Western Illinois University's Youth Performing Arts Series (YPAS) is back and underway at the Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts in Macomb, the university announced.
The series offers live arts performances on the WIU campus for area students in kindergarten through eighth grade. All performances begin at 10 a.m. unless otherwise noted.
The 2026-27 lineup
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: Ballet Quad Cities
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: STOMP (11 a.m.)
- Tuesday, Feb. 9: Chris Vallillo
- Thursday, March 25: TaikoArts
For many students, YPAS performances represent their only opportunity to experience live arts programming during the school year, the university said.
All YPAS performances are offered at no cost to participating schools through funding provided by the Performing Arts Society (PAS). PAS also subsidizes the cost of transporting students to campus.
The series reaches more than 6,000 students each year, according to the university. Since 1984, more than 200,000 children have attended a YPAS event.
To register a school for a YPAS performance or request a bus reimbursement form, email YPAS administration at ypas@wiu.edu.
Background
WIU celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the new Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts on Sept. 15, with its first performance the following day, according to a university news release carried by the River Cities' Reader. The release said the state invested $119 million in the center, described as the first new state-funded academic building at WIU in more than 40 years.
Source: the original release