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5 Things to Do: Free concerts, Mendota Sweet Corn Festival and more!

Steaming sweet corn sits in buckets waiting to be distributed Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, during the Mendota Sweet Corn Festival.

Steaming sweet corn sits in buckets waiting to be distributed Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, during the Mendota Sweet Corn Festival. (Derek Barichello)

By 5 Things to Do in Illinois Valley
  1. Down on Main Summer Street Concert (Princeton): On Friday, Aug. 8, enjoy a free concert from 6 to 9 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Princeton. The band playing is a Billy Joel and Elton John tribute act called “Face 2 Face.”
  2. Music in the Park (Ottawa): On Saturday, August 9 from 6 to 8 p.m., enjoy live music at Washington Square Park. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the smooth sounds in the heart of downtown. Quentin Flagg is the performer.
  3. Starved Rock Land and Water Cruise: On Friday, Aug. 8 and Wednesday, Aug. 13 take a narrated trolley tour followed by a scenic riverboat cruise along the Illinois River. The tour includes lunch and a guided tour of the park’s history and legends. Click here for more information.
  4. Wednesday Night Live at Camp Aramoni (Tonica): On Wednesday, Aug. 13, Camp Aramoni is the place to be. Enjoy delicious appetizers, salads and pizzas, all paired with live music and drinks from 5 to 10 p.m. There is no cover charge.
  5. Mendota Sweet Corn Festival (Mendota): Mendota’s Sweet Corn Festival runs from Thursday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 10. The festival will have a parade, a carnival, live music and free sweet corn. sweetcornfestival.com
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