Local Festivals, Fairs and Frolics
Jazz Festival
On the 2nd weekend in February the EIU Jazz/Music Department hosts its annual festival on campus. On Friday night, a guest artist performs with EIU’s Jazz Band. On Saturday, high school bands compete throughout the day with an awards ceremony later that night.
Red, White & Blue Days
On July 3rd and 4th at Morton Park, a family festival with free concerts in the park takes place. A parade, bell-ringing ceremony, children’s games, pork chop barbecue, and all you can eat ice cream will be offered. Call (217) 345-7691 for more information.
Coles County Fair
From July 29 - Aug 4 at the Coles County Fairgrounds, 416 W. Madison Avenue, visit the oldest, continuous fair in Illinois. Seven full days of entertainment and excitement await you. Call (217) 345-4526 or (217) 345-2656 for more information.
Bluegrass Festival
The annual Bluegrass Jam takes place Sunday, August 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Lincoln Log Cabin State Park. Musicians from Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri will be attending. This informal musical gathering provides the perfect opportunity to bring a picnic lunch and sit in the shade listening to groups of musicians jam, or bring along your own instrument and join in. Food concessions will also be offered by the Volunteer Pioneers. Call (217) 345-1845 or visit www.lincolnlogcabin.org for more information.
Harvest Frolic
Activities taking place at the Lincoln Log Cabin and Sargent farms both Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6-7 will include but not limited to the following: period cooking and music, applesauce making, food drying and preservation, quilting, and numerous hands-on activities. Visitors may also stroll the trades area which features blacksmithing, pottery, wood carving, paper cutting, weaving, broom making, candle making, and wood turning on the “Great Wheel.” Call (217)345-1845 for more information.
Christmas in the Heart of Charleston
Starting December 1st, this festival is hosted in the Downtown Square, 7th St. at Monroe Avenue from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. A celebration of the old-fashioned Christmas on Charleston’s historic, downtown square. Enjoy a movie, parade, carriage rides, live reindeer, entertainment, and much more. A free, family-friendly event for all. Call (217)348-0430 or visit www.charlestontourism.org for more information.
The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site
is interpreted to the mid-1840s, the time of its occupation by many members of the extended Lincoln family. The main site also includes the cornfields, gardens, small orchards, livestock, and outbuildings that would be found on a farm of the period. The crops and livestock are all of historic heirloom varieties.
