Events Calendar

Walk of the Dead Haunted Trail opens October 2^nd and will run Fridays and Saturdays in October from 7:00 – 11:00 pm.  Located behind Lakeside Water Park (1033 S Lake Storey Road, Galesburg), the haunted trail offers patrons a terrifying walk through the woods. In its tenth year of operation, Walk of the Dead Haunted Trail is managed by the non-profit AGES Community in cooperation with the City of Galesburg.  The cost is $20 per person.

“This is our tenth year of scaring folks in the woods!” says organizer Sean Godsil. “We have new areas and new scares, but we have some old favorites too, of course. Every year we do things differently, so if you’ve come a previous year, we promise this year will be different. Actually, things can be different from night to night; you never know what to expect on the Walk of the Dead.”

Organizers recommend the haunt to children older than 13 years of age. The event is entirely outdoors and weather permitting, so please dress accordingly. No open-toed shoes, slippers, flip-flops, or slides allowed.   

Proceeds from the haunted trail help support the city’s nature programs and other recreational activities, including the Fishing Derby.  

For more information and weather-related updates, follow Walk of the Dead on Facebook and Instagram. Tickets are sold at the Lakeside Water Park ticket booth or purchase them online at www.walkofthedead.org and avoid the line at the ticket booth.

**CALLING ALL WIU MUSIC ALUMNI!**
This Homecoming, we invite you to celebrate the long-awaited opening of the Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts with our School of Music Celebration Concert. We want YOU to be part of it!
Here's how you can participate:
- Attend the concert on Friday night and cheer enthusiastically!
- Perform with the current WIU Wind Ensemble, University Singers, Jazz Studio Orchestra, or Orchestra.
- Tour the new Goldfarb Center.

Don't miss this historic celebration! If you're interested in performing, please fill out this form for more details

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!

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 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.

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.

Toss. Compete. Win. Support a good cause