5 things to do in the Illinois Valley: Fall activities in full swing

Shipyard Days: The Seneca festival continues Friday through Sunday with a carnival each day, live music, a beer tent, food vendors, Seneca’s Cruise Night and a fall festival. The fall festival will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday on the 100 block of William Street into Graves Park. The fall fest will include a vendor market, petting zoo, hay rack rides, pumpkin picking, face painting and straw bale slide, among other seasonal activities. The village’s Cruise Night will take place 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday on Main Street. The carnival, set up downtown, will be open 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. All American Throwbacks will open for SnapShot on Friday; then River Road Trio, Rockology Chicago and Brushville will conclude the festival’s live entertainment Saturday. Go to https://www.facebook.com/shipyarddaysfestival for more information.

Concert for a Cause: American English, a Beatles tribute band, will perform at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Friendship House, 1718 N. 2525 Road, Ottawa. Proceeds benefit Friendship House. This event is lawn seating with a beautiful view of the Covel Creek bluff in the background. Bring lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the event. There will be food and drink vendors and outside food and drinks will not be allowed. General admissions tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children younger than 12. Go to https://friendshiphouseillinois.org/2023/05/01/concertforacause/ for more information.

Forgottonia: The Tiskilwa Historical Society will host musician and storyteller Chris Vallillo as he presents Forgottonia for a lawn concert starting at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Museum on Main, 110 E. Main St., Tiskilwa. The show will feature songs and stories about sometimes overlooked parts of Illinois. Vallillo will perform music that he has written more than 35 years about rural Illinois. The program is free, but donations are accepted. For updated information, visit the society’s Facebook page or website at tiskilwahistoricalsociety.org.

Pumpkin Harvest Craft Show: The 24th annual event will take place 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Boggio’s Orchard and Produce, 12087 Route 71, Granville. General admission is $10 during weekends from Sept. 16 to Oct. 29, but it includes access to fall activities and craft shows. Children younger than 2 are free. Go to boggiosorchardandproduce.com for more information.

Fall Fest: Country Kids, 4301 Plank Road, Peru, will be hosting its fifth annual Fall Fest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be food, pumpkin painting, slides, games, train rides, bounce houses and a straw maze, among other activities. Mums, apples, doughnuts, pumpkins and gourds will be available for purchase. Go to https://www.countrykidsfarmmarket.com/ for more information.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to The Times, NewsTribune or Bureau County Republican’s community calendar at starvedrockcountry.com/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature.