The city of Springfield has many exciting events and opportunities available to UIS students within a variety of different genres. Whether residents are looking for a bite to eat from a cool restaurant downtown or are interested in the local music scene, Springfield has a lot to offer them in terms of entertainment. While many of these events do require UIS students to travel a bit beyond campus, the extra time is well worth it in order to discover Springfield’s hidden potential.

One local business that UIS students should have on their radar is Springfield Vintage. This eclectic and colorful shop is located on 215 S. 5th Street in the heart of downtown Springfield. The shop specializes in both vintage home decor and clothing with new items stocked daily, appealing to many different customers looking for that classic style. Springfield Vintage is a fairly new business in the downtown area, as it was established in 2016 and has been thriving ever since. Other than the variety of merchandise and great prices, one of the best things about this business is truly its owner, Linda, who often makes her customers feel like family every time they walk in. Pro tip: Linda prefers when customers pay with cash, so make sure you have some on you. She is more likely to give you a discount on your purchase total!

Springfield Vintage is also a part of Downtown Springfield Incorporated (DSI) and often participates in different specialty events, like Springfield’s Downtown Sidewalk Sales. Their upcoming event that students want to look out for is the 6th Annual Vintage Love Tour on February 8 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Those interested in this event will be able to enjoy walking around downtown and browsing antique items from a selection of local home decor shops. As a bonus, those participating can also enjoy a curated brunch menu from local restaurant Incredibly Delicious to fuel their fun-filled day of shopping and receive a charm from each shop on the tour to create their very own necklace. More information on the Vintage Love Tour can be found on its Facebook event page featuring both a flyer and informational map.