Events Calendar

Return to Macomb, IL, to Celebrate the Annual WIU Homecoming

Saturday October 24th:
- Spencer Student Recreation Center - open 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. ($7 day pass)
- 8:30 a.m. Reunion Recognition Brunch & Social, Alumni House
- 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. - University Bookstore will be open
- 9:30 a.m. All-Alumni Breakfast, Alumni House (Complimentary coffee and donuts)
- 10:30 a.m. Homecoming Parade - Watch from the Alumni House & Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Park next door
- Noon-3 p.m. Alumni Cookout at "The Right Place" tent - in Q LOT (Menu: Hot dogs and hamburgers, veggie burgers, potato chips, bottled water, canned soda and coffee.) A cash bar will be available (pay with cash or credit).
- 3 p.m. Leathernecks Football Game vs. TBA - Hanson Field
Tickets will not be mailed. The Homecoming football ticket sales are final. Therefore, all tickets purchased through the WIU Alumni Association are non-refundable.

Our 6th market of the season is here! Hot food this week will be from Little Pallet Farmhouse, and music by Tex Carroll. Production is increasing every week. Our vendors love seeing you!

All your favorite vendors will be there selling produce, plants, baked goods, clothes, and many more. Stop by to check all these amazing products!
Market starts at 8 am and ends at 1 pm at Washington Park!

Calling all little farmers, superheroes, and princesses! Visit your local Heritage Tractor location (excluding Anderson and Bloomington) for a morning of Halloween-themed fun on Saturday, October 24th.
Costumed kiddos will receive a FREE surprise John Deere toy!* PLUS enjoy sweet treats, activities, fun photo ops, and 10% OFF all in-stock toys!**

We'll also have our annual Facebook costume contest. Here's how you can enter:
- Snap a photo of your child in costume at Halloween Howl
- Post the photo on Facebook and tag Heritage Tractor
- We will upload the photo to an album on our page
- Like and share! The most liked costume will receive the grand prize
Find your nearest Heritage location: https://heritagetractor.com/locations

*While supplies last
**Excludes battery-powered toys

The Mount Sterling Farmers Market began in 2017 as a grassroots effort led by community members with the goal of promoting local food access, small businesses, and community gathering, laying the foundation for the market we know today.

Join us for Mad Science on the Farm at Prairie Moon Farm, October 24th-25th, for a weekend of fall fun, farm adventures, and hands-on science! Come explore the farm, enjoy all your favorite fall activities, and join us throughout the day for hourly fall-themed science demonstrations and experiments designed especially for kids!
- Fall-Themed Science Demonstrations & Experiments
- Pick the Perfect Pumpkin
- Shop with Local Vendors
- Browse Handmade Goods & Unique Finds
- Sip & Shop While You Explore the Farm
- Enjoy Fall Farm Fun
- Meet the Farm Animals
- Ride the Prairie Moon Express
- Find Your Way through the Spooky Maze
- Play in the Bubble Party
- Enjoy Fall Food & Drinks
- Take in the Autumn Scenery
- Plenty of Fall Photo Opportunities

Get ready to experiment, explore, and discover the science behind some of your favorite fall traditions! Our Mad Science demonstrations will take place hourly throughout the weekend, giving kids a chance to see science in action with fun, hands-on experiments and fall-themed surprises.
Grab a drink from the Blue Moon Saloon, browse the vendor area, visit the animals, explore the farm, and enjoy a beautiful fall day at Prairie Moon Farm.
Admission to the farm and participation in the science experiments is FREE. Some activities require tickets, which can be purchased on-site or online through our website: www.PrairieMoonFarm.com.

Join park staff for a historical walking tour of the Atkinson/McCord cemetery location on the park's property. Participants should be able to walk 1/2 mile on moderate terrain to access the cemetery.
Meet at the park visitor center or at the trap range area.
For more information, please call (309) 776-3422 or email Bridget.Hinchee@illinois.gov

Join us Sat., Oct. 24th from 10 am-4 pm for the fall Western Illinois Fiber Festival at the McDonough County 4-H Center in Macomb, IL! Meet & shop with all your favorite fiber farmers, dyers, and artisans. It's full of fiber fun, and you won't want to miss out!
Carding and spinning wheel demonstrations throughout the day. Aly's Bakehouse Kitchen will be serving breakfast & lunch and will have coffee & drinks available as well. She has a wide variety of options, including vegetarian & gluten-free.
Learn how to use a drop spindle with Christine in the side room. Spindles & fiber will be available to try and to purchase. You are invited to bring your own spinning fiber and drop spindle. There is no sign-up ahead of time; just show up. She'll be teaching all day for a free-will donation.
A Tangled Mess Fiber Arts will be offering needle felting activities in the side room for $10/each, and the Sassy Rabbit will be offering needle felting activities in the main area for $10/each, so we will have 3 felting stations available throughout the day, enough for 20 people at once. You do not have to sign up ahead of time; show up. Needle felting will be going on all day. It's really a lot of fun, and a great form of art that is easy and relieves stress.

Join us downtown Jacksonville at Central Park Plaza for our annual Pumpkin Festival. Many activities include a Petting Zoo, Bubble Yoga, Bounce House, Balloon Artist, Face Painting, Pumpkin Painting, Cookie Decorating, Blazing Wing Challenge sponsored by BWW, Games & prizes, Bubbles, Kids' Costume Contest, Pet Costume Contest, and our 2nd year of the inflatable costume races for children AND adults!
Cost is $10 per child and includes all activities and contests. Adults get to enter contests at no extra charge. Food trucks and many Vendors will be set up on the northeast side of Central Park Plaza for your Fall shopping fun!
Costume Contest: 5 age groups will be awarded 1st through 3rd Place Prizes.
0-3 years
4-6 years
7-9 years
10-12 years
13 and up

Registration for the 2026 Homecoming Parade has gone live! The parade will be on Saturday, October 24th at 10:30 am.

Make sure your organization or department is registered for this Homecoming tradition.