Heritage Festival Returns to SIC Nov. 1-2

The 37th annual Heritage Festival at Southeastern Illinois College will be held Nov. 1-2. The event will run from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday.  Admission to the event and parking are both free. Handicap parking is available.

The festival focuses on locally hand-crafted items, along with entertainment, food, and a few heritage craft demonstrations.

A full house of over 120 vendors with more than 200 booths will be selling unique wares, including handmade jewelry, handmade American Girl® look-alike doll clothes, handmade porcelain dolls, wood crafts, primitive dolls, signs and furniture. Other offerings will include Christmas and Thanksgiving items, handmade purses, candles, antiques and collectables, hand-painted items, stained glass, handmade shawls, and handmade hats, just to name a few. 

Heritage crafts with live demonstrations include spinning, basket weaving, pottery, fly tying (fishing), oil painting, watercolor painting amongst others.

Donna Hearn, SIC’s Community Outreach Supervisor for Community Education, has directed the Heritage Festival for the last 14 years. 

“This is the largest number of vendors in my 14-year history with the festival,” said Hearn. 

The weekend also draws large crowds and is one of the largest events held at the College each year.

Any great fall festival must include food, and this year’s Heritage Fest will be no exception. In addition to the items for sale at various booths, the college’s Falcon Pointe Bistro will serve complete dinners, soup, salads, sandwiches, and desserts.

Wil Maring, singer, songwriter, graphic artist and fine art painter and Robert Bowlin will perform at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Performances will be held in the college’s Student Center located in the Harry L. Crisp Conference Center in B building.

For years the Heritage Festival has served as an unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season in the area. Vendors from four different states are expected to be on hand.

For questions about Heritage Festival, call Donna Hearn at 618-252-5400 or toll free 866-338-2742, ext. 3213. 

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