Bite into the sweet corn made salty with the open flame. Watch the broncs try to rule the ring. Take in an old-fashioned circus, join a national effort to connect communities with police, or sit back and listen to the closing notes of a successful summer concert series. There are so many things to do in this week’s 5 things to do in the Sauk Valley, you better get out a calendar and take notes.
1 Tribune attractions. The 170th Lee County 4-H Youth Fair and Show will be Thursday through Sunday at the Lee County Fairgrounds, 1196 Franklin Road, Amboy. Grandstand attractions: garden tractors, tractors and truck tractors Thursday at 6 p.m.; Illini State Pullers Tractor and Truck Pulls, Friday at 6:30 p.m.; Broken Horn Rodeo, Saturday at 7 p.m.; Dairland Donkeyball Donkey Races, Sunday at 1 p.m. Featured exhibits will be 4-H youth projects. There is a full schedule at go.illinois.edu/CLW4-HFairs. Call 815-632-3611 for more information.
2 Delicious taste. Morrison will celebrate his connection to corn during his inaugural Shuckfest, which will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. along three blocks of West Main Street. There will be fire-roasted and buttered sweet corn. There are also vendors, food trucks, a beer garden, a sober bar, restaurants and a cornhole tournament. Children can enjoy a foam party. Several live music acts will perform on the main stage: New Vocal Band at 12:30 p.m.; The Third Wheel at 2, Creamery Road at 3, Tobin Kirk at 4, Mirabilia at 5, The Scoundrels at 6 and 30 West at 7:30. Tickets are $15 per adult, $5 for children and seniors, $30 for a family package.
3 Connection with the police. National Night Out, a community policing awareness partnership, will have events in Fulton and Erie on Tuesday, August 2. In Fulton, 3 on the Tree will perform at 6 p.m., and there will be emergency vehicles, an Illinois National Guard obstacle course, bounce houses, Amish baked goods, and a breakout tank. In Erie, there will be an inflatable water slide, a photo backdrop and guests from the fire department and the National Guard.
4 Entertainment under canvas. The Culpepper and Merriweather Midway and Circus will be Tuesday at 5 and 7:30 pm at W Field in Walnut. Culpepper and Merriweather Circus is in its 37th year. Signature acts are the big cats with Trey Key, aerialists Simone and Kelly, the Loyal Bareback Horse Riders, the Perez Daredevil Duo, clown Leo Acton and Brandon Ayala at the Rola Bola. Tickets at the box office will cost $15 for adults and $8 for seniors and children. Advance tickets are available at various community outlets for $12 and $8.
5 Grand finale. The season finale of the Sterling Municipal Band’s Music Under the Stars series will be Wednesday at the Grandon Civic Center in Central Memorial Park. Lobomite, the opening act, starts at 18:15. The main concert starts at 7:30pm and will be “An Evening of Frank Sinatra Hits” featuring soloist Jason Richards and the Josh Duffee Quintet.
Do you have information about a nearby event or attraction? Be sure to let us know. Send Sauk Valley Media weekly calendar information to news@saukvalley.com. Include a contact person and phone number.
