Illinois Amish Festival: Free Cheese and Fun

A great Labor Day weekend is planned for three days at the Illinois Amish Country Cheese Festival. The celebration starts August 30, 2008 and runs through September 1, 2008. Arthur, Illinois is located 10 miles west of Interstate 57 off exit 203 in East Central Illinois.

There will be family fun for the whole weekend. It will be held as it is every year in Arthur, Illinois. There are tons of things to do. You can eat a corn dog, sample some free cheese, and watch an exciting tractor pull, enjoy a parade, listen to some music, attend an Amish farm shop and take in all the great sales in town. You can just come and enjoy yourself because that is what a visit to Amish Country is all about!

You can actually schedule your entire weekend around this event. It starts out on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 6 a.m. with a Fireman's Pancake and Sausage Breakfast at the Firehouse. At 9 a.m. the festival officially opens. There will be merchant sidewalk sales, wagon and pony rides, a petting zoo, clowns and craft, flea and food vendors all around downtown Arthur. At 11 a.m. at the Community Building, there is a scrumptious ham and bean meal. Around noon, there will be the celebratory first cutting of the cheese which will officially open the festival at the main cheese tent. At 12:30 p.m., people can line up for the first FREE CHEESE GIVEAWAY. There will be over 300 pounds of cheddar cheese and crackers to go with it passed out in this serving at the main cheese tent. The Annual Cheese Eating Nationals will begin at 2:30 p.m. for the 10^th year at the main cheese tent. You can stuff yourself with cheese and root beer and earn some national acknowledgment! There will be adult and youth categories and there is no entry fee. There will be live entertainment all day that ranges from country to classic rock, again free of charge. The festival closes for the day at 8 p.m. Go home to rest because Sunday is another big day of fun.

On Sunday, August 31, 2008, the festival opens at 11:30 a.m. Again the sidewalk sales, wagon and pony rides, petting zoo, and all the vendors will welcome your presence. At 12:30 p.m. will be the second cheese serving where you can enjoy more free cheese from the second 300 pound wheel served along with crackers at the main cheese tent. Don't miss the children's tractor pull at 1 p.m. at the cheese tent. Be sure and register by noon. Your children would love to see the Joey Kelly Circus on South Vine Street at 2 p.m. I'm sure the adults will love it too. There is live entertainment that includes gospel and bluegrass music. The festival will close Sunday at 5 p.m. But come back on Monday for more great fun.

On Labor Day, the festival opens at 9 a.m. for a big day of events. You won't want to miss the Cheese Festival parade at 10:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m. you can get a free sub sandwich at the main cheese tent. The Garden Tractor Pull starts at 1 p.m. at the MoDo Fairgrounds south of the high school and the Joey Kelly Circus will be there at 2 p.m. in case you missed it before. If you ready for some more free cheese, it will be available at 2:30 p.m. at the main cheese tent. The remainder of the 300 pounds of cheese with crackers will be available for hungry festival goers so be sure to get your share. There will be live country music beginning at noon. The festival closes at 4 p.m. on Monday.

During the three days of the festival, throughout the area, you will be able to buy raffle tickets to win an Amish made oak rocking horse and a queen size Amish made quilt. You need not be present to win. Don't miss your chance to win a Amish made rocking horse and quilt.

So come to central Illinois for Labor Day weekend and bring your kids to the Amish Cheese Festival in Arthur. It's bound to be a great time!