Elkhart's 'Celebrate Spring!' weekends -- special events scheduled for April

[April 09, 2013]  ELKHART -- Every weekend in April will be busy in Elkhart as the village celebrates spring weather and the beauty of Elkhart Hill.

For a complete listing of events, including dates, times and reservation information, see www.explorelogancounty.com/ElkhartIL, or visit the Welcome Center in the Village Hall on Gov. Oglesby Street in historic downtown Elkhart for information on events. The center is open each weekend in April from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The following is a list of some of the activities on Saturdays and Sundays in Elkhart during April:

• Wildflower Nature Walks and lectures

• Elkhart Vintage Market

• Artisan Craft Fair

• Book signing and lecture: "Cemeterying with Hope," with Holly Labisky

• Dragonfly Art Studio open house and art classes

• Self-guided tours at St. John the Baptist Chapel

• Capt. Bogardus lectures, with Bob McCue

• Bird Watcher Walks and lectures

• Book displays and book sales at the Elkhart Public Library

• Geocaching

• Coffee, homemade rolls and baked goods sale at the Elkhart Welcome Center

• Dining specials at local restaurants

• Violin recitals by the students of Birdsong

The quaint village of Elkhart offers unique businesses and quality services in restored structures in the historic downtown. Elkhart is less than one mile from Interstate 55 and right off Old Route 66, providing convenient access. Rich in history and natural beauty, Elkhart is famous for its unusual landscape -- a tree-covered hill that rises 777 feet above sea level, surrounded by a horizon of flat Illinois prairie land. The site was settled in 1855, and the picturesque early 1900s-style downtown makes Elkhart one-of-a-kind.

If you plan to enjoy all the activities over the weekend, overnight accommodations are available at the Best Western Plus in Lincoln, just minutes north of Elkhart on Old Route 66. Call 217-732-9641 and ask for the Elkhart discount, or visit the website. The Best Western Lincoln Inn is home to the Railsplitter Covered Wagon, the largest covered wagon in the world:
http://www.abe66.com/coveredwagon/ 

Or stay at the Hampton Inn, where the special Elkhart "Celebrate Spring!" weekend rate is $74 plus tax per night. Call 217-732-6729 or visit the website.