5 Things to Do in Springfield This Weekend That Have Nothing to Do With Real Estate — Mostly

Let’s be honest.

When someone says “Springfield, Illinois,” your brain probably goes straight to Abraham Lincoln.

Fair.

But Springfield is more than Lincoln, although Lincoln is understandably difficult to escape.This weekend, the city has art, history, food, music, outdoor activities and enough events to keep you busy without requiring a presidential beard. Here are five worth checking out.

1. Go to the Edwards Place Fine Art Fair

This one is an easy choice.

The Edwards Place Fine Art Fair runs September 19–20, with dozens of artists, live music, food vendors, demonstrations, a used book sale and tours of Edwards Place. Admission is free.

This is exactly the kind of event that makes a city feel alive.

You go because you’re “just looking.”

Then you see something you absolutely do not need.

Then you buy it.

Then you explain to your spouse why it was an investment.

We call that the art market.

2. Take a walk through Lincoln Memorial Garden

Saturday’s calendar includes Forest Therapy at Lincoln Memorial Garden.

And frankly, Springfield could probably prescribe more weekends like this.

Go outside.

Walk.

Leave your phone in your pocket.

Look at trees.

Listen to birds.

Remember that humans survived for thousands of years without notifications every 14 seconds.

You’ll be amazed how quickly your brain calms down.

3. Head out to Clayville

The Clayville Fall Festival is happening Saturday at Clayville Historic Site.

If you haven’t explored Springfield-area history beyond the obvious Lincoln stops, this is a good excuse.

Historic places have a way of making modern life feel slightly ridiculous.

You look at an old building and realize people lived entire lives there without Amazon Prime.

Somehow, they survived.

4. Turn dinner into an event

The Progressive Dinner Summer Series: Harvest Edition is also happening Saturday, with stops at three different locations.

This is the kind of event we can get behind.

Because dinner is good.

But dinner where you move around, try different things and make an evening of it?

Better.

Springfield has a surprisingly strong food scene, and weekends like this are a good reminder that you don’t always have to drive two hours to find something interesting.

5. Finish the weekend with water lanterns

Sunday brings The Glow Up: Water Lantern Festival at Illinois State Fairgrounds–Conservation World.

It’s the perfect Sunday activity because it’s hard to be aggressively productive while surrounded by glowing lanterns.

Sometimes you just need to slow down.

And Springfield is pretty good at giving people reasons to do that.

The Springfield Real Estate Quiz

Now let’s get into the housing part.

Springfield Lake Shore is one of the city’s higher-end residential areas. Realtor.com’s current neighborhood data lists a median listing price of approximately $694,900.

So here’s the question:

What is the current market benchmark for homes listed in Springfield Lake Shore?

A. $325,000
B. $475,000
C. $695,000
D. $1.1 million

Answer: C — approximately $694,900.

And that’s a great example of why averages can be misleading.

Springfield’s overall median home value is dramatically lower, with Zillow reporting a typical Springfield home value of $172,189 as of August 31, 2026.

But certain neighborhoods can look completely different.

That’s real estate.

The citywide number tells you something.

The neighborhood number tells you much more.

Springfield Is Full of Surprises

The best cities aren't necessarily the loudest cities.

Sometimes they’re the places with great neighborhoods, interesting people, history, local restaurants, parks, art and just enough weirdness to keep things interesting.

Springfield has all of it.

And when you’re ready to look at the housing side of the equation, the Stratton Springfield team can help you make sense of the local market.

Because buying a house should be about more than square footage.

It should be about what you’re going to do once you get home.