Arcola Broom Corn Festival
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Arcola celebrates its heritage as the “Broom Corn Capital of the World” with the renowned annual Broom Corn Festival. Visitors can see broom activities, arts/crafts, free entertainment, great food, and a gigantic parade with the Famous Lawn Rangers. Additional, visitors can participate in the Arcola Broom Corn 5K and 10K races. The event, held the weekend after Labor Day, honors Arcola’s position in the late nineteenth century as a center of broom corn production.
Arcola is famous for the Lawn Rangers, a “precision lawn mower drill team” that marches in formation with brooms and lawn mowers. Every year since 1980, the Lawn Rangers have marched in the Arcola Broom Corn Festival Parade. This unique custom was publicized by humor columnist Dave Barry, who marched with the Lawn Rangers in 1995 and has written columns about them. In 2003, President Barack Obama marched with the Lawn Rangers in the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade to launch his race for the senate. As a result, The World Famous Amazing Arcola Lawn Rangers were invited to march in the 2009 Inaugural Parade in Washington D.C.
Lodging
Unplug and relax at our exclusive Victorian bed and breakfasts, offering a famous six-course breakfast. Take the family to our other cozy inns and motels and enjoy a swim.
Arcola Inn
236 S. Jacques St.
Arcola, IL 61910
217-268-4971
Affordable Daily & Weekly Rates. Newly Decorated rooms. Convenient At-Door Parking. Free Cable Television with HBO. Free Local Telephone Calls. Complimentary Breakfast. Non-Smoking Rooms Available. Full, King & Queen Beds Offered. AARP and Travel Club Discounts. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted.
Comfort Inn
610 E. Springfield Rd.
Arcola, IL 61910
217-268-4000
800-228-5150
Web site: www.comfortinn.com
Newest in town. Family-friendly, located just off of I-57. Amenities include an outdoor pool and internet service.
Arcola Flower Patch Bed & Breakfast
Arcola Diamond House Bed & Breakfast
225 & 229 E. Jefferson
Arcola, IL 61910
217-268-4876
Web site: www.arcolaflowerpatch.com
E-mail: harsh8@aol.com, Daniel@arcoladiamondhouse.com
Featured in Midwest Living & Country Sampler, this Victorian B & B offers a lovely downstairs parlor, shaded porch swing, quiet gazebo for tea or coffee & gift shop. The Flower Patch swirls with creative energy. There’s so much to see. Lynn, the Artist in Residence, displays framed porcelain art and watercolors throughout the house. Every room abounds with floral arrangements, crafts, curios and family memorabilia. With floral rugs, potted plans and displays of fresh and dried
flowers, it’s always spring at the bed & breakfast. Guests and non-guest alike are welcome to tour the backyard garden, where the Harshbargers grow the herbs used in their epicurean masterpieces.
Arcola Diamond House is just what you hope to find in a bed-and-breakfast… a touch of whimsy, a dash of nostalgia and engaging hosts brimming with small-town friendliness. The Harshbargers, a family of porcelain artists, poets, musicians and scholars, have developed a sure-fire formula for enchanting their guests. Blending the decorative arts with culinary flavors, they have turned their
family homes into masterpieces. Shining with personality, The Flower Patch & Diamond House make a pleasant beacon of exquisite taste; in more ways than one.
Elder Camp Sites
472 Davis St.
1/4 Mile West of I-57 (Exit 203)
Arcola, IL 61910
217-369-7044
Featuring electricity, water, restrooms, hot showers, dump station, pay phone, and free cable tv. Open all year with limited winter service.