5 things to do in the Illinois Valley: County fair season begins

1 - Get a taste of rural life this weekend in Ottawa or Henry. The La Salle County 4-H Show and Junior Fair continues Friday through Sunday. Along with the animal shows throughout the day, the La Salle County fair will feature the The Broken Horn Rodeo at 7 p.m. Friday and the Demolition Derby at 7 p.m. Saturday at the fairgrounds, 1578 4-H Road. In Henry for the Marshall-Putnam Fair, a demolition derby is scheduled 7 p.m. Friday and the PPL Tractor/Truck pull is set 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the fairgrounds, 915 University Ave. Go to https://marshallputnamfair.org/ for more information on the Marshall-Putnam Fair.

2 - Gaze at the big trucks Saturday in Ladd. The 18th Convoy Against Cancer Big Truck Show is scheduled 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the village’s downtown. The street will be lined with all makes and models of new and restored big trucks including truck cranes, fire trucks, wreckers, as well as pickups and farm tractors, new and antique, from all over North Central Illinois. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. For more information, call 815-488-8245, 815-894-2092, or send an email to hocking4@comcast.net

3 - View Native American artifacts Sunday in Utica. The 19th annual Starved Rock Native American Artifact Show is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Grand Bear Resort, 2643 Route 178, Utica. There will be artifacts on display and for sale. Bring artifacts to the show for a free evaluation. There is no admission. Call show host Scott Carruthers at 815-252-1322 for more information.

4 - Shop, eat and be artistic Friday in Ottawa. Third Friday is planned 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Ottawa, including a closed-off Madison Street. Ax throwing, local art, artisan cocktails, food vendors, music by Kevin Roy Kramer, free children’s crafts and downtown shopping are among the activities set for this month’s installment. Go to Ottawa’s Third Friday on Facebook for more information.

5 - Attend a light-hearted comedy this weekend in La Salle. “Into the Woods” debuts Friday at Stage 212, 700 First St. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be bought by visiting the box office 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays or 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, or by calling 815-224-3025 during box office hours. Tickets also are available at stage212.org.

Bonus events: The Marseilles Firefighters Association will host Marseilles Cruise Night from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, along Main Street. Music will be provided by AMC Sounds. Additionally, Buda Fun Day will be from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, at Stewart Park in Buda, featuring a pie baking contest, parade, bags tourney and water battles, among other activities.

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.