From shopping for fine art to sampling German food to cruising in a hot rod: 10 festivals not to miss

Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal- Register
·5 min read
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Carve a pumpkin, peruse some fine art or check out some street rods.

There's a festival this late summer and fall for you in and around Springfield.

Here's a sampling of what's going on:

Bluegrass Concerts and Traditional Music Festival

Bluegrass musicians from all over the Midwest will descend on Kelso Hollow outdoor theatre at Lincoln's New Salem near Petersburg for a series of concerts from 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 8-9.

Enjoy sounds from traditional instruments such as mountain and hammer dulcimers, concertinas, autoharps, fiddles, banjos, and guitars from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 9. www.lincolnsnewsalem.com, (217) 632-4000. Free.

Oktoberfest

Why wait until October for some German food, beers and music? The Knights of Columbus Council #364 is throwing an Oktoberfest party for its charities at its hall from noon to 10 p.m. Sept. 9.

Enjoy traditional music from Die Spitzbaum (St Louis), Die Muzikmeisters (Chicago) and the Heidelberg German Band (Quincy) throughout the day along with stein holding contests and dachshund races. There are children's activities from noon to 6 p.m.

Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters get things started with a pre-Oktoberfest party at the hall from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 8. 2200 S. Meadowbrook Rd. (217) 787-2360.

Downtown Springfield Family FunFest

The Downtown Springfield Family FunFest returns for the first time since pre-COVID on the North Mansion Block (Fourth and Jackson streets) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 9.

The festival, a benefit for Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, is specifically geared toward children and families and features inflatable obstacle courses and bounce houses, games and activities, food trucks, appearances from special characters, and a main stage packed with entertainment for the entire day. There is also a toddler area.

Tickets are $10 per child, with adults & children 2 and under free. www.springfieldfunfest.org.

Marbold Heritage Festival

Put on by the Historic Marbold Farmstead Association on the grounds of the mansion near Greenview dating from the 1850s, the Heritage Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 9-10.

The weekend includes steam and gas engine demonstrations, Civil War presentations, historical interpretations, craftsmen/demonstrators, guided tours of the home, tractors and engines, wagon rides, live music, antiques, children's activities, food, and drinks. Historic Marbold Farmstead, 21722 Illinois 29, Greenview. www.historic-marbold-farmstead.org. (217) 341-8293. $3-$5.

Lead glass blower Mario Clarke of Springfield works on a piece that he said would be a sculpted glass purse when finished during the Edwards Place Fine Arts Fair at the Visual Arts Center in Springfield. The fair returns Sept. 16-17.
Lead glass blower Mario Clarke of Springfield works on a piece that he said would be a sculpted glass purse when finished during the Edwards Place Fine Arts Fair at the Visual Arts Center in Springfield. The fair returns Sept. 16-17.

Edwards Place Fine Art Fair

The 35th Edwards Place Fine Art Fair features artwork in a variety of media from over 50 artists across the country on the grounds of the Edwards Place and the Springfield Art Association. The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 16 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17.

The used book sale benefits the Michael Victor II Art Library. The weekend includes live music, food vendors, and tours of the Edwards Place. 700 N. Fourth St. www.springfieldart.org. 217-523-2631. Free.

While in the neighborhood, visit historic homes in the Enos Park neighborhood in various stages of renovation. Tours are from 1 to 5 p.m. Sept. 16. Tickets available at the booth at the art fair. (217) 553-4629. $10.

Lucy Crowley, 3, of Springfield, looks at some tie dye shirts at the Edwards Place Fine Art Fair on Sept. 19, 2020. Lucy came to the art show with her parents, Jake and Rebecca Crowley, her brother, Elijah, 8, and sister, Viola, 6. This year's fair runs Sept. 16-17.
Lucy Crowley, 3, of Springfield, looks at some tie dye shirts at the Edwards Place Fine Art Fair on Sept. 19, 2020. Lucy came to the art show with her parents, Jake and Rebecca Crowley, her brother, Elijah, 8, and sister, Viola, 6. This year's fair runs Sept. 16-17.

Clayville Fall Festival

Clayville is brimming with history--the name stems from Whig Party statesman Henry Clay -- including an inn from the 1830s that served as a stagecoach stop until 1847 and included visitors like Abraham Lincoln.

Visitors to the festival which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 16-17 can walk on board the deck of a full-size Civil War ship with masts, wheel and a cannon. There are crafts, concessions, live music, tours and vendors. Pleasant Plains, Illinois 125. (217) 481-4430. Free.

Dennis Gage, host of the TV show "My Classic Car," will be at the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival on Sept. 23.
Dennis Gage, host of the TV show "My Classic Car," will be at the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival on Sept. 23.

International Route 66 Mother Road Festival

The mother of all Mother Road Festivals, Springfield's homage to Route 66, draws some 1,200 classic and antique cars and other vintage vehicles to downtown between Washington and Capitol streets and Fourth and Seventh streets Sept. 22-24.

Leading the Route 66 City Nights Cruise from the Capitol City Shopping Center on Dirksen Parkway towards downtown will be U.S. veterans after the cruise was washed out last year.

There's a vintage camper rally, a burnout competition, a 5K run and a Miss Mother Road contest.

Dennis Gage, host of Motor Trend TV's "My Classic Car," will join the festival on Saturday and present the Mustache Cup award for the best vehicle during his Q&A session at the Isringhausen Imports Main Stage at 7 p.m. There's music by After Sunset, Union Avenue, Deja Voodoo and the Neverly Brothers. www.Route66Fest.com. 217-553-5271. Free to spectators.

Fall Harvest Festival

Lincoln Memorial Garden's annual Fall Harvest Festival includes artisan demonstrations and exhibits, fairy house building, a tree troll program, Art in the Garden, face painting, music and entertainment.

First-place entries in the photo contest will be on display.

It runs Oct. 7 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Oct. 8 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Lincoln Memorial Garden, 2301 East Lake Shore Drive. www.lincolnmemorialgarden.org. 217-529-1111. $8.

Artisan & Antique Market

The owners of the Ursuline Music Conservatory, the Dream Center Springfield and the Brinkerhoff Mansion are bringing back the Artisan & Antique Market, formerly known as The Brinkerhoff Arts & Crafts Fair, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7.

Shop local artisans, boutiques, vintage booths and tour the Brinkerhoff Mansion, built by a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln's and a popular wedding and reception destination, and other campus buildings. Food trucks will be on site. Sixth Street between Keys Avenue and Eastman Avenue. Visit the Brinkerhoff Mansion Facebook page. Free.

Carve for the Carillon/Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular

Artists, families, groups, classes, organizations, and others are invited to carve pumpkins from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14-15 as a run-up to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular the following weekend around the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon and Washington Park Botanical Garden.

The Springfield Park District supplies the pumpkins (while they last). It's a free event, but donations will be accepted.

The pumpkins will be on display from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 20-21. Tickets for the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular are $7-$10 but discounted when purchased in advance at Ashley HomeStore Outlet, 1987 Wabash Ave. www.carillon-rees.org

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Here are 10 fall festivals in and around Springfield not to miss