Festivals
Each year, the town seems to explode in festivals and fairs. The annual Civil War re-enactment, General Grierson Days, includes
house tours, sutlers camps and a grand ball.
The springtime Downtown Celebration began with the completion of the renewed square as a day to recognize the best aspects of the community.
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery with events at Community Park and at Woodlawn Farm — a volunteer effort to rehabilitate and showcase one of the several Underground Railroad sites in the area.
Every fall, the Prairieland Heritage Steam Show offers fun and demonstrations of early agriculture, and the annual Cruise Nite lets owners show off their antique and classic cars.
Throughout the summer, local counties hold their fairs.
In addition to agricultural judging, many of the fairs have carnival rides and games and bring in well-known performers and entertainment.
Then there’s burgoo. The settlers’ stew is the centerpiece of numerous town celebrations each year, when volunteers mix up large kettles of the dish and chefs compete to see whose is best.
To see what’s going on now, visit www.myjournalcourier.com and go to the “Things to do in Jacksonville” box on the right.
For more information about the many entertainment possibilities throughout the year, visit the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at
www.jacksonvilleil.org.
www.jacksonvilleil.org.
