Southern Illinois Events - Sep 26-Oct 5, 2008 - Ghosts, Crafters, Reenacters, and More

This weekend, Sep 26-28 -- Nashville Fall Festival (Washington Co).  Nashville's biggest annual event with dozens of crafters and food vendors set up around the Washington County Courthouse.  Lots of musical entertainment, pet parade, 5K run/walk, First Responders Recognition ceremony, and more.  The Nashville Public Library has a book sale with a Thursday evening preview (fee charged), and Friday and Saturday (free admission).  I've posted an article elsewhere on this event.

Sep 27.  Storytime at the Stephenson House (Madison Co.).  Edwardsville.  

Sep 27 For the Love of Monarchs  (Johnson Co.).  Cache River Wetlands Center  10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Program on the beautiful monarch butterfly and what you can do to help this species in its survival.  You can also net, tag and release monarchs outdoors to help understand the fall migration.  Cache River Wetlands Center.  

Sep 27-28.  Rainbow Ranch Pumpkin Party and Corn Maze (Washington Co.). Kids can see the animals at the petting zoo, pick their own pumpkin, and try out the corn maze.  Rainbow Ranch Petting Farm has dozens of animals from llamas to camels to bunnies.  Even a zebra.  Plum Hill.  For more about Rainbow Ranch, read the article posted at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/610817/visit_rainbow_ranch_petting_farm_near.html?cat=8  Plum Hill.  

Sep 27.  Olney Arts Council Annual Fall Festival (Richland Co.).  9am-4pm.  City Park, Olney.  

Sep 27-29.  Boy Scouts Skeet and Sporting Clays Shoot.  (Randolph Co.). World Shooting and Recreation Complex.  Sparta.  

Sep 28.  Motorcycle Swap (St Clair Co.).  Belle Clair Fairgrounds and Exposition Center.   Belleville.

Oct 4-5 -- DuBois Center Fall Festival, DuBois (Washington Co).  Very enjoyable with many crafters, plenty of music, pontoon boat rides, horse rides, hayrides in from the parking lot as well as around the grounds, indoor quilt show, food, kid's korner, antique tractor show, free parking, free admission.  Great event.

Oct 4-5 -- Heritage Fest, Mt Vernon (Jefferson Co).  At the Jefferson County Historical Village next to Cedarhurst.  Crafters featured, with music, kids games, food, and the old buildings gathered at the site from their original locations in the county will be open for tours, along with the museum.  10am to 4pm, admission and parking free.

Oct 4 -- Haunted Fall Festival, History and Hauntings Bookstore in Alton (Madison Co).  Speakers at this open house event will discuss ghost hunting techniques, Lincoln in New Salem, cemetery art and burial customs, and more.  I plan to be here; the book offerings in the store are alone worth attending.  Free admission.  For more information, go to  http://www.prairieghosts.com/festival.html

Oct 4.  Lebanon Fall Festival (Madison Co.).  Lebanon.  

Oct 4   Furbearer Hunting and Trapping in Southern Illinois (Johnson Co) Cache River Wetlands Center 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.   Learn from Illinois State Wildlife Biologist, Dan Woolard about hunting and trapping furbearers in Illinois.  This program will address many issues, providing an open forum for questions, answers and learning from an expert in the field.  Cache River Wetlands Center.

Oct 4-5.  French and Indian War Assemblage (Randolph Co.).  Special event at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site that focuses tightly on the French and Indian War period.  Fort de Chartres.  

Oct 4-5.  Gun and Knife Show (St Clair Co.).  Belle Clair Fairgrounds and Exposition Center.  Belleville.  

Oct 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26.  Eckert's Jumpin' Pumpkin Jamboree.  Farms at Belleville, Millstadt, Grafton.  

Oct 5.  Archon 32 (Madison Co.).  Annual science fiction convention, vendors, Masquerade, Art Show, Filking, guest of honor Laurell K. Hamilton ("Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter"), with cartoonist John Kovalic ("Dark Tower").  Gateway center.  Collinsville.

Oct 5.  Ripson Bridge Festival.  Sorento.

Oct 5.  Community Garden Harvest Festival.  Vandalia.  

Oct 5  Annual Custom & Classic Car Show (Johnson Co) Vienna Park. Vienna.

For more information on upcoming events, visit my Southern Illinois Road Trip website at http://home.midwest.net/~howes/southernillinoisroadtrip/.