The 2025 Edwardsville Art Fair was an absolute blast! The Edwardsville Arts Center (EAC) once again…read moretransformed City Park into a three-day celebration of incredible regional talent. Over 100 artists brought their work, showcasing media from intricate ceramics, crisp photography, and shiny metal jewelry to unique polished wood pieces and, of course, brilliant paints. My personal favorite? Felicia Olin, whose whimsical paintings on canvas and wood keep me looking for her year after year. (I have several of her pieces, including one I got during the Edwardsville Art Fair last year and another at the Fair in 2018!) Other regulars include an artist who uses puffy 3D paints, SIUE art students, a wood and collage artist who makes the most beautiful boxes and mirrors, and, new the last 2 years, an artist who makes beautiful paintings of silly embroidery and nother who makes incredible realistic-looking flower arrangements from a flexible clay. ​The atmosphere was great, too. thanks to the warm but not too hot temperatures (we got lucky there) and the live music on the bandstand (especially the SIUE Jazz Band). And, if you wanted, you could grab a drink, an ice cream, or some food from a food truck or tent, including Global Brew and Cold Stone Creamery, and then sit down to enjoy your selection while enjoying the music and other performing arts. Plus, the fair is a perfect family event, offering kids activities like the Maker's Space. It's awesome knowing that the fair supports the EAC's mission to keep art accessible for everyone. Mark your calendars for next year--you won't want to miss it! Maybe I'll see you there!

This is a hard review to write. The things Josephine's did right, were amazing and the things they…read moredid wrong, ruined the entire experience. It had me walking out of there after my lunch saying, "It ain't all that." I lived in the area when Josephine's first opened, so I've heard about it for years and years. I moved away and then moved back about 5 years ago. Again, I kept hearing stories about Josephine's, so I finally decided to check them out. I dined as a single male and I am now wondering if I was discriminated against because I did not have a lady with me. My experience started off nice, I was impressed with the fire pit burning outside as I approached the entrance. Once inside, I was greeted by a hostess. Lucky for me they had a table available, because I did not have a reservation. Reservations are recommended. The ambiance is nice, but it's very dated and could use a serious updating. I also found the tables to be extremely crowded. They all were super close, which made it kinda uncomfortable. However, I understand they want to serve as many guests as possible. I had studied the menu on line and basically knew what I wanted. Once I was seated I decided to have a glass of Pino Grigio. Big mistake. If I had seen the price of a glass, I would have not ordered one. The glass of wine was only $6.99 and it tasted like a cheap wine. Major disappointment. My meal was good, but not up to all the hype they receive. The Lobster Bisque was steakhouse quality and very good. I also enjoyed my 1/2 Club Sandwich. They were not stingy with the three meats, (ham, turkey and bacon) and the winter tomato even gets a thumbs up. My Mystery Pecan Pie was average, but it still satisfied my sweet tooth. The biggest disappointment was the service. I have received better service at greasy spoon. My server was rather gruff. She was always rushing and barely stopped long enough to speak to me. After my food was served, I needed a napkin and as she was passing by, I requested one. She reached over to a rack and tossed a linen napkin back to my table. She then told me they had paper ones, if I preferred them. I declined saying, I preferred the linen. I'll go again, but next time I'll be sure to have a female escort. I hate to say it, but I really believe I was treated differently because I was alone. When: February 17, 2026 Why: Lunch

Josephine's Tea Room & Gifts is still one of my absolute favorite places to spend an afternoon. The…read moredrive to Godfrey is always beautiful, no matter the season, with gorgeous river views, colorful trees, and the kind of scenery that makes for great conversation on the way. One of the things I look forward to most is seeing how Josephine's is decorated for each season and holiday. Their designers are incredibly creative and inspiring. I always make a beeline for the main fireplace mantle to see what masterpieces they've put together. And the best part? Everything they decorate with is available for purchase in the boutiques. Now for the real star of the show: the desserts. Almond Cheesecake, Carrot Cake, Bread Pudding, Strawberry Shortcake, truly the best part of the meal. And the dessert trays don't even show everything; they often have cobblers, cream pies, and additional sweets that satisfy every kind of craving. We usually take two or three home to share with everyone. As for the menu, my go-to is the 1/2 Crystal Bowl Salad, which comes with a bowl of soup and a muffin. Their homemade poppyseed dressing is incredible. Other favorites of mine include the Lobster Bisque, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Ham Special Sandwich, and of course, the rotating daily specials. Iced Tea and Sweet Tea here is so good, they even give you, your own mini refill carafe which I appreciate greatly. Josephine's is charming, delicious, and always worth the trip.

This place is all about supporting local!…read more We wanted to pop in to see the new bar/venue in the Alton area. We wanted to make a whole day of Alton and we had to try the next hot spot. The place was filled with local art and they did a great job at displaying it. They have an upstairs area that was servicing a food truck style food option to support other local businesses. I was wowed by the support for their fellow Altonians.

Incredible art, great people. Comfortable places to escape the noice and people and chill or get…read moreloud and weird, all within a pretty small club. Not an all-ages club, but hosts the top local and regional bands in a great space with very good sound techs. This place is about quality, not quantity. A little weird mixed in.

The night market is such a fun and unique time! You will find some one of a kind hand made items…read moreand so much more all while enjoying some great tunes! The people and the vibes are always great to be around. I love it when Night Market season rolls around!

Many Beautiful plants I wish you were open 5 days a week instead of only on the third weekend of…read morethe month thanks Maybe at least 2 days a week

What a great addition to Alton, IL! Beautiful plants and cute pots to help decorate your space…read more Helpful staff will teach you how to take care of your new planties. They are always getting new things in - if you don't see something you like, just ask! The staff knows plants and are really eager to help. I found most of the prices really reasonable. They do have some tropicals and rarer plants, which are beautiful but waaaay out of this plant newb's wheelhouse. But if I can find something easy to care for, anybody can. Whatever your level of plant-pertise, you will find something that fits perfectly into your collection!

A fun place to get reasonably priced crystals, incense, candles, books, and more. Friendly and…read moretalkative staff

I absolutely love this store. I was not at all expecting to find a place like this in Alton, but…read moreI'm so glad I did. The place is bursting full of things. There's dozens of types of crystals, incense, books, tarot cards. There's jewelry and worry stones and pendants. There's tote bags and wall hangs and statues and pyramids. If you need something hippie or metaphysical, this place probably has you covered. We ended up going twice in two days, because we had something else to get to the first day and ran out of time to properly explore the place. The staff was super helpful and funny as hell. Shout out to the guy who recognized the Loki runes on my pendant and showed me his Loki tattoo. He was there both days we went, and was super nice. I hope I get a chance to come back, and I highly recommend poking around. Even if you don't think you need something.... You probably do.

This museum was awesome! I wasn't expecting much from this small home, but I was more than…read moreimpressed. I have never been to a museum that uses the home like it was used in its hay-day. The kitchen was remodeled in the late 1800's so they rebuilt a detached replica of the original kitchen which was the very neat. They tour guide let us touch all the utensils, cookware, and tools while she explained how they would have been used. Inside, they tore the building down to the bricks and rebuilt it exactly as it was in 1820. If you have a couple hours to explore while in Edwardsville, stop for a tour....you will be impressed.

Great place to visit with lots of information. Very kid friendly. Also cool that they offer tours…read moreof the dam three times a day.

A very good interpretation/museum for this amazing lock and dam. Wander through the aisles there,…read morethen sign up for a tour of the lock and dam. The structure will blow your mind. Huge and what a feat of engineering. We were lucky to be able to watch a barge go through the lock. What a sight! An awesome ranger provided so much information and explanation of the one of 29 "steps" for boats/ barges on this 600mile portion of the Mississippi River. Fascinating!