Back-2-School

Here in Boone County, the kids are back to school. Some, who attend the new magnet school, started last week. They were spotted around town in their cute new uniforms, which includes Khaki shorts for this warm weather. This week, the rest of the area got down to business, once the Boone County Fair wrapped up.

The fair is something that we look forward to greatly every year. There are so many things to do, foods to taste, rides to ride, games to play, animals to admire (and some to pet, or if your timing was right like ours, to see born first-hand) and cool acts to watch, like the Kid Fiddlers and Galaxy Girl, to name a couple. The first were very talented and cute. The second was talented and funny, with a touch of scary thrown in for good measure!

Now that we're back into our pre-autumn groove, it's time to give thought to what you want to enjoy at this year's Harvest Festival. We have more music than last year, and hope to include the winners of the battle of the bands from fair week! We have more vendors with unique items that we did not see last year. True Colors Alpaca Farm will have a booth, and will be bringing some of their alpacas to meet you.

We have some favorites returning, like the popcorn guys, and Woodfire Brick Oven Pizzas. I can't say enough good things about either of them! Great food to say the least!

Also returning, we will have George Thomas giving guided tours of the Historic Baltic Mill. Downstairs in the mill, on the side facing the river, there will be a newcomer, Libbie Rodakowski. Libbie is providing kids, and those young-at-heart, with some scary stories and we can't wait to be entertained! And, for the grownups, there will again be a wine tasting area with many local wineries highlighted.

There will still be many family-friendly activities, including the pumpkin patch and build-a-scarecrow, which will again be no charge. There will also be many more activities for the kids, at a reasonable price, like face paintings, inflatables, crafts, and more.

And, we hope you already have something in the works, because the Scarecrow Walk will be bigger and better than EVER! We had so many wonderful entries last year. Some folks in the community were surprisingly creative, like the surveying scarecrows (I chuckled several times) and the Girl Scouts (just cute). We are looking forward to even more this year. Remember, entry is free, and the top three entries selected by the Boone County Arts Council will win cash prizes. There will also be a ribbon for the People's Choice Award. And, for the businesses, clubs, and organizations in the community who wish to partake in our special event, there is the TRAVELING TROPHY contest! Entry in this contest is $25 for original creations, and $50 for a scarecrow supplied by the Harvest Fest. (Don't worry, they're not judged on looks, only on the amount of money they can raise before the Harvest Fest for the Kishwaukee Riverfront Path development)

If you, or someone you know, is interested, please check out our website or pop into the Belvidere Park District offices for entry forms and information.

We will have more fun and entertainment lined up for the evening, as with last year, in the Conservation District at Spencer Pavilion. Bonfire, s'mores, hayrides, and more details to come... have to give you a reason to come back in a couple of weeks to find out more! Until then, take a deep breath (before the ragweed gets here) and enjoy the quiet of kids at school for a few minutes... before band practice, and football practice, and swimming practice, and soccer... oh, you get the idea!!!