBD and Cole Porter Band
• July 29 - Senior Citizens Day
• July 30 - Service Day and Bluegrass Day
• July 31 - Military Day
• July 31 - Motorhead Events Drifting Show
• Aug. 1 - Summertime Bull Blast
• Aug 2-3 - Truck and Tractor Pulls

 “We are doing it for the gardens,” says Avis Holloway, a Friends of the Garden member who is chairing the organization’s first annual Garage Sale from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2013, at the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center located within Nathanael/Greene Close Memorial Park at the Springfield Botanical Gardens, 2400 S. Scenic Ave.

The fundraiser will help the volunteer members of Friends of the Garden, together with Master Gardeners of Greene County, other nonprofit organizations and the staff and employees of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, continue to provide for the growth and maintenance of the 20 themed gardens, 15 special collections and five naturalized areas that make up the Springfield Botanical Gardens.

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Walking is good for the body and meditating is good for the soul. Throw into the mix a dynamite location, the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, and you’re sure to experience a sense of serenity and peace of mind, says Nancy Schmidt, chair of the Friends of the Garden volunteer group that helps maintain the Stroll Garden, located within Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. 

Janice Murrell will lead the Walking Meditation at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2013. The Meditation Stroll is free of charge, but admission to the Stroll Garden is $3.

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