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The annual festival will now include a Civil War ball, to be held at
the American Legion hall on Friday. This dance will highlight the
traditional styles used during the Civil War era, and everyone is
invited to attend. It does not matter if you know the dances;
volunteers will be delighted to teach you. Tickets will be $5 for a
single person, $7.50 for a couple and $10 for a family. Also
included in this year's event will be a trap shoot at the Lincoln
Sportsman's Club on Saturday. The trap shoot is in honor of Capt.
Adam H. Bogardus, who was the world champion in wing shooting during
his time. Bogardus is buried in Elkhart Cemetery and is considered
one of Logan County's famous residents.
Have you ever wanted to play "base ball" the way it was in the
1800s? If the answer is yes, then you'll love the next new event for
the Railsplitter Festival. The Kickapoo Valley Vintage Base Ball
Club was formed in 2006 to bring vintage base ball in the form of
tournaments to Logan County's many festivals that celebrate Abraham
Lincoln and the events that surrounded his life. These men and women
will compete in a tournament all day Saturday and Sunday. Come and watch
a game like you probably have never seen.
Lincoln Boy Scout Troop 102 will have Dutch oven cooking
demonstrations at the Knights of Columbus tent on Saturday and
Sunday.
If you're interested in tasting some home-cooked pulled pork and
biscuits, come over between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday or 9 a.m. to
2 p.m. Sunday to try it.
If you're into bluegrass music, then the Railsplitter Festival is
the right place for you. Come on out to the Logan County Fairgrounds
to enjoy two wonderful bands from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. The
bluegrass concert is free with the purchase of festival
admission. Leftover Biscutz, featuring Danny Tackett, will open the
performance, followed by Long Creek, from the Decatur area. This act
is one you will not want to miss.
The Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society will host a
cemetery walk in Old Union Cemetery at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on
Saturday and Sunday. This new event is open to the public and is
presented in hopes of connecting you with the people of Logan
County's past and building pride in the community. The walk will
feature early settlers and prominent people of Logan County. Local
interpreters in period costume will give a brief history of each
person. In case of rain, the event will take place at the Lincoln
College Museum.
Mystery Ink & Company of Elizabeth's and Capone's, 121-123 S.
Sangamon St., will present "Mr. Lincoln and the Lost Client" for
your enjoyment. Join Mr. Lincoln as he visits Postville on his
circuit. That's when the action starts in this humorous mystery. The
show will be presented on Saturday, and the ticket includes a free
pass to the Railsplitter Festival for either Saturday and Sunday. Doors
open at 6:30 on Saturday evening and the show will begin at 7. For
more information and reservations, please call 217-732-6102 or visit
Elizabeth's or Capone's.
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 The Illinois Arborists Association will also host an event in
conjunction with the Railsplitter Festival. They will have a tree
program in Memorial Park on Saturday. The program begins at 9 a.m.
with registration. At 10 a.m. there will be a demonstration of an
aerial rescue, followed by a wood chipper safety demonstration by
Vermeer Corporation at 11 a.m. The Lincoln Park District will
provide lunch from noon to 1 p.m., and the concluding recreational
tree climb will begin at 1 p.m. There is no fee, and the event will
be open to the public. For certified arborists, this event can
qualify for 1.5 points toward continuing education units, with a $10
fee.
Downtown Lincoln will be a center of activity as well during the
festival. Main Street Lincoln stores will participate in Scarecrow
Days, showing off their decorative scarecrows. Also, check out the
window displays downtown through Sunday. Downtown will
also have watermelon activities, featuring carving and painting.
Kids will love taking part in the old-time activity of apple bobbing
during the weekend. If you're more interested in entertainment,
don't worry; there will be square dancers and tumblers throughout
the weekend.
During the Railsplitter Festival, the Abraham Lincoln Tourism
Bureau of Logan County will unveil a self-guided agricultural tour
of Logan County. Stop by the booth anytime during the event to pick
up a map. Call 217-732-8687 or e-mail
info@tourlogancounty.com
for more information about the ag tour.
Finally, a small bus will travel between numerous historic sites
in the Lincoln area on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors to the festival are
encouraged to take advantage of this transportation to visit the
Lincoln College Museum, Postville Courthouse and the downtown
district of Lincoln. Tickets to the festival will be available at
many of the bus stops. Lincoln College Museum and Postville
Courthouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from
noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Take advantage of this wonderful
opportunity to view the county's history.
All of the events mentioned here, along with many more, are
described at
www.railsplitting.com. For more information, contact
loganrailsplitting@insightbb.com or call the Abraham Lincoln
Tourism Bureau of Logan County at 217-732-8687.
[News release from the
Abraham Lincoln Tourism
Bureau of Logan County] |
