Each fall, usually the first two full weekends in October, Illinois’ Fulton County puts on a colorful autumn display for its residents and guests. This is otherwise known as the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive.
Antiques, collectibles and historic attractions wind their way around 140 miles of the Scenic Drive. Music, food, children’s activities, shopping and browsing all start early in the year in the way of preparation. Vendors may go to the Drive’s web site for more information on registering for a booth. Many craft items are sold at outdoor booths which line the way of town squares.
Civil War re-enactments with weapons and period attire are set up in several areas including London Mills and Mount Pisgah Park. A petting zoo and outdoor stage entertainment is also available at certain locations. A dramatic poetry reading of Lewistown native Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology” is read each year at Lewistown’s Oak Hill Cemetery. Other favorites include Blacksmith demonstrations at Ellisville, museum artifacts at Dickson Mounds at Waterford Area-Central Illinois’ Native American archaeological attraction-and the Luther Birge home in Farmington, which housed the Underground Railway in the mid 1800s.
Here’s the route, from the northern part of the county to the southern end. See map at right.
1.London Mills
2.Farmington
3.Avon
4.Ellisville
5.Mount Pisgah Park
6.Fairview
7.Canton
8.Cuba
9.Smithfield
10.Bernadotte
11.Lewistown
12.Ipava
13.Duncan Mills
14.Waterford Area
15.Astoria
All local contact information is posted on the web site at www.SpoonRiverDrive.org. There is no admission cost to attend events.
