Published: June 15, 2009 08:40 pm      

Dixie Highway to bustle with events

DANVILLE — Twelve communities in eastern Illinois will participate in this weekend’s fifth annual Drivin’ the Dixie Days. Towns along the historic highway will offer a parade, farmer’s markets, craft fairs, gas engine display, car shows, concessions, a water ball fight, Dixie duck dash, art displays and rummage sales.

The event recognizes the history and importance of the Dixie Highway — Illinois Route 1.

In Danville, numerous activities have been planned by the Vermilion County Museum Society and Downtown Danville, Inc.

Here are the highlights.

Danville

-- Drivin’ the Dixie festivities will begin Friday at the Custard Cup in Danville. As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, the Custard Cup, a longtime Dixie business, will show a drive-in movie at its 2507 N. Vermilion St. location, with additional parking on Ridgeview Street. The business will offer a special that evening: buy one item and get the second item of equal or lesser value for $1.

The movie, “Gnome Mobile,” presented by the Danville Parks Department, will begin at 8:30 p.m. There is no admission charge for the movie. People may watch from their cars or bring lawn chairs.

-- The drive along the Dixie Highway begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Robert E. Jones Municipal Building parking lot, 17 W. Main, and ends in Momence. Participants may register between 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. that day. They also can obtain a registration form from the museum’s Web site to register early. Registration is free. The first 30 registrants will receive a Dixie dash plaque. All ages of cars may enter.

Participants will receive a passport when they register. The passport can be stamped at various points along the route to be eligible for door prizes.

Downtown Danville

Events on Saturday include:

-- Java Hut is offering buy one/get one free coffee the day of the event.

-- Farmer’s Market will be from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Temple Plaza.

-- Sidewalk sales on Vermilion Street will be offered from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

-- Urban Hike of Downtown Danville will start at 11:30 a.m. and noon. Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. Space for each hike is limited to the first 25 people who register. Learn the history of buildings. Each tour takes about 1½ hour.

Bismarck

-- A passport stop for motorists driving the Dixie will be located inside the Pleasant View Church from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-- There will be town rummage sales all day, with maps located at the fire station. Food will be available at the station between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Rossville

-- A free classic rock concert, 7-11 p.m. Friday, featuring the local band Standard Issue. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. The Rossville Fire Department will sell pork burgers and hot dogs.

-- On Saturday, the Rossville Sons of the American Legion will have a sausage gravy and biscuit breakfast starting at 7 a.m. until sold out.

-- Events during the day will include the Art on the Dixie show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., a gas engine display, vendors, car show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., homemade pie and ice cream and a water ball fight. The water ball fight is new this year and sponsored by the Rossville Fire District.

-- Garage sales throughout the village.

-- The day will climax at 4:30 p.m. with the fifth annual running of the ducks in the popular Dixie Duck Dash. Hundreds of rubber ducks will race down the North Fork of the Vermilion for cash prizes. Those owning ducks can re-enter and those wishing to either purchase a designer duck or rent a Dixie Duck may do so up to one hour before post time.

-- Area artists still can enter their works in this year’s Art on the Dixie. Anyone interested in exhibiting original artwork is encouraged to enter. There is an entry fee for $15 (up to three items) and there will be cash prizes.

For information, contact Kevin Young, president of the Rossville Community Organization, at 748-6745.

Hoopeston

Saturday’s events, all at McFerren Park, include:

-- Kids Korner from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with free cotton candy and snow cones, arts and crafts, games and activities.

-- All day: Flea markets (cost for a 10-by-10-foot space is $10); car and motorcycle show, Rotary ice cream and Hoopeston Jay-cees dunk tank.

-- Children’s fishing derby, 9-11 a.m.

-- Lions Club fish fry starts at 10 a.m.

-- Face painting and other children’s events, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

-- Dixie Derby Race (pinewood cars), noon. Weigh-in is at 10 a.m. Entry fee is $30. Funds raised will benefit Hoopeston Main Street.

-- Poochie Pageant for dogs, 10 a.m.; $10 entry fee.

-- Pictures with Miss Hoopeston, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; $3 charge.

-- Fire department water wars, 11 a.m.

Milford

-- Area-wide garage sales all day Saturday, with a craft show on the west side of Route 1, just north of Milford Grade School.

-- Parade, 10 a.m.

-- Passport stop is located in a tent in the crafts show area.

Road’s history

The Dixie Highway was created in 1914 as part of a tourism promotion to encourage travel between the Midwest and the Deep South. The western branch of the route started in downtown Chicago and followed Illinois Route 1 — the historic Hubbard Trail — south to Danville’s Redden Square, named for Rossville native and World War I hero Curtis Redden. It then turned east on U.S. 136 to Indiana.

The original dirt road was paved in brick and then in 1939 replaced with concrete. An original section of the brick Dixie Highway can still be seen to the west of Route 1 north of Danville.

In Rossville, at least one surviving building was made from reclaimed Dixie Highway brick, and the original concrete mile posts were relocated to the Rossville Cemetery.



COMING UP

Driving’ the Dixie Days will be Friday and Saturday along Illinois Route 1, with various events planned.

For information visit the Vermilion County Museum’s Web site at http://www.vermilioncountymuseum.org or call 442-2922 Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information about Rossville’s events, contact Pam Bell at 748-6395 or visit the Web site http://www.rossondixie.com