Know when, what, and where to have fun.
August 14th (Friday) 6 PM to ?
Monthly Social.
Host: Marialys McClellan
1410 E Grove St.
Bring a dish to pass and your favorite beverage.
Don't forget your cash for the 50/50 drawing.
August 16th (Sunday) 2 PM to dark
Vinyl Hullaballo
Host: Matt Lollar
1304 E Grove St.
DJ Moody will start spinning records of your choice. Don't have vinyl? No worries - Matt and Mike will have a wide variety available from our collections. Weather permitting, the pool will be open.
Bring your own beverage, lawn chair, and a snack to pass!
August 19th (Wednesday) 6:30 PM
Music Guild.
We are taking the month off due to Vinyl Hullaballo.
August 20th (Thursday) 7 PM.
Mystery Book Club.
Book: “Fagin the Thief” by Allison Epstein, 336 pages.
Location: 1413 E Grove St.
Host: Jen Johnson \ jensincjohnson@gmail.com
Usually meets every 3rd Thursday of the month.
August 30th (Sunday) 5:30 PM.
Euchre Night
This event uses SignUp Genius.
To be included, contact fgnabloomington@gmail.com
Location will be listed on SignUp Genius.
Limited to 12 people.
Bring a dish to pass and your favorite beverage.
September 1st (Tuesday) 7 PM.
Washington Street Book Club.
Book: “So Far Gone” by Jess Walter.
Host: Rochelle Gridley \ rochellegridley@gmail.com
Usually meets every 1st Tuesday of the month.
September 3rd (Thursday), 7 PM.
FGNA Quarterly Meeting.
Location: Centennial Christian Church.
1219 E. Grove St., basement.
Topic: To Be Announced.
September 12th (Saturday), depart 8:30 AM.
Drive the Mother Road. Then Drive a Race Track.
Meet at SW corner of Menards, Normal.
Host: Roger & Jen Johnson.
RSVP Required: rfjohnson1413@gmail.com
September 16th (Wednesday) 6:30 PM.
Music Guild.
Theme: "Musical snake". We will pick listners in a randomized order each round and you need to do is play a song that the previous song reminds you of. It can be similar style / name / different song from same band / etc.
Location: 2603 Ark Drive, Bloomington.
Host: Bonnie Brown & Leon Lin.
Usually meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Something new. Each participant may play one song not included in the theme, but the artist had passed away in the past month.
September 17th (Thursday) 7 PM.
Mystery Book Club.
Book: “The Killing Stones” by Ann Cleeves, 384 pages.
Location: 1413 E Grove St.
Host: Jen Johnson \ jensincjohnson@gmail.com
Usually meets every 3rd Thursday of the month.
October 1st (Thursday) 6:00 to 9:00 PM.
FGNA Palooza, Day 1.
Location: 1221 E Washington St.
Host: Brett Barbour & Christine Elliott.
October 2nd (Friday) 5:00 to 10:00 PM.
FGNA Palooza, Day 2.
Location: 1223 E Washington St.
Host: Bones Bach & Diane Barclay.
October 3rd (Saturday) 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM.
FGNA Palooza, Day 3.
Location: 1304 E. Grove St.
Host: Matt Lollar.
FGNA Calendar
Drive the Mother Road.
Then Drive a Race Track.
September 12th (Saturday), leave 8:30 AM.
--- RSVP REQUIRED by September 6 to rfjohnson1413@gmail.com
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of The Mother Road, Roger & Jennifer Johnson invite their Founders’ Grove neighbors to a drive on Saturday, September 12.
Starting at 8:30am, driving enthusiasts will caravan on Historic Route 66 from the south end of the Menard’s parking lot in Normal to the Autobahn Country Club and Motorsports Park – the Midwest’s premier motorsports park -- at 3795 Centerpoint Way, Joliet. The drive to Joliet on Route 66 should take about 2 hours.
Autobahn is a 3.8-mile road racing circuit in its 22nd year of offering great experiences to driving enthusiasts.
We’ll arrive as a group and check in at the main gate security house. We will then enter the grounds and park together. Following a break to stretch our legs and enjoy the paddock, your pre-ordered/pre-paid optional lunch (about $15) will be served at 11 AM in the club house. Around noon, we’ll head to our cars and line up on the racing grids in the hot pits. From there, we’ll be led onto the track for a 20-minute driving session.
--- You will be driving your own car on the track.
--- Sorry, no motorcycles, no motorhomes; only cars are allowed on the track.
--- Only highway speeds are allowed. No passing, and no drag racing! Safety first.
Following the touring we'll depart the Autobahn for home.
(If you elect to take I-55 home instead of Route 66, it generally takes about 1.5 hours.)
Send questions and RSVPs (needed by September 6) to rfjohnson1413@gmail.com. Additional details, including menu options, will be sent to those who RSVP.
---
Historic U.S. Route 66 is celebrating its centennial in 2026. Visionary for its time, The Mother Road is one of the original highways within the National Highway System. The importance of the route is rooted within its cultural and historical impact, beginning in 1926 when it received its numerical designation. The highway was intended to connect rural main streets and urban communities so that small towns could have access to a national thoroughfare. Running nearly 300 miles across the Land of Lincoln, Route 66 eventually reaches Missouri and makes its way across the country to the end in Santa Monica, CA.
14th Annual Vinyl Hullabaloo
August 16th (Sunday), 2:00 PM.
FGNA's Vinyl Hullabaloo event is back for its 14th year! Bring your vinyl albums or pick from hundreds of records on hand! Our DJ -- Moody -- will build an ongoing playlist while you socialize with neighbors.
We'll meet beginning at 2pm on Sunday, August 16th, in the backyard at 1304 E Grove Street, home of Matt Lollar. We will wind things up as we lose daylight.
BYOB, snacks, chair, blanket, etc.
1410 E Grove St.
FGNA Palooza
October 1 -3 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday).
The 14th annual FGNA Palooza will include 28 musical acts performing over three days – Thursday-Saturday, October 1-3 – at three locations!
MUSIC
--- Thursday’s Nashville-Style Singer/Songwriter Circle will take place from 6-9pm at the home of Brett Barbour and Christine Elliott, 1221 E. Washington Street. The singer/songwriter circle will feature Aaroneous Crux, Featherthief, Bill Givens Sr, Drew Goss, Adrian Guerra, and Nate Wiggins.
--- Friday’s performances will take place from 5-10pm at the home of Bones Bach and Diane Barclay, 1223 E. Washington Street, with performances by Still Standing, The Groupset, The Blue Sun Band, Skiffle Pop, and Ricky King & Tyler Walls.
--- Saturday’s performances will take place from 11am-10pm at the home of Matt Lollar, 1304 E. Grove Street, with performances by The Normal Band, (Not) Really Human, No Worries Ukulele Duo, Bryth, Gina Hunter & Doug Biever, Brett Conlin & the Midnight Miles, Captain Marvelous and The Madmen, The Readers, Bill Givens, Will Bauer, Wildermore, Drew Goss, Geoff Beran & The Mystery Van, Dan Basham, monarch the band, Matt Sneed, Hillbilly High-Rise.
Feel free to being chairs, blankets, snacks, beverages, etc.
T-SHIRTS
If you’re interested in pre-ordering an FGNA Palooza T-shirt, read this Facebook post: bit.ly/26shirtpost Pre-orders are due Monday, August 31. There may be some shirts for sale at the event, but quantities and sizes will be severely limited.
FOOD:
Peeler’s Overworks will again offer a delectable wood-fired pizza buffet lunch on Saturday (donations accepted), courtesy of neighbors Kevin and Laurie Loseke.
Stay tuned! We’re firming up our food truck offerings for Friday and Saturday nights!!
---
FGNA events are for residents of Founders' Grove and their families. Friends are welcome when accompanied by a Founders' Grove resident.
August Social
August 14th (Friday), 6:00 PM.
Host: Marialys McClellan.
1410 E Grove St.
© 2026. All rights reserved by Founders' Grove Neighborhood Association.