Celebrate the 2019 Fall Festival in Mount Pulaski Sept. 13-14
Win a Prize from the Mount Pulaski Courthouse Foundation

 

[September 04, 2019] 

Join the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site in celebrating the annual Mount Pulaski Fall Festival on September 13 and 14, with many of the festival activities centered around the Courthouse Square. There will be food and craft vendors and beer tents, contests, kids activities and special history events at the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site.

The Courthouse will be open from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 13 and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 14. The Courthouse will be closed during the Fall Festival Parade, scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

On both Friday and Saturday, those attending the festival can play vintage games at the Courthouse led by Marla Blair and Rebecca Borth.

On Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Dianne Ruff will demonstrate wheat weaving and wheat spinning. From 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Dean Baker will talk about coins and currency in the mid-1800s.

On Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Stephanie Block of Sundrop Alpaca Farm in Bement will demonstrate spinning and felting Alpaca wool and will have wool items available for purchase.

Also on Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m., April Pal will demonstrate water color painting and creating with pastels. Her work will be on display all day and will be available for purchase.

“Looking for Lincoln” will sponsor Abraham Lincoln presenter Randy Duncan of Carlinville on Saturday at the festival, and he will be available for conversation and pictures. At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Courthouse, he will present the "House Divided" speech that Abraham Lincoln delivered at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. At 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, he will present Abraham Lincoln's thoughts on leadership.

From 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. and again from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Alexis Asher will demonstrate hand quilting as she works on the vintage scrap quilt which was put together by master quilter Dolly Buckles. The quilt pieces are thought to be more than 90 years old. Quilt raffle tickets will be available for purchase. After the Fall Festival, the quilt will be finished by four hand quilters at the Hartsburg Lutheran Church. The drawing for the completed quilt will take place at the annual Lincoln's Birthday Party at the Mount Pulaski Courthouse on February 8, 2020.

The Mount Pulaski Courthouse Foundation, founded in 2011, will be holding an unusual raffle during the 2019 Fall Festival. Tickets will be handed out for free at the Looking for Lincoln Tent on the square. In order to have their raffle tickets validated, visitors must go to the Courthouse to experience some of the many crafts and opportunities there. The tickets will be stamped in the Courthouse. Stamped tickets can then be returned to the entry box at the Looking for Lincoln Tent. At 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Mr. Lincoln will draw the winning raffle ticket at the Courthouse for the prize of a Roku TV and an Amazon Echo.

The Mount Pulaski Courthouse has been an Illinois State Historic Site since 1939. It was built in 1847-48 by Mount Pulaski residents out of local brick. From 1848 until 1855, it was one of 14 courthouses on Illinois’ Eighth Judicial Circuit. Abraham Lincoln practiced law there from 1849 until 1855 when the Logan County seat was moved to the new town of Lincoln, Illinois. In the Mount Pulaski courtroom, visitors may walk on the same floor on which Abraham Lincoln walked.

[Illinois Department of Natural Resources]