Join us on Saturday, September 23 from 11-5pm for this year’s fall festival. We have a variety of food & drink options along with musical entertainment in three locations throughout the Village.

We also have over 30 artisans surpassing last year’s event participation. Along with touring the beautiful village, our B&Bs, various shops (Elsah General Store, Peace Works Gift Shop, The Look Factory, Green Tree antique room), and the Village of Elsah Museum will be open as well

LIVE MUSIC at the Gazebo, Riverview House, & the Methodist Church

FOOD & DRINK VENDORS

Big Boys Q & Southern Soul Food (village front)   Mo'z Sweet Treats (mobile)
Grafton Fudge (gazebo)
Ray's Soul Touching Tacos (gazebo)
Kona Ice of Alton (village front)
Twist of Sol - Jo (gazebo)
Lulu's Shaved Ice (gazebo)

ACTIVITIES

Tours, Wetlands, Art, Photography, Crafts, Nature, Imported Goods, T-Shirts, Pottery, Folk Art, Museum, Wild Life Center

RIVERVIEW HOUSE

2 Mississippi Street, built in 1847, the 175-year-old historic treasure is Elsah's oldest structure and the first home you see as you enter the village from the Great River Road.

Pre-dating Elsah which was founded in 1853, the building was known for years as the Riverside Hotel - a reliable stop for river traffic on the Mississippi.
Tour the QEM fire truck and say "hello" to their mascot.

Local Vendors

- Mary Dilley Designs by Laura Frier
- The Bees Knees by Aly
- Lauren Goodman - The Sunflower Sketchpad

Entertainment: 

Jay Saho — 12:30 to 4:30 pm

Back by popular demand, Jay is a seasoned guitarist, singer, and performer in the Riverbend area. Jay recently performed in Cologne, Germany and Ireland last year, lie is the driving force behind the band "The MadBaileys" and will be performing a solo set of his brand of music. His performance spans various genres punctuated with a healthy dollop of fun and a few sing-a-longs.

THE ICE HOUSE - 2 Mill Street, builtin 1850's, this was one of the five functioning ice houses in Elsah.

WETLANDS TRAIL & POLLINATOR GARDEN TOUR : 12 Mill Street - Find a free pamphlet at all

Elsah businesses for this leisurely self-guided tour through our creek ways. Explore focused plantings designed over 3 years to attract pollinators and revitalize wetlands. Parking is available near the designated tour areas either at the "Stone Gatehouse" lot or at the Maple and LaSalle Lot. Have fun and take a turn at identifying many labeled species OR submit your completed entry for Elsah's $25 gift certificate, at the Elsah General Store!

GREEN TREE INN BED & BREAKFAST 15-17 Mill St, built 1986

- Visit our on-site Antique Gift Shop
- Enjoy a Homemade "Sweet Treat"
- Walking History Tours of the Village -12 noon and 3:00 pm - Gary Davis - owner

GAZEBO behind GREEN TREE INN

Entertainment:  

Bluesette Duo -11:00 to 1:00 pm

The sound of Bluesette (named after Toots Thielemans9 famous song) can be summed up as French cafe music, spanning Bossa Nova, Jazz standards, and Chansons Francaise's, with poetic songs and abundant nature imagery, Adele Martin & Antoine Langlais9 repertoire ranges from melancholic to playfully rhythmic.

Entertainment:  

Lanny and Julie - 1:30 to 4:30 pm

Lanny & Julie are an acoustic duo, together since 2015, playing rock & country classics from the 70's on through to present day.

FARLEY MUSIC HALL - 37 Mill Street, built 1885.

Come visit Historic Elsah Foundation's booth in our headquarters, Farley Music Hall. Learn about our foundation that is more than fifty years in operation. Become a member. Items will be available for purchase.

THE LOOK FACTORY & BARN - 43 Mill Street, built 1856. European boho boutique.

CIVIC CENTER/SCHOOLHOUSE - 51 Mill street, built 1857

Located in the Lower Level of School house

- Treehouse Wildlife - Meet & greet with wildlife animal ambassadors

HUM FORD FIREPLACE - Between Civic Center and Methodist Church, near bridge. Invented in the mid 1700's by Count Rumford, a British Tory. Designed and installed in 2016 by a resident and a Principia student.

ELSAH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - LaSalle and Valley St, built 1874 

- Quilt Display inside Church

Entertainment:

Rivers of Life Clergy Band -1:00 to 3:00 pm

The Rivers of Life Clergy Band is composed of five United Methodist pastors. The group began when founding member, Rev. Dan Perry, was asked to put together a contemporary Christian band for the IL Great Rivers Annual Conference several years ago. They continue to be busy sharing God9s Word through music and raising money to give away to various missions and charitable causes.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH - 53 LaSalle Street. Built and active since 1947. The church stands at the site of a 19thc. paper mill, destroyed by fire in 1868. Open and providing refreshments.

MAPLE LEAF COTTAGE INN - 12 Selma street

Stop by for a cool refreshing beverage and homemade baked goods.

BUGGY SHOP — 12 Selma Street, erected in 1877 as a wagon shop and later used as a blacksmith shop. The lettering is still visible across the gable end of the shop: "Wagons and Buggies Made and Repaired".

VILLAGE OF ELSAH MUSEUM - 26 LaSalle Street, built in 1887 as Village Hall. Open 1- 4:00pm.

ELSAH GENERAL STORE - 22 LaSalle Street, built 1877. Open 10-5pm. A visit to Elsah General Store is like taking a step back in time. The storefront, built in the 1870s, was home to the local dry goods store in Elsah's early days. Today, it is a working general store with grocery essentials, old fashion candy, vintage bottled soda, ice cream, bakery goods, specialty foods, collectables, and the Goodies Table.

HISTORIC KELLER STORE - 20 LaSalle Street - built 1850's. Originally the home of Christian Serini before the Civil War, in 1879 Edward Keller bought the building, and turned it into a confectionery, a business that survived until 1970. The rear of the building was added in 1883, and the upstairs living quarters in 1891.

PEACE WORKS -   18 LaSalle Street - The Mott Building, former home of the renowned Elsah Landing Restaurant - built 1894.

Mission-oriented shop with fair trade goods. Colorful displays feature a wide array of gifts and creative artwork by local artisans.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE READING ROOM - 17 LaSalle Street. Built in 1931 by Bernard Maybeck, principal architect of Principia College, this gas station was designed for the Spatz brothers as a filling station. Renovated into a gallery in 1980, currently the Reading Room. Open Saturday.

Date : September 23, 2023

Time : 11:00am - 5:00pm

Location : Various Location in Elsah, IL

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