HerrinFesta Italiana Gearing Up for Later This Month

The HerrinFesta Italiana is a five day festival every Memorial Day week-end that celebrates the heritage of Herrin, a Southern Illinois community. The festival provides a sense of community spirit, as well as a homecoming for former residents and a welcome to thousands of travelers from all over the Midwest. This year the HerrinFesta Italiana dates are Thursday, May 22-Monday, May 26.

One of the largest and best known festivals in the state, the HerrinFesta Italiana has always brought top notch entertainment to the Heartland. The festival has featured such top names as The Dixie Chicks, the year they won Female Country Vocal of the Year. Other Country Stars have also appeared including Herrin's own David Lee Murphy, and Phil Vassar.

Entertainment groups have included everything from Jazz, Blues and Folk to Rock, Funk, Country and Zydeco.

This year is no different as sixteen top musical groups from all over the midwest are scheduled to appear. Thursday night features The Hairbangers Ball a Chicago group doing musical memories from the 80's. Friday night and Saturday night will highlight "Monsters of Rock", Danny Seraphine (formerly with Chicago) and California Transit Authority on Friday and John Waite on Saturday.

Also on Saturday's "Parrot Head" afternoon Doyle Grisham a member of the Jimmy Buffet Band will make a special appearance with the Boat Drunks. Jake Owen is featured on Country Sunday. Jake was nominated for Top Male Vocalist of the Year this year. The festival culminates on Monday night with the popular LoCash cowboys.

Top entertainment is not the only activity at the Festa. There is an authentic Italian food and beverage garden. A wine garden. A clean friendly carnival. An arts and crafts show. A parade, beauty pageant, and children's activities. A live video telecast direct from Italy of Mandolinisti Bustesi a famous Italian orchestra performing seven Italian Operatic selections will be included in Sunday's activities.

This year The Incredible Hulk will make an appearance on Saturday. A Saturday car show features many custom vehicles.

There are also bocce, volleyball, and golf tournaments, road races and special Italian contests. The HerrinFesta Italiana has always included something for the entire family.

For additional information visit the website at www.HerrinFesta.com or call the information hotline at 1-800-IT-FESTA.

Gem & Mineral Show This Weekend

The Southern Illinois Earth Science Club will hold its free gem and mineral show this weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday here in the Williamson County Pavilion.

Vendors will be showing off include exhibits of minerals, fossils, Indian artifacts, gemstones, jewelry and lapidary work.

The Ben E. Clement Museum from our sister city of Marion, Kentucky, will feature minerals from their world-class collection and the Illinois State Geologic Survey will also have maps and guides for sale.

There will be working demonstrations of lapidary skills, arrowhead making, rock painting and related crafts.

A silent auction will also be held, along with numerous chances to win door prizes.

'My Deadly Valentine' Stikes Pavilion Love Birds

“Bloody Williamson” takes on a whole new meaning this Valentine’s Weekend when the Williamson County Pavilion hosts “My Deadly Valentine” murder mystery dinner theater on Friday, February 15.

Vendettas and valentines may not seem a likely match-up for a romantic dinner but we’ve wanted to host a murder mystery for quite a while. In addition to the dinner and entertainment local lodging operators are offering special room rentals for the weekend.

As part of our promotions we will encourage couples to extend an overnight into a two-day stay. They can check out one of the many wineries in the area on Saturday and stay for some country music at the Southern Illinois Opry Valentine’s Dance Saturday night in the Expo Hall of the Pavilion.

The Random Acts thespian troupe of Ohio will provide the entertainment at the dinner Friday night. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the elegant dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person which includes a catered dinner, glass of wine and the performance. Group table discounts will be offered for tables of eight.

The dinner will also include dinner music and wine tastings from area wineries.

For more information contact the tourism bureau at 618-997-3690.

Checkers Attracts Tourists From 12 States

This past weekend's Illinois State Checkers Tournament drew contestants from at least 12 different states. The Illinois Centre Mall in Marion hosted the event.

The tournament even drew a world champion to play here at the Hub of the Universe.

MARION - Few if any people passing through Illinois Centre Mall this weekend probably realized they were walking by a world champion at work on his craft.

There is little surprise: The world of checkers is much a mystery to the uninitiated, said Gary Ellison, president of the Illinois Checkers Association.

"It's not a spectator sport so a lot of people don't know that much about it," Ellison said.

Alex Moiseyev, the world champion of three-move checkers, participated in the Illinois State Checker Association's state tournament along with 32 other competitive checkers players who were eager to practice their skills against their peers.

Moiseyev says checkers is a wildly popular game at all levels.

Check out the rest of Ashley's story in today's Southern Illinoisan.

Christmas Craft Market & Holiday Book Fair on the Way

The Williamson County Pavilion will play host to the first (and what organizers hope will become an annual) Southern Illinois Christmas Craft Market later this year during the first weekend of December.

Glenda Kelton & Alexis Wilson of Yarn Creations out of Carterville are organizing the event. The Williamson County Tourism Bureau is co-sponsoring it.

"Crafting is becoming a lost art. We want our show to be a rue craft show, no buy/sell items, no items from kits, etc.," the pair explains in their letter to crafters going out this week.

Selection will be a jury process and the organizers will be asking for photos to be enclosed with the application forms.

I'm looking forward to this event because I think it will be pull together the various Christmas season events that normally take place on that weekend.

While the craft market is taking place in the Expo Hall, we're also looking at filling the ballrooms with a Holiday Book Fair focusing on authors from around the region and neighboring states.

For more information on the Christmas Craft Market contact Glenda Kelton & Alexis Wilson at either 618-922-4815 or at 618-771-2956.

For more information on the book fair contact us here at the tourism office at 618-997-3690.

We're also looking at a third event for the ballrooms, but details on that won't be released until we have everything in place.

Cruise Nights Returning to Herrin

The Southern Illinoisan has the story.

HERRIN - Organizers are already planning a major tune-up for Cruise Night, Herrin's venerable slice of Americana.

The first classic car won't roar into Herrin until June 1, but organizers from the Herrin Better Business Association are already busy looking for sponsors to keep the event a popular attraction.

A Herrin tradition, Cruise Night is held each Friday night on Park Avenue in Herrin. Classic cars line the sides of the street, and music from the 1950s to early 1970s is played as car fans have the opportunity to view the vehicles.

Click here for the rest of the story.

So. Ill. Boat & Fishing Show Set for Feb. 2-4

From a WCTB News Release:

A winter boat show will return to Southern Illinois next year with the development of the new Southern Illinois Boat & Fishing show slated for the first weekend in February.

The Williamson County Tourism Bureau, in partnership with the Youth Outdoor Education Foundation, will sponsor the event at the Williamson County Pavilion behind the Illinois Centre Mall in Marion.

“It’s been a few years since we had a show like this in the region,” said Jon Musgrave, the new executive director of the Williamson County Tourism Bureau. “Last week the tourism board approved a pitch from the foundation to co-sponsor the show.”

The board approved the proposal at their Nov. 15 meeting and organizers finalized the exact dates this week.

“This is going to be a hard-core boat and fishing show for the sportsmen of Southern Illinois and families,” promised organizer Ron Allen with the education foundation.
The show will be open to the public with free admission.

Tentative hours are set for 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4.

Interested vendors can contact Allen by phone at 217-787-8862 or 217-725-7602, or by e-mail at allen92@insightbb.com. Interested persons can also contact Musgrave at the Williamson County Tourism Bureau at 618-997-3690 or jmusgrave@wctb.org.