Geneseo Christmas Walk: Gingerbread House Party

November 20, 2023
Zack Sullivan, Executive Director Geneseo Chamber of Commerce 309-944-2686

GENESEO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES THE 2023 GENESEO CHRISTMAS WALK: GINGERBREAD HOUSE PARTY

The 2023 Geneseo Christmas Walk will take place Saturday December 9th from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm in Geneseo, IL. This year’s theme is “Gingerbread House Party.” The 2023 Geneseo Christmas Walk promises to be the biggest Christmas party in Geneseo this holiday season!

The 38th annual Geneseo Christmas Walk is hosted by the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce. Zack Sullivan, Executive Director of the Geneseo Chamber, commented about the 2023 event saying, “The Geneseo Christmas Walk hosts one of the best small town holiday celebrations in the Midwest. Many people travel from afar to attend this annual community event, the biggest event Geneseo hosts all year. The annual Christmas Walk themes change year to year, and the event is very versatile. Half of the fun of planning the Geneseo Christmas Walk is integrating a theme into the event. We thought it would be fun to do a “gingerbread” theme this year, as we have not done this theme yet and want to offer a fun, modern, and vibrant theme of celebration in 2023.”

Sullivan said, “The Geneseo Christmas Walk is a kaleidoscope of holiday offerings, including live music, holiday shopping, warm meals, ice sculptures, living windows, luminaries, trolley rides and so much more! This has always been one of my favorite events in Geneseo. People from throughout our region make the annual trip to Geneseo to celebrate Christmas time!”

The Geneseo Christmas Walk has something for everyone. The Geneseo Jingle Run 5K race kicks of the big day’s festivities at 8:30 am. The Lighted Christmas Parade is a popular regional attraction, which steps off in Downtown Geneseo at 5:00 pm sharp. The parade leads up to the traditional Tree Lighting Ceremony at approx. 5:45 pm at the intersection of State and Second Streets. Meanwhile, the Central Bank Pavilion will host a Holly Jolly Christmas Party from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm – featuring holiday themed dance music from a live DJ, a walk-through Christmas light display, and ice sculptures.

Another new attraction in 2023 will be the Gingerbread House Competition, hosted by the Geneseo Art League & Gallery, located at 125 N. State Street. Visitors to the 2023 Geneseo Christmas Walk are invited to visit the Geneseo Art League & Gallery to vote for their favorite Gingerbread House. The winner will be crowned Grand Champion, will win a $100 Geneseo Chamber Gift Certificate, and will earn bragging rights for life.

The Geneseo Christmas Walk started in 1986 as the Geneseo Victorian Walk, offering a unique way to celebrate Christmas in Geneseo while providing a boost to local small businesses during the holiday season. Since then, the event has become an all-time favorite for Geneseoans and visitors from the Quad Cities region alike – capturing the wonder and charm of experiencing Christmas in a Hallmark Christmas Movie- like small town setting.

The evening will be filled with Christmas magic in Geneseo and we invite you to join us both that evening and at any time in Geneseo, IL. While in Geneseo, visit our many fine restaurants and shops. Most events are free unless otherwise indicated, some meal and warming sites will accept free will donations.

For more information, call the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce at 309-944-2686, or visit the Geneseo Chamber’s website at www.geneseo.org for a full schedule of events.

Freedom House Founder Adds New Chapter to Life’s Work – By Claudia Loucks

By Claudia Loucks
Current Exchange

Nedda Simon of Princeton is living proof that it is never too late to stop creating. Simon founded Freedom House 40 years ago to fill a need to provide services for both sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Simon will be 91 years of age Dec. 28, and she recently launched a new and creative endeavor with a line of greeting cards inspired by her candor and words of wisdom she shared as a well-known WZOE radio personality and as a Bureau County Republican columnist.

Simon’s line of greeting cards symbolizes the fact that it’s never too late to start a new project. Her friend, Diana Whitney, Galva, designed the artwork for the cards, and Simon has selected words from her full and varied career to add meaning to the cards.

Suitable for all occasions, the cards express encouragement and hope in simple, yet elegant terms.

The cards primarily contain words of encouragement, for example:

“Hope helps us come back from illness and despair.

It carries us through the tough times.

Hope is within us.

Sometimes all it takes is a glimmer to restore balance in our life and allow us to move forward.”

Whitney created the designs for the cards and she said she and Simon “have been talking about doing this for a long time.”

They began working on the project this summer and the designs on the cards were printed from original art work by Whitney.

A select number of cards are available exclusively at Flowers by Julia in Princeton, and at Handverk Galleri in Bishop Hill.

Many people know Nedda Simon for her involvement with Freedom House.

Whitney shared how Freedom House came to be through Simon’s efforts…Simon was serving as a drug and alcohol counselor for women. Some of the women would travel to Simon’s office in Princeton with bruises, and Nedda was not quite sure what to do until the time she was called to the hospital where she found one of her clients to be beyond recognition as she had been beaten so badly. She knew then she had to do something and she was able to open a first shelter (Freedom House) in Wyanet and the first occupants were a woman and her five children.

The services offered by Freedom House continue to grow and the program has served Bureau, Henry, Marshall, Putnam and Start counties since 1983, providing both domestic and sexual violence services.

Earlier this year, Freedom House opened an Outreach Office in Geneseo at 105 South Chicago St.

Ninety-year-old Nedda Simon, left; and Diana Whitney, Galva, president of the board of directors of Freedom House, discuss card designs for the greeting cards inspired by Simon. Contributed Photo

Geneseo Chamber Announces Halloween Fun with Witches Weekend and Scarecrow Row

October 12, 2023
For more information contact:
Zack Sullivan, Executive Director
Geneseo Chamber of Commerce
309-944-2686

A pair of upcoming fun and free Halloween events are happening in Geneseo Illinois: Witches Weekend and Scarecrow Row. The fun kicks off with Witches Weekend on October 26-28. During Witches Weekend, shoppers and guests are invited into Geneseo businesses to celebrate the Halloween season and enter to win over $300 worth of prizes and Geneseo Chamber Gift Certificates that can be used at over 100 Geneseo-based businesses.

The popular Witches Night Out celebration will be on Thursday, October 26 from 4pm-7pm at participating Witches Weekend stores. Stop in to enter for prizes, dress up in a fun Halloween wardrobe, and enjoy Geneseo with friends. Participating locations can be found not only Downtown, but all over Geneseo.

Many stores will also have door prizes and great deals during this kickoff to Witches Weekend including UpLoved, Wildflower Vintage & Thrift, Raelyn’s Pub & Eatery, Pegasus Fine Gifts, Four Seasons, Geneseo Brewing Company, Village Florist and Gifts, Pumpkins & Baby Bugs - A Baby Boutique, MIVA, and more to be announced. The Witches Weekend event will run through Saturday, October 28th. This means you can shop throughout the weekend in order to get the best deals and keep entering to win! Witches Weekend winners will be drawn Monday, October 30th.

Then, on Saturday, join businesses and families in the Geneseo City Park to continue the Halloween spirit with Geneseo’s Scarecrow Row! If you’d like to make a scarecrow for display, stop by the Smith Studio and Gallery, located at 124 S. State St. in downtown Geneseo, and pick up your FREE wooden scarecrow starter frame and information sheets. Then, get busy! Get creative! Bring your finished scarecrow to the Geneseo City Park on Saturday, October 28th between 9:00 am -10:00 am where all the scarecrows will be exhibited on “Scarecrow Row.” EVERY scarecrow will receive a special ribbon, with Geneseo Chamber Gift certificate prizes being awarded to the top three Scarecrows on display.

The public will be invited to come to the City Park to view the scary, exciting and weird creations. From 10:00 am-12:00 pm candy and Halloween treats from Geneseo businesses will be distributed to children visiting Scarecrow Row. Families are encouraged to come to the park dressed in their Halloween costumes. A free Halloween themed photo booth will be set up at the Bandshell, providing a fabulous photo opportunity. Scarecrows will be on exhibit throughout this special Halloween Saturday until 4pm.

For more information, contact the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce at 309-944-2686.

Cambridge Methodist Fall Review Oct. 7 Features Area Crafters

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

The Fall Review at the Cambridge Methodist Church originated 33 years ago and continues to be the major fundraiser for the church.

This year’s Review is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Cambridge Church, 120 West Exchange St., and in the Community Hall, adjacent to the church.

For more information, call the church at 309-937-2018.

The event will feature a country breakfast, served from 7 to 9 a.m. in the church. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and carryout orders are available at 11:30 a.m. The lunch menu includes “Red Delicious” ham loaf, cheesy potatoes, almond green beans and dinner rolls. The ala carte luncheon menu will feature all plate lunch items in addition to chicken salad served on rye bread or croissant, potato soup, pumpkin pie, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake or turtle cake.

This year more than 30 crafters have registered to take part in the Review, including people from the Quad Cities and surrounding areas and from as far away as Ft. Myers, FL.

Committee members require original work only, no commercially produced items.

The Review also features frozen foods, bakery and gourmet shops.

Visitors to the gourmet shops will find an assortment of jams and jellies, fudge, relishes, pickles, mustards and mixes. New items are pickled green beans and jalapeno strawberry jelly.

Homemade cinnamon rolls, fruit-filled pies, cookies, and specialty breads including the popular Swedish Rye will be available in the bakery shop.

In the “Frozen Food Shop,” visitors will find the popular “Red Delicious” ham loaves, cheese tortellini soup, apple dumplings, lasagna for two, Swedish meatballs, and fruit pies.

Linda Denison, a member of the Review committee, said, “Members grow, pick and prepare items They hand craft jar toppers, test recipes, decorate the buildings and meet en masse to make frozen food products.”

The history of the Fall Review can be traced back to 1989 when the church held its first Review in the form of an all-church sponsored consignment craft show. The event was such a success that it became a tradition and grew into the church’s top money-making event. Las year’s Review raised about $20,000.

Denison said the purpose of the Fall Review “is to raise much needed money for mission and ministry priorities of our church. All profits from this year will be used for ministries within our church and community.”

“Our church mission statement is ‘Loving God, Loving Others, Serving Both.’ Whatever we profit from the Review, we use to support our church programs, as well as the grade school program ‘Caring Hearts’ that helps families in need, our local food pantry and to Back Pack Blessings program for Cambridge students who receive weekend food packages.”

“The Review not only is our major fundraiser, it has become a rewarding labor of love in serving others,” Denison said. “Many church members work all year to prepare for it. It’s a labor of love for the entire congregation.”

Linda Charlet, a member of the Fall Review Committee at the Cambridge Methodist Church, shows the frozen homemade fruit pies that will be offered for sale at the annual Fall Review on Oct. 7 at the church. The event will feature 10 varieties of fruit pies. All proceeds from the Fall Review are used for local missions.

Geneseo Chamber of Commerce Annoucnes 17th Annual Trains, Planes, & Automobiles

Butch Patrick aka Eddie Munster From The Famous Munsters TV Show to Visit Geneseo Satuirday. August 12 For “Spook the Loop” Event!

Butch Patrick, who portrayed Eddie Munster in the popular Munsters TV Show, is coming to Geneseo on Saturday August 12! For one day only, Shoot the Loop is rebranding itself into “Spook The Loop”.

There will be a meet & greet opportunity with Butch, a Shoot the Loop event at the City Park, and Lynn Allen will perform at the Central Bank Pavilion in the evening, sponsored by Hanford Insurance Agency.

This is going to be a huge day in Geneseo. Save the date – Saturday August 12 in Geneseo, IL. Spook the Loop feat. Butch Patrick!

Spook the Loop is made possible thank to the efforts of Geneseo Shoot the Loop, the Geneseo Public Library District, and Sheilah Wigant-McGee Originals.

Check out these neat contests and classes related to “Spook the Loop!”