THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2025
It’s State Fair season in Du Quoin See more photos on pages 6 and 7.
VOL. 109, ISSUE 2
Carbondale businesses celebrate major milestones ANNALISE SCHMIDT ASCHMIDT@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Williamson County Motor Patrol driver high fives children driving in the Twilight Parade at the Du Quoin State Fair, Aug. 22, 2025 in Du Quoin, Illinos. Emily Brinkman | erb_photo_
Off the Rails concert series brings Carbondale together YAHRI EDMOND YEDMOND@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Carbondale’s beloved Off the Rail Concert Series continues to bring music, energy and togetherness to the community. City of Carbondale’s Tourism and Special Event Coordinator, Dina Haun, shared that this year marks the fifth season of Off the Rail. The concert, part of a long-running tradition, highlighted both a band’s deep connection with local audiences and the series’ role in giving musicians a platform. This weekend, the crowd was treated to a special moment as Lucas Wayne & the Cottonmouths took the stage as an opening act - for the one hundredth time. “It’s about fun, family-friendly, free entertainment that highlights Carbondale’s incredible music scene,” Haun said. The series, held outdoors in downtown Carbondale, has become a staple of summer and fall weekends. Families, students and longtime residents gather for free live music, food vendors and a
chance to celebrate the area’s diverse talent. “These events are for the community, so if there’s something you’d like to see, let us know. We really do mean it when we ask who you want to see in Carbondale,” Haun said. “We want people to know this is a place for SIU students, the Carbondale family and beyond. This is for them.” For lead singer Lucas Wayne, performing at the Off the Rails Concert Series in Carbondale is more than just another gig. Though he’s not a Carbondale native, Wayne has been embraced by the local community through his band, Lucas Wayne & The Cottonmouths. “It means a lot to me to get to play this community event, when I’m not necessarily from this community, but have kind of been accepted into it. It’s a great honor,” Wayne said. Wayne describes his music as a blend of genres he calls “Americana,” combining elements of country, soul and rock into a sound that’s RAILS | 5
Cody Diekhoff of the band Chicago Farmer sings and plays guitar during the Off the Rails Concert Series Aug. 23, 2025 at the Downtown Entertainment and Events Plaza in Carbondale, Illinois. Estrada | aestrada@dailyegyptian.com
Several Carbondale businesses are reaching milestone anniversaries this year, each marking decades of connection with the Carbondale community. The Neighborhood Coop Grocery is celebrating 40 years of operation, Quatro’s recently marked its 50th anniversary and PK’s bar is approaching 70 years in business. Together, these establishments have adapted with the city’s evolving social landscape, offering spaces for dining, gathering and entertainment across generations. Neighborhood Co-op Grocery celebrating 40 years The Neighborhood Co-op Grocery traces its roots back to the early 1980s, when a handful of friends formed a buying club that gathered in living rooms to split bulk orders of food. Francis Murphy, now the general manager, was part of those early days. A three-time SIU graduate, Murphy has been involved with the Co-op for more than three decades. “In the early ‘80s, a group of friends got together in someone’s living room with a catalog from a wholesale coop in Madison, Wisconsin,” Murphy said. “They would drive a truck up there, load it with grains, beans, rice, cheese and nuts, and then bring it back to Carbondale where people would gather in houses and divide up the food.” That network of neighborhood buying clubs gave the Co-op its name. By 1985, the Co-op had opened its first storefront at 102 E. Jackson St., later moving next door before relocating to the Murdale Shopping Center in 2006. That expansion, Murphy said, was a turning point. “We quadrupled in size when we moved from downtown to here, and we did it by leveraging about $50,000 in cash into a $1.5 million project. The city, banks and more than 100 Co-op owners who made personal loans made it possible,” Murphy said. Beyond being a grocery store, the Co-op has emphasized community connection. It sponsors events like the Feed Your Neighbor 5K and the annual Farm Crawl, while also hosting sales and activities in partnership with SIU and other local organizations. This year’s 40th anniversary will be marked with a free celebration in Turley Park on Saturday, Aug. 30. The event will feature live music from bluegrass musician Mark Stoffel, the all-female rock band Loose Gravel MILESTONES | 2