SEPTEMBER
4-6, Mount Pulaski Fall Festival, flea market, entertainment, food
and drink, parade on Saturday, downtown Mount Pulaski (792-5419).
5-6, Arenzville Burgoo, food and music (997-5514).
5-6, Kenney Fall Festival, tractor pulls, music, petting zoo, quilt
show, food and drinks, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (944-2433)
5-7, New Salem Traditional Music and Bluegrass Festival, bluegrass
shows 6:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, hundreds of musicians picking and grinning
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, clogging at noon on Sunday (632-4000).
5-7, Greene County Days, yard sales, farm tours, food and entertainment
in Roodhouse, White Hall, Carrollton, and rural Greene County.
5-7, Arcola Broomcorn Festival, parade, race, entertainment, broom
sweeping contest, classic car show, teen dance, downtown Arcola, noon-6 p.m.
Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (800-336-5456, 268-4530).
www.arcola-il.org
5-7, WNNS/VALCO Cruise for Charity, classic car cruise and show to
benefit charity, downtown Springfield and Illinois State Fairgrounds (629-7077).
www.wnns.com
5-7, Havana Oktoberfest, polka bands, carnival, car show, parade, arts
and crafts, downtown Havana, 5 p.m.-midnight Friday, 9 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Saturday,
noon-7 p.m. Sunday (888-236-8406).
5-7, Pekin Marigold Festival, family fest, parade, carnival, music,
Miss Marigold Pageant, Mineral Springs Park, Court Street, 5-11:30 p.m. Friday,
9 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (309-346-2106).
6, Brinkerhoff Fall Fair, crafts, silent auction, country kitchen,
benefits the Brinkerhoff Home, 1500 N. Fifth, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (788-8380 ext.21).
6, Secretary of State Antique Vehicle Show, 7 a.m. registration, Illinois
State Fairgrounds (557-7629).
6-7, Cedarhurst Craft Fair, 165 crafters, make-n-take children’s area, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mount Vernon, $3 adults (618-242-1236).
6-7, Nickorbobs Craft Mall Fall Festival, outdoor crafts event with
music, pumpkin painting, food, Route 104 and I-55 (628-9191).
6-7, Jubilee Autumn Harvest and Bluegrass Festival, interpretive event
based on Jubilee Community life of the early 1800s, with a performance by the
River Ramblers, Jubilee College State Historic Site, Peoria, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,
$7 carload (309-243-9489).
6-7, Loami Fire Department Tractor Pull, antique and garden tractors,
4-wheeler pulls, games, benefits Loami Fire Department, Colburn Park (624-2076).
7,St. Cabrini Fall Festival, country store bingo, games, food
court, Mr. Opporknockity plays from 2-4 p.m., 1020 Milton, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (753-8941).
10-13, Morton Pumpkin Festival, carnival, entertainment, soapbox derby,
parade, 7:30 a.m. -10 p.m. (309-263-2491).
11-13, Atlanta Fall Festival, entertainment, carnival, cake and pie
baking contests (648-2145).
12-13, Old Capitol Nights, jazz and blues on the Old Capitol Plaza,
5:30 p.m.-midnight (544-1723).
12-13, Peoria Riverfront Ribfest & Barbecue Competition, preliminary
round for national competition in Memphis, food and family entertainment, Riverfront
Park (309-681-0696). www.peoriaevents.com.
12-13, Schuetzenfest, celebration of German culture with food, beer
and wine gardens, car show, trap shooting, $3 adults, Effingham County Fairgrounds,
Altamont, 5 p.m.-midnight Friday, 9 a.m.-midnight Saturday (618-483-3333).
12-14, Indian Pow Wow, Indian traders and food booths, dance circle,
Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville (618-346-5160).
12-14, Riverton Riverfest, horseshoe and arm wrestling contests, carnival, polka and rock bands, Little Miss Riverton pageant, Center Park, 10 a.m-10 p.m. (629-7086)
13, Henson Robinson Zoo Fall Carnival, children’s games and prizes,
Lake Springfield, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (753-6217).
13, Hobby Lobby Craft Show, homemade items for sale, Hobby Lobby parking
lot, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (726-9782).
13, Monticello Celebration, ice cream social, bingo, arts and crafts,
music, and food on the town square, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (762-9318).
13, Farmersville Fall Festival, food and crafts, benefits Farmersville-Waggoner Public Library District, $6 adults, $3 children (227-3711).
13-14, Abraham Lincoln National Railsplitting Contest and Crafts Festival, antique bike show, quilts, classic cars and tractors, $2 adults, Logan County
Fairgrounds, Lincoln, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Champion Split at 3:15 Sunday (732-4795).
13-14, Coal Creek Rendezvous, old-time music, log cabins tours, traders
and crafters, Tri-County Fairgrounds, Pana (562-4716).
13-14, Harvest Moon Celebration, handcrafted fall decorations and items,
sunflower contest, Feathered Nest Arts and Crafts Mall, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday,
noon-5 p.m. Sunday (528-8633).
13-14, Prairie Celebration, cider mill, blacksmithing, vintage baseball,
bluegrass, prairie hikes, Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday (423-7708).
13-14, Rediscover Cahokia Mounds, demonstrations of pottery, bow and
arrow, fire making, basket weaving, beadwork, Indian dancing, spear throwing,
Cahokia Mounds Historic Site, Collinsville, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (618-346-5160).
13-14, Edwards Place Fine Crafts Fair, 100 artists displaying glass
works, wood carvings, ceramics, fiber art, jewelry, prints, and photography,
with food and entertainment, 700 N. Fourth, 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4
p.m. Sunday (546-1712).
14, “Voices of the Past” Cemetery Tour, historical interpretations
at Farmers Point and Hickory Grove Cemeteries, near Petersburg, 1-4 p.m. (632-3543).
15-31, The Great Pumpkin Patch, 500-plus varieties of pumpkins, squash,
and gourds, $2 adults, Arthur, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (543-2394).
18-20, Athens Fall Festival, carnival, flea market, music, demolition
derby, Athens Community Park, 5-10 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m.-midnight Friday, all
day Saturday beginning with a parade at 11 a.m. (636-8049).
19-20, Amish Market Days, quilt auction, baked goods, fresh produce,
Rockome Gardens, Arcola, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (268-4106).
19-20, Mason City’s Prairie Harvest Days, carnival, pageant, food,
crafts, parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Pavilion Park. www.mason-city.com
19-20, Merchant’s Harvest Fest, pony rides, crafts, games, sidewalk
sales, parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, downtown Petersburg (632-7363).
19-21, Air Rendezvous, aircraft display on the ground and in the air,
hanger parties Friday and Saturday 7 p.m.-midnight, Capitol Airport, 9 a.m.-5
p.m. Saturday and Sunday; advance tickets are $8 adults, $4 children, at the
door $14 adults, $6 children (789-4400). www.springfield-il.com/airshow
19-21, Days of Our Lives Festival, celebration of the NBC soap opera
with look-a-like contest, auction, crafts and souvenirs, Salem (618-548-0878).
19-21, Tower Hill Fall Festival, tractor pull, demolition derby, parade.
5-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (783-2409).
19-21, 26-28, Horse Farming Festival, demonstrations 10 a.m. and 1
p.m., competition for corn shucking and plowing, Rockome Gardens, Arcola (268-4106).
20, Family Street Festival, sponsored by the Urban League and the Illinois
State Museum, featuring Mtu & Ngoma Ku Sema drum troupe, noon-4 p.m. (782-5661).
20-21, Corvette Funfest 2003, displays, awards, tent sale, Effingham,
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday (347-5591).
20-21, Arts in Central Park, art fair in downtown Decatur, 10 a.m-5
p.m. Saturday, 10a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday (423-3189).
20-21, Carlinville Fall Festival, crafts, threshing, sorghum making,
blacksmithing on the grounds of the Macoupin County Historical Society Museum,
9 a.m.-4 p.m. (854-2850).
20-21, Monticello Railroad Days, ride restored trains 11 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Monticello Railway Museum, $10 adults, $6 seniors and children (800-952-3396).
20-21, Quartz Stones and Dinosaur Bones Show, fossils, minerals, stones,
and gems, family activities, auction, Illinois Building at the Illinois State
Fairgrounds, 10 a.m-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (498-7713). www.loess.org
September 20-October 5, Prairiefest, the history of central Illinois
prairies as experienced through the plants, animals, and people who lived there,
Washington Park Botanical Garden, noon-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon-5p.m.
Saturday and Sunday (753-6228).
21, Children’s Art Festival, hands-on art fair with a nature theme,
music, Lincoln Park, noon-4 p.m. (753-3519).
21, Quincy Riverfest, art booths and demonstrations, children’s art
activities, entertainment, Bonansinga Drive, riverfront, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (222-3432).
23-25, Farm Progress Show, among the largest ag shows in the country,
Potomac, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, $5 admission (971-2465).
26-27,Oktoberfest, sponsored by the Springfield German American
Club, beer, wine, food, and entertainment, Expo Building, Illinois State Fairgounds,
5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, noon-1 a.m. Saturday (744-0607). www.gac-springfield.org
26-27, Galena Fall Tour of Homes, visit four homes and a church exemplifying
the Golden Age of Galena in the late 1800s, $12 adults, 9 a.m.-5p.m. (815-777-0229).
26-28, Biplane Fly-In, antique air show, Shelby County Airport, Shelbyville
(774-4111).
26-28, Autumn on the Boulevard, crafts, food, entertainment, bingo,
downtown Williamsville, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. (566-2595).
26-28, International Route 66 Mother Road Festival, music on multiple
stages, world’s largest sock hop, street performers, classic car show, Route
66 collectibles and memorabilia, downtown Springfield, 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday,
6:15 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday, 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday (422-3733).
26-28, Prairie Land Steam Show and Fall Festival, demonstrations of
blacksmithing, threshing, plowing, and molasses making using antique farm equipment,
tractor show and flea market, Prairie Land Heritage Museum Grounds, Jacksonville,
$4 for all 3 days, 7 a.m.-4p.m. daily (800-593-5678, 243-5678).
27, CCCC Fall Festival Entertainment, pony rides, classic car and tractor
show, ethnic food court, City Park, Benld, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (839-4888).
27, Children’s Miracle Network Garage Sale, citywide garage sale benefits
the CMN, St. John’s parking lot, corner of 9th and Madison, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (544-6464
ext. 44700). www.springfield-illinois.com/cmn
27, Down on the Farm, Henson Robinson Zoo celebrates farm life with
animals and activities, Lake Springfield, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (753-6217).
27-28, Apple and Pork Festival, food booths, crafts, antiques, and
bluegrass, gospel, and country music on the grounds of the Dewitt County Museum,
Clinton, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (935-6066).
27-28, Broom’s Orchard Apple Festival 2003, cider with lunch, pick
your own apples, crafts and demonstrations, Carlinville, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (854-3514).
27-28, Fall Fun Festival Crafts, entertainment, food, 5k run, parade,
Art Zeeck Park, Beardstown, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (323-3271).
27-28, Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair, more than 145 artists from around
the nation working in a variety of media, entertainment, kids’ stuff, Riverfront
Festival Park (309-637-2787).
27-28, Little Flower Parish Fall Festival, cake walk, family activities,
food, entertainment, live and silent auction, teen dance, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday,
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.
OCTOBER
3-4, Candlelight Tour of New Salem, interpreters in period clothing
re-create the restored village in the 1830s, near Petersburg, 7-9 p.m. (632-4000).
3-5, Horse Farming Festival, demonstrations of plowing, threshing, corn shucking, competition in shucking and plowing, Rockome Gardens, Arcola (268-4106).
4, Art Fair on the Square, work by Illinois artists, music, food, Chatham,
8 a.m.-4 p.m. (483-4471).
4, Blessed Sacrament Parish Pre-Sale and Auction, household goods,
new and used furniture, books, and other items, Blessed Sacrament School gym,
8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. (528-7521).
4, Fur, Feather, and Fin Fall Fling, family activities with animals
at the Henson Robinson Zoo, Lake Springfield, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (753-6217).
4, Springfield Fire Department Safety Fair, fire safety demonstrations,
family activities, antique fire engines, Illinois State Fairgrounds, noon-4
p.m. (789-2170).
4-5, Historic Surveying at New Salem, interpreters in period clothing
re-create the surveying of a road in the restored village of the 1830s, display
of antique and modern instruments by the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors,
near Petersburg, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (632-4000).
4-5, 11-12, Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive, 130-plus miles on a self-guided
tour of rural Western Illinois, yard sales, roadside stands, rendezvous encampment
at Dickson Mounds, food, entertainment, Fulton County (309-647-8980).
5, Oak Ridge Cemetery Historic Walk, interpreters in period costumes
give presentations at the gravesites of historic figures, noon-3 p.m. (789-2340).
5-12, Fall Frolic 2003, crafts, homemade food, family activities, entertainment,
Tuscola, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. www.amishcountry-il.com
10-11, Scarecrow Daze!, arts, crafts, entertainment, food, scarecrow
making, straw maze, parade, Forest Park, Shelbyville, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday,
10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday (744-2221).
10-11, Celebrate! Historic West Springfield, family festival in the
near west side of Springfield, bounded by Washington, Governor, Lincoln, and
Douglas streets, celebrating 150th anniversary of the Illinois State Fair, which
was originally held in the neighborhood, 1-4 p.m.; a period costume ball is
held 7-10 p.m. Saturday (787-0481).
10-12, Piatt County Annual Barn Tour, coordinated by Piatt County Museum,
Monticello, $10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (762-3366).
11-12, Abe Lincoln Days and Chilifest, arts and crafts, carnival, chili
cook-off at noon daily, downtown square, Taylorville, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday,
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (824-4919).
11-12, Broom’s Orchard’s Pumpkin Days, food and entertainment, pick
your own pumpkin, near Carlinville, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (854-3514).
11-12, Indian Summer Festival Food, music, crafts, demonstrations,
family activities, nature hikes, Lincoln Memorial Garden, $3 or $8 per family,
10 a.m.-4 p.m. (529-1111).
12, Giant Flea Market, odds and ends, antiques, Illinois Building,
Illinois State Fairgrounds, $1, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (529-6939).
12, Susan Lawrence Dana’s 141st Birthday Celebration, music, refreshments,
and special tours to honor the woman who commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to
design and build her house on Lawrence and 4th, noon-4 p.m. (782-6776). www.dana-thomas.org
17-18, Nauvoo Art Fair, local and international artists (453-6648).
18, Fall Craft and Food Festival, quilt raffle, holiday gifts, baked
goods, University of Illinois Extension Building, Illinois State Fairgrounds,
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
18, Apple Fest, vendors of apple products, honey and baked goods, downtown
Jacksonville, Illinois College Homecoming Parade at 10 a.m. (245-6884).
18, All-City Harvest Festival, arts, crafts, car cruise, chili cook-off,
food, music, Auburn (438-3405).
18, Craft Fair, Washington Park Botanical Garden, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (753-6228).
18, Decatur Area Writers Fair, workshops, programs, book signings and
discussions, Decatur Public Library, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
18, Jerome Crafts Sale, crafts, baked goods, and artwork by locals,
Jerome Civic Center, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (546-2203).
18, Oak Terrace Fall Festival, candy guess, bake sale, 50/50 drawing,
crafts, food, Oak Terrace Health Care Center, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (787-6466).
18, Quincy Preserves Architectural Tour, tours of six Quincy homes
and buildings of architectural and historical significance, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (223-3432).
18-19, Pike County Color Drive, self-guided tour with crafts, food,
stops along the way in 20-some towns and communities throughout Pike County
(223-1000).
18-19, Autumn Historic Folklife Festival, demonstrations of traditional
arts, old-time music and food cooked on wood stoves, Hannibal, Missouri, 10
a.m.-5 p.m. (573-221-6545). www.visithannibal.com
18-19, 25-26, Art East, works by more than a 100 Madison County artists,
first weekend in Alton, second weekend in Edwardsville, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (618-656-3348).
19, “A Whisper in Time” Cemetery Tour, historical interpretations at
Rochester, Mottarville, and Oak Hill cemeteries, sponsored by Rochester Historical
Preservation Society, 1-4 p.m. (793-6389).
29-30, Calvary Temple Fall Fest, family activities, games, costume
contest at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 5-9 p.m. (546-9700).
31, Harvest Festival, family activities, games, Litchfield, 6-9 p.m. (324-5252).
NOVEMBER
1, Fall and Holiday Craft Fair, crafts, flea market, bake sale, quilt
raffle, American Legion, Jacksonville, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (245-8361).
1-2, Persimmon Party, celebrating the persimmon through cooking, lore,
and sales of frozen pulp, Christian County Historical Society, Taylorville,
noon-4 p.m. (824-6922).
1-2, Winter Rendezvous, re-creation of life in early 1800s, Fort de
Chartres State Historic Park, Prairie du Rocher, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (800-442-1488).
1-2, Wizard Weekend, activities inspired byHarry Potter, Missouri
Botanical Garden, St. Louis, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (800-642-8842 or 314-577-9400).
2, UISInternational Festival, entertainment, food, and family
activities celebrating various cultures of the world, PAC Studio Theatre, University
of Illinois at Springfield, 4-8 p.m, $10, $5 students and children (206-6678).
5, Corkscrew Wine Emporium Holiday Show, sample wines with appetizers
by local restaurants, Crowne Plaza, tickets must be purchased in advance, 6-9
p.m. (698-1112). www.thecorkscrew.com
7, Veterans Day Recognition Event, Illinois State Military Museum,
Camp Lincoln, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (761-3910). www.il.ngb.army.mil
7-9, Holiday in the Village Fine Crafts Sale, 15 artists from several
states show pottery, jewelry, painted silk, scented soaps, lotions, and candles,
gift basket raffle, Jerome Civic Center, 4-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday,
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday (546-0769).
7-9, Christmas Arts & Crafts Show, Village Square Mall, Effingham,
9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday (347-0623).
8, Candlelight Tour of Homestead Prairie Farm, one of Decatur’s oldest
homes toured by candlelight, Homestead Prairie Farm, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (423-7708).
8, Junior League Next to New Sale, used items benefit charity, Artisans
Building, Illinois State Fairgrounds, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. (787-7802).
8, Vachel Lindsay Birthday Celebration and Open House, period music,
interpretations of Lindsay poems, tours of the Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic
Site, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (524-0901).
8-9, Old Fashioned Christmas, handcrafted items, Feathered Nest Arts
and Crafts Mall, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday (528-8633).
8-23, Chrysanthemum Festival, mum displays against tropical foliage,
Washington Park Botanical Garden, noon-4 p.m. weekdays, noon-5 p.m. weekends
(753-6228).
15, Holiday Market, craft sale, night hikes, caroling, luminaries,
Lincoln Memorial Garden, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (529-1111). www.lmgnc.com
22, The Lighting of the Commons, more than a million lights come on
at once in the John Deere Commons at the Moline Center, 3-6:30 p.m. (309-765-1278).
22-30, Festival of Trees, family event with entertainment, Orr Building,
Illinois State Fairgrounds, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (788-3293).
29, Eckert’s Old-Fashioned Holiday Extravaganza, tree-sawing contest, tree lighting, Santa visit, caroling, Eckert’s Farms, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (800-745-0513).
This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2003.
