Step Back in Time This Weekend … About an Hour Away
We talk a lot on these pages about the commercial and tourism industries of the area. But, make no mistake, northeast Missouri and western Illinois are first and foremost agricultural communities.
If you can break away from harvest for a couple of days, might we suggest a short drive to South Jacksonville, Illinois this weekend for the 52nd annual Prairie Land Heritage Museum's Fall Festival and Steam Show Days, running Friday through Sunday, September 24-26.
They promote the festival as a celebration of tractors, small engines and steam engines. Each year they highlight a particular brand of tractor - this year, John Deere is the featured brand.
If you go to their website, you will see there have apparently been rumors that this year's festival has been cancelled (as last year's was due to COVID). But, they also post assurances that this is not the case.
The museum itself is open most of the year, housing all manner of old time farm equipment and tools. There is also an actual restored one-room school house and a restored country church, which is available for weddings and the like.
But, of course, they put their best foot forward this weekend, with daily demonstrations, displays, entertainment, food, an antique tractor pull, a flea market, old time crafts and Sunday church services.
The address for the Prairie Land Heritage Museum is 1005 West Michigan Avenue in South Jacksonville, IL, about an hour east of Hannibal/Quincy.