Oregon’s Autumn on Parade gearing up for ‘Whimsical Weekend’ Oct. 5-6

OREGON – Oregon is ramping up to host thousands of visitors to celebrate the 53rd annual Autumn on Parade.

“This is a fun-for-all ages event,” Autumn on Parade marketing director Meggan Dickson said. “There is something for young, something for old. It’s outdoors and supports small businesses, supports our small town. It’s a good time to get out and mingle and feel the excitement in the area.”

The free, family-friendly festival is set for Oct. 5 and 6, with most events and activities taking place in and around downtown Oregon. A complete schedule of events can be found at AutumnOnParade.com. This year’s theme is “Whimsical Weekend.”

“We just kind of kick around ideas that come to us, and the [Autumn on Parade] board shares suggestions,” Dickson said. “We had three really good suggestions a couple years ago, so we just lined them up to use them, and this year was ‘Whimsical Weekend.’”

Board and committee members are excited to see people’s takes on the theme, especially the Harvest Time Parade entries, Dickson said.

The Harvest Time Parade steps off at 1 p.m. Oct. 6 from the corner of Adams and South Ninth streets.

From the starting point, parade entrants will travel east to Route 2, then turn north and head to Route 64. They’ll turn west onto Route 64 and finish at the intersection with South 10th Street.

“It features somewhere in the nature of 100 floats, musical acts, tumblers and lots of entertainment,” Dickson said of the parade. “It’s the largest parade in northern Illinois.”

There will not be a 5K and Fun Run this year. Organizers were unable to find enough volunteers to manage the event, and there were no outside agencies to take it on, according to the Autumn on Parade website.

“While this chapter of our festival is closing, we are happy to have provided the 5K and Fun Run for so many years and hope each of you treasure those memories for a lifetime!” according to the website.

The market/craft fair – a favorite of festivalgoers – will take place both Saturday and Sunday, Dickson said. The market/craft fair began in 1970 with just seven vendors; this year, there are more than 200, she said.

Autumn on Parade volunteers will partake in their own version of whimsical activities throughout the weekend, including giveaways, a scavenger hunt and an art reveal, Dickson said.

For those who can find Dolly the Duck, there’s a chance to win festival merchandise, she said. Taking a selfie with Dolly and tagging Autumn on Parade on social media is another chance to win, Dickson said.

“This is an all-volunteer-led event,” Dickson said of Autumn on Parade. “It’s really neat to see everyone giving back to the community.”