April 18, 2024
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5 things to do in the Illinois Valley: Take full advantage of winter with sled dog demos, ice skating

Other events include trivia night, pancake day and flea market

By Shaw Local News Network
Jason Hussong, leads a team of Free Spirit Siberian Rescue dogs during the Sled Dog Demos at Starved Rock State Park on Sunday Jan. 17. The Harvard-based nonprofit aims to reduce the number of homeless Siberian huskies in Illinois and surrounding states. Since its founding in 1999, Free Spirit has adopted and found homes for more than 3,000 huskies and husky mixes.

Jason Hussong leads a team of Free Spirit Siberian Rescue dogs during the sled dog demos in 2021 at Starved Rock State Park. (Scott Anderson)

1 - Visit with huskies Sunday at Starved Rock State Park. Sled dog demonstrations by Free Spirit Siberian Rescue will take place from noon to 3 p.m. in the Starved Rock Visitor Center parking lot by the Illinois River. The demonstrations are free, but donations to the Starved Rock Foundation will be accepted. Free Spirit Siberian Rescue, of Harvard, Illinois, has helped rescue more than 3,000 huskies. Go to http://www.huskyrescue.org/ for more information on their group, or go to dnr.illinois.gov for more information on Starved Rock.

2 - Test your knowledge Saturday in La Salle. The Waltham PTCC is hosting Tailgate Trivia at 7 p.m. at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Club, 658 U.S. 6. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the event will feature food trucks, raffles, prizes and other items. All proceeds from the event will benefit the children of the Waltham Elementary School District. To reserve a table, which is $100 for 10 players, or for sponsorship information, contact Kylie Mattioda at 815-910-6327 or kymattioda@gmail.com.

Disco lights accompanied by music fills the ice rink at Echo Bluff Park on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2022 in Spring Valley. The park has a chiller allowing skating all season long. The disco lights are every Friday night from 5-8p.m. Skating is available seven days a week. For additional times visit www.echobluff.org.

Disco lights are accompanied by music at the ice rink at Echo Bluff Park in Spring Valley on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2022. (Scott Anderson)

3 - Go ice skating Friday in Peru, Spring Valley, Princeton or Ottawa, before the weekends warm up. The ice skating rink at Washington Park in Peru will be open during park hours as long as the weather allows. Go to https://www.facebook.com/PeruILParksandRecreation for the latest information. The rink at Echo Bluff Park in rural Spring Valley is available for skating, hockey clubs and parties, with Friday nights 5 to 8 p.m. under disco lights. Cost is $5 for Echo Bluff skating. Go to https://echobluff.org/activities/ice-rink-skating-hockey for more information. Ice skating also is available at Alexander Park in Princeton from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, then noon to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Go to Bureau County Metro Center’s Facebook page for the latest rink conditions. Skating also is allowed on the rewatered Illinois and Michigan Canal in Ottawa. High temperatures are expected to be in the teens Friday, but jump up to the 40s by the weekend.

4 - Take part in a six decades old pancake eating tradition Saturday in Streator. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 509 E. Broadway St., is hosting its 61st annual Pancake Day from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $8 for an adult and $4 for children 12 and younger. Children 3 and younger eat for free. The breakfast, also serving sausage, is in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Call 815-672-2435 for more information.

5 - Go flea market shopping Sunday in Princeton. Flea markets will be set up 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W. Peru St. Admission is free. A concession stand will be available. New, used, vendor items and crafts are among the many sale items expected at the market. Go to https://www.bureaucountyfair.com/ or call 815-866-3606 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.