On December 18th, 2018, the state of Illinois will be two hundred years old. I said the state, not the territory, put your musket away. Resident historian, magician and storyteller, William Pack, plans to celebrate the old girl’s birthday a little early with a free show at the St. Charles Public Library in Chicago next Tuesday .

The Illinois at 200: Storytelling and Trivia Game Show promises to be one part history, one part storytelling, and one part trivia game, complete with prizes and the occasional trick from Pack, who seems particularly adept at pin swallowing if his website is anything to go by.   

Illinois at 200 starts at 7:30 pm on March 13th at The Carnegie Community Room in St. Charles Public Library in Chicago. The show is free, but spots are limited. Registration is open.