2023 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
| Special Events | |
You will always encounter volunteers on your visit to Lincoln Log Cabin to engage you in the historic experience, but a visit to the site during one of the events below will make your visit extra special. Come and experience 1840s rural life in Illinois! |
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| January |
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| February |
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| March |
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Wool Applique Workshop Loom Hall artisan Peggy Taylor leads this workshop where participants learn the art of wool applique while creating a pinkeep or sachet using wool fabric, embroidery floss, and buttons. The heart design is inspired by 18th-century examples, and combines simple stitches with layered applique. Beginner level through advanced welcome, and each student is welcome to bring vintage buttons to embellish their applique heart. The supply packet includes wool fabrics, a stitch guide handout, and a Loom Hall original pattern designed just for this workshop. All supplies and refreshments will be provided. Workshop fee: $50 Register here. | |
| April |
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Easter Fun on the Farms Amateur Radio Club Event The National Trail Amateur Radio Club (NTARC) members will participate in a special event to mark the anniversary of the death of President Lincoln on Saturday, April 15th from 11am to 3pm. This special event station will be set up at the Visitor Center. Nearly 150 years before the advent of texts, tweets and e-mail, President Abraham Lincoln became the first “wired president” by embracing the original electronic messaging technology—the telegraph. The 16th president may be remembered for his soaring oratory that stirred the Union, but the nearly 1,000 bite-sized telegrams that he wrote during his presidency helped win the Civil War by projecting presidential power in unprecedented fashion. During the Civil War, telegraph wires were strung to follow the action on the battlefield. But there was no telegraph office in the White House, so Lincoln went across the street to the War Department to get the news. President Lincoln frequently slept on a cot in the telegraph room to hear the news of major battles. The NTARC members will be communicating with other amateurs from across the world using the Special Event call sign, W9L. This offers a great opportunity to learn about Ham Radio. Visitors will be allowed to talk on the radios under the direct supervision of an FCC licensed amateur. Brochures and handouts will be available about amateur radio. Hand Quilting Workshop Come do an exploration of hand quilting methods and designs with fiber artisan Cathy Grafton. See examples of how to create quilting that will enhance your quilt top. Learn some ways to mark your top, what kind of threads and needles to use and see how to create unmarked techniques, background fillers, and specialties like stipple quilting. Practice time in class will include ways to help improve your stitches, tips and techniques and how to start and stop without knots. Batting, needles and quilting threads will be provided. Please bring small scissors, sewing notions, favorite marking tools and a piece of solid cotton fabric about 10 x 12 inches to practice your quilting stitches on. We will also have fabric pieces on hand for you to choose from. You may also bring a top you want to design quilting for, if desired. Refreshments provided. Workshop fee: $50. Register here. Threads of History – The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry This world-famous embroidery depicts the meeting of Harold of England and William, Duke of Normandy, later the Conqueror then graphically illustrates the 1066 Battle of Hastings. Created with a few years of the battle; it continues to hold mysteries, which intrigue us to this day. Cathy Grafton will tell the story of the tapestry, the history of almost 1,000 years, how it was made and also bring stitched sections based on the original design.
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| May | |
Weaving Workshops Thursdays, May 11th, 18th, and 25th, 6:00 to 9:00 pm Weave your own kitchen towels! This workshop for beginning weavers will meet three times, on Thursday, May 11th, 18th, and 25th from 6-9 pm in the Visitor Center Basement. In this course you will learn the basics of multi-shaft looms, how they work, and how to weave on them. From learning to read a weaving draft, to warping and dressing a loom, and on to weaving with confidence, we will cover all the bases. When you are finished you will have 2-3 kitchen towels. If you have been yearning to weave, but not sure where or how to begin, start here at Lincoln Log Cabin. Workshop fee- $95 for all three sessions, all materials included. Register here.
Made in Central Illnois! Annual Fundraiser Our annual fundraiser will be hosted at the site featuring locally-sourced food as well as a silent auction with items representing Central Illinois! Join us for heavy hors d'oeuvres from local providers, Illinois wines, and music provided by local band, "We Ain't Misbehavin'". Walk around the site to try different foods and experience the site after-hours! We will also have a silent auction with items made in Central Illinois. $80 per person- Register here.
Cemetery Preservation Workshop The Governor Edward Coles- Sally Lincoln NSDAR Chapter, Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation, and the Association for the Preservation of Coles County are hosting a cemetery preservation workshop. The expert instructors are John Heider and Dawn Cobb. John is an accomplished cemetery preservation specialist with decades of experience. Dawn is an archaeologist specializing in cemetery preservation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Water and snack provided. Please bring gloves and wear appropriate clothing and shoes for outdoor work at the cemetery. Register here.
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| June |
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Thomas Lincoln: Abraham's Father Vintage Baseball Come out and learn how to play baseball 19th-century style! Experts will teach you the rules and techniques. All are welcome to play or just watch!
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| July |
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Vintage Baseball Come out and learn how to play baseball 19th-century style! Experts will teach you the rules and techniques. All are welcome to play or just watch! Vintage Baseball Come out and learn how to play baseball 19th-century style! Experts will teach you the rules and techniques. All are welcome to play or just watch!
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August |
Vintage Baseball Come out and learn how to play baseball 19th-century style! Experts will teach you the rules and techniques. All are welcome to play or just watch! Bluegrass Jam Vintage Baseball Come out and learn how to play baseball 19th-century style! Experts will teach you the rules and techniques. All are welcome to play or just watch!
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September |
Vintage Baseball Come out and learn how to play baseball 19th-century style! Experts will teach you the rules and techniques. All are welcome to play or just watch! History of American Pies September 23-24- 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Come celebrate the arrival of autumn at the Harvest Frolic on Saturday and Sunday, September 23 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Don't miss experiencing 19th-century life on the farm! Activities will take place at both the Lincoln and Sargent farms and will include children's games, crafts, and hearth cooking. Visitors are encouraged to take part in period games and activitie and get their photo with President Lincoln! A number of artisans will be on site demonstrating their crafts including, spinning, pottery, broommaking, blacksmithing, embroidery, and many other 19th-century crafts. The Unreconstructed String Band will perform, storyteller and dulcimer player, Mike Anderson, will perfom, the Clockwork Clown will be returning, take in the view with the Grand Camera Obscura, sideshow performers Hoosier Spectacle will perform sideshow stunts of sword swallowing and juggling, Common Stock Entertainment will showcase their cabinet of curiosities,and on Sunday only go on a nature walk or watch a performance from storyteller Brian "Fox" Ellis, historic cricket demonstrations will also be available on Sunday. Food trucks include Slow-Spark BBQ and J.D.'s SmokeShack, Kettle Korn, and We-Lik-It ice cream on Sunday. A pop-up farmers market at the front of the park will feature Four Little Pumpkins Farm and we will be playing vintage baseball both days. See schedule here
| October |
Moving Day for Laura Ingalls Wilder It’s Moving Day for Laura Ingalls Wilder! In this first-person presentation Laura is preparing to move her family from South Dakota to Missouri in the Spring of 1894. This program displays the challenges and some of the fun aspects of life on the frontier in 1870s and 1880s. Come and learn about the chores Laura had as a girl, and discover what special things she is packing up for her big move.
Basket Weaving Workshop Introduction to Basket Weaving: Weaving a Bread Basket, All materials will be provided including lunch, and by the end of the day participants will take home a 4” H x 7” W x 13 3/4” L bread basket. $60 includes lunch and all materials, register here Torchlight Halloween Hike, Storytelling, and Wiener Roast You won’t want to miss the chance to enjoy Lincoln Log Cabin in the dark! Join in this fun-for-all-ages stroll as the paths between our historic farms are lit by torchlight. There will be music, storytelling, bonfires, and a wiener roast near the Visitor Center to benefit programming at Lincoln Log Cabin. Volunteers from the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation will be selling cider, hotdogs, and s'mores for you to roast over the fire. The Torchlight Hike covers mixed terrain, so please wear appropriate footwear and seasonal outerwear. Rain or shine! A Note for Parents: Some stories in the Lincoln Cabin are "spooky," but all are kid-friendly. The pathway between the farms is lit by torchlight, but may be a bit scary for children who are afraid of the dark. Actors in historic clothing and "friendly ghost" makeup are walking along the path to interact with guests. They will be carrying lanterns and are NOT intended to be frightening. | November |
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December |
Old Fashioned Christmas on the Prairie
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