It's Fall Fest Time in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, Illinois

There are many different reasons to love the fall season here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs, including crisp and cool days, brilliantly colored leaves and festivals every weekend.

This week marks the annual Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and SIUE Fallfest. It's the granddaddy of festivals -- a community-wide celebration that includes a classic car parade, a 10K run, a bike ride and an amazing variety of food and drink.

You can see the entire program of events at the Fallfest web site.

Highlights for Friday, October 9, 2009 include a chili cook-off at Korte Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and a blues and barbecue bash from 6 to 10 p.m. in Edwardsville City Park.

On Saturday, October 10, the third annual Route 66 run and walk begins at 8 a.m. If you'd rather carb load than run, the Kiwanis host a pancake breakfast at Miner Square in Glen Carbon from 8 until 10 a.m. The Land of Goshen Community Farmers' Market brings the fresh fall harvest to downtown Edwardsville from 8 a.m. until noon.

Beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing until 3 p.m., hayrides and family activities will be held at the Village Farmhouse across from the Glen Carbon village hall on Glen Carbon Road. The Kiwanis will feed you again from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. with their famous barbecue and brats at Miner Square. And, just down the road, internationally known storyteller Bobby Norfolk will entertain with family friendly ghost stories at the Glen Carbon Centennial Library from 10 a.m. until noon. And, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. the historic Yanda Log Cabin will be open for visitors on Main Street in old town Glen Carbon.

In Edwardsville, Rock-N-Wheels will bring unusual vehicles, food, music and family activities to City Park from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. The Classic Car Cruise begins at noon at Lincoln Middle School and makes tracks to City Park. Jaycees Field hosts a Vintage Baseball game between the St. Louis Unions and the Murphysboro Clarkes at noon. (If you haven't seen Vintage Baseball -- go. It's a real treat with teams playing by original rules in authentic 19th century costume.)

The Watershed Nature Center will help you explore nature in the dark with programs from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. Just bring your flashlight for naturist-guided hikes.

A roving party will rock main street in downtown Edwardsville and our friends at Visions by Carol Photography will craft a free headshot for you at 6:30 p.m. during their Girls Night Out. In Glen Carbon, the fun continues at Miner Square with music, food and wine and microbrews in the garden.

Sunday is the day for history buffs. The annual 50/50 auction is held on the grounds of the 1820 Col. Benjamin Stephenson House in Edwardsville and the Madison County Archival Library will hold a special program on Abraham Lincoln and his days as a surveyor in the village of New Salem as part of the celebration of the president's 200th birthday in 2009.

Fallfest is produced by the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce.

See you there!

 

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About the Author: Nancy Milton, GRI, is a REALTOR with the GoshenRealtyGroup at RE/MAX Preferred Partners in Edwardsville, Illinois. She and Kristina Pratt help their customers buy and sell homes and investment properties in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs with special emphasis on homes for sale in Madison County and the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville, Troy, Bethalto and surrounding areas. For more information, visit their web site at http://www,.GoshenRealtyGroup.com or e-mail Nancy at Send2Nancy@Charter.net.

 

(Please note that individual listings periodically mentioned in this blog are accurately described in terms of availability and price at the time of the posting. As properties are constantly coming on and off the market, please contact me for the latest information on those that are of particular interest to you.)