Autumnal Festival at Horticulture Center, Oct. 6

A guided bird walk, scarecrows, a corn maze, children’s activities and cooking demonstrations will all be part of the Autumnal Festival at Illinois State University’s Horticulture Center on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Admission to the event is free and open to the public.  A nominal fee will be charged for some activities.         

Pre-festival activities begin at 8 a.m. with a bird walk led by Illinois State University ornithologist Angelo Capparella.  The walk will begin at the southeastern parking area at Heartland Community College on Raab Rd.  The festival will feature children’s activities from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Visitors will also be able to explore the Horticulture Center’s pumpkin patch and buy pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and mums.

Toddlers and small children can explore a maze made from straw bales during the event.  A three acre corn maze will also be open throughout the day.  Admission to the corn maze is $1.

Area organizations including the Children’s Discovery Museum, the Ecology Action Center, Normal Public Library Children’s Department, and the University of Illinois Extension McLean County – Master Gardeners will have displays on site.

The “Scarecrows on Parade” display will feature original, one- of-a kind scarecrows created by local community members.  Those wishing to take a scarecrow home can bid on one during a silent auction held from 9 – 11:30 a.m., with proceeds going to support the Horticulture Center’s Children’s Garden.   

Cooking Cucurbits with Susan will be the theme of a demonstration at 1 p.m. Susan Waltrip, a graduate student in Family and Consumer Sciences at Illinois State, will demonstrate how to make four dishes using cucurbits (squashes and pumpkins).  Recipes include acorn squash soup, butternut risotto, spaghetti squash with pesto, and pumpkin frozen yogurt. There is a $10.00 registration fee for the cooking demonstration.  Please email susanlwaltrip@yahoo.com to obtain more information or to register.

A demonstration of seasonal floral arrangements using squash and pumpkins will take place at 3 p.m. There is a $10.00 registration fee for materials.   To obtain more information or to register contact Jessica Chambers at 438-3496 or by email at horticulture@ilstu.edu

The Horticulture Center is located off Raab Rd. in Normal, between Lincoln College and Heartland Community College.  Off street parking will be available at the site.  For more information on the Horticulture Center and the Autumnal Festival visit www.horticulturecenter.ilstu.edu