MOUNT MORRIS – The Mount Morris Jamboree is pleased to welcome back the great band, Illinois Rail, who will be performing their brand of traditional, new, original and gospel Bluegrass music for a two hour show in the band shell Friday, Aug. 10, starting at 7 p.m.
Anyone who's seen their concerts here in the past will fondly recall the exceptional quality of this band. The group consists of Dave and Peg Shippert, Cliff Angeln, Doug Knecht and Gary Dickson. Illinois Rail is a high energy bluegrass/gospel band that hales from central Illinois. Several of the members have more than 30 years of bluegrass band experience. The group came together in 2008 and shares a love of traditional bluegrass music, as well as the bluegrass music of today.
The band offers award winning banjo picking, spirited mandolin and dobro, rock solid flat picking and bass with exceptional vocals. Illinois Rail has played a variety of festivals and private functions over the years and has done a recording session for WTVP, Channel 47 out of Peoria, Illinois for their use in public broadcasting.
The Let Freedom Ring Committee will be serving grilled burgers, brats and all beef hot dogs, chips and water with flavor packets available, starting at 6 p.m. They'll be selling advance tickets to the Circus coming to town Aug. 25. Please join us in supporting next year's festival.
The Campus will be extra festive that evening as it's the opening night of our National Strawsculpting Competition, which will have many new sculptures on display all around the Campus until Aug. 26. Public voting begins at 6 p.m. The Artful Threads Fiber Art Show continues at the Encore Old Sandstone Gallery next door, open from 6-9:30 p.m., featuring original fiber Art of all kinds, from weaving and quilts to lace and thread sculpture and more by local Artists. Several other local food and craft vendors will likely be on site as well, including Jen's Artisan Breads, featuring many different varieties of delicious fresh baked bread and Pecatonica River Honey, with raw, natural, locally sourced honey, Dietrich Ranch will have beef sticks and beef jerky and Barker Brew will likely be there to serve a variety of iced coffees, too.
Please come to town early and have a look at all the good locally grown produce and other foods and crafts available at the Mount Morris Community Farmers Market held in the bank parking lot at the corner of Wesley Ave. and Rt. 64 from 4-7 p.m., every Friday through October.
The rain location for the concert and concessions is the Mount Morris Moose Lodge, at 101 Moose Dr. just off of E. Hitt St. at the same times.
