April 28, 2024
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5 things to do in the Illinois Valley: Scarecrow time

Fall festivals continue with a bit of Civil War history, a woodcarving workshop and concert

By Shaw Local News Network

The Scarecrow Fest returns to downtown Princeton will a full day of activities Saturday, Oct. 14. (BCR Photo/ Becky Kramer)

Editor’s Note: Princeton’s Scarecrow Festival has been moved to Saturday, Oct. 28.

Scarecrow festival: Leland will host its scarecrow festival Sunday. Vendors will be set up from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on Main Street in downtown Leland across from Casey’s. Face painting begins at 1 p.m., along with pumpkin painting and hay rack rides. Santiago’s Taco Truck will sell food. Visitors are encouraged to cast their votes for the best scarecrows. Go to https://www.facebook.com/LelandTownAndCountryAssociation for more information.

Fall Festival: The third annual fall festival is scheduled noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Knudson Park in Marseilles. There will be family photos, ax throwing, a free photo session, a bounce house, sand dig, pumpkins and hay rack rides, among other activities. Following the fall festival, there will be a Halloween-themed musical bingo at 7 p.m. at the Marseilles Lions Club, 511 Commercial St. Doors open at 6. Seven rounds of bingo will cost $15. Prizes will be awarded for each round. Food will be available for purchase, along with a cash bar. Go to https://www.facebook.com/marseilles.illinois for more information.

Shadows of the Blue and Gray: Civil War history will be on display Saturday and Sunday at City County Park in Princeton. Admissions is $5. Visitors are invited to spend time walking through the camps and talking with reenactors about camp life. Gates open at 9 a.m. both days. A narrated mock battle is scheduled 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, followed by an Abraham Lincoln impersonator delivering the Gettysburg Address. Each mock battle will have a medical presentation. Each day also will feature artillery drills, a Gen. Ulysses S. Grant presentation and frying pan toss. There also will be a cupcake walk 2 p.m. Saturday. Go to https://www.shadowsbluegray.com/ for more information and a full schedule.

Union Civil War re-enactor soldiers take part in a battle scene during Princeton's Shadow of the Blue and Gray event on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.

Union Civil War reenactor soldiers take part in a battle scene during Princeton's Shadow of the Blue and Gray event in 2021. (BCR Photo/Mike Vaughn)

Meet the Carvers of the Illinois Valley: Anyone interested in wood carving or fine arts can visit the exposition and learn about different techniques from local wood carvers. The event is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at The Baptist Church Annex on the southwest corner of McKinley Road and State Street in Ottawa. A 50/50 drawing will take place at 3 p.m. Contact Jim Wall at 815-993-2163 or Joyce Bianchi at 815-672-8000 for more information.

The Gibbons Brothers Band: Jammin’ at the Clock will present a special concert of the Gibbons Brothers Band 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Knights of Columbus, 806 Oakley Ave., Streator. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10. Proceeds benefit Jammin’ at the Clock’s summer concert series. There will be a cash bar and food for purchase. Go to Jammin’ at the Clock’s Facebook page for more information.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to The Times, NewsTribune or Bureau County Republican’s community calendar at starvedrockcountry.com/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature.