Will Sarah Palin play in Peoria? Except for a brief stop in Chicago to tape an Oprah Winfrey show last November, Palin's first public appearance in Illinois will be April 17 in Washington, a town of about 14,000 near Peoria. The local community center -- called Five Points Washington -- booked Palin for a speech and a dinner to raise money for a parking lot, youth scholarships and other projects.