Can't-miss summer fun in the Stateline
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Memorial Day has barely passed, but summer already seems to be in full swing in the Stateline area.
We're featuring four favorite festivals of the Stateline News staff here, but there are many other events happening throughout the summer; if if they are not on your calendar yet, they should be.
Rockton
Old Setters Days
• June 15-18
• Settler's Park, E. Harwick Street, Rockton
The largest music festival in the Stateline will feature some of the top up-and-coming hit makers in the country music scene. The annual festival is sponsored by the Rockton Lions Club.
See Trace Adkins, Jake Owen, Granger Smith feat Earl Dibbles Jr., Tyler Farr, The Cadillac Three, Smithfield, Jackie Lee, Walker McGuire & Kassi Ashton. (Additional tickets are required for this stage.)
There will be courtesy parking at Chemtool, located at Rockton Road and Illinois Highway 2. The shuttle to the festival grounds is free.
Main stage acts, according to online bios:
Thursday, June 15
• Walker McGuire is the singer/songwriter duo Jordan Walker and Johnny McGuire whose harmonies embody the fabric of America.
• Tyler Farr, whose highly anticipated second album, “Suffering in Peace,” was released April 28, made its debut in the top 5 on the Billboard Top 200 and Country Albums charts.
Friday, June 16
Kassi Ashton, The Cadillac Three, Granger Smith featuring Earl Dibbles Jr. take over the main stage Friday evening.
• Ashton describes herself as a country soul singer from California, Missouri.
• The Cadillac Three includes native Nashvillians Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray, who have been friends and musical co-conspirators since they were kids.
• Granger Smith featuring Earl Dibbles Jr. is a duo of two brothers who have played 10 countries, three continents, even the White House.
Saturday, June 17
• Jackie Lee, the 25-year-old vocal powerhouse, has undergone a complete transformation, personally and musically, to rededicate himself to a who new attitude.
• Jake Owen's latest album is the result of a soul-searching journey that led him to explore the meaning of life and music.
Sunday, June 18
• Smithfield is the combined forces of Texas natives Trey Smith and Jennifer Fiedler. Named an artist to watch on People.com, the Huffington Post and Rolling Stone Country. CMT named Smithfield to its 2016 Artist Discovery Initiative program.
• The year's headliner, Trace Adkins, features a trademark baritone that has powered countless hits to the top of the charts and sold over 10 million albums.
South Beloit
Meet Me at the Confluence open house
• June 17, 306 Dickop St., South Beloit
The Nature at the Confluence Environmental Learning Center will host an open house to show off the new facility as part of the third annual Meet Me at the Confluence event.
The learning center is the highlight of a project that began in 2013 with a commitment to return the industrial area between Beloit and South Beloit where the Turtle Creek and the Rock River meet to its natural state.
Also set for the same day is the fur trader's run community paddle, a six-mile guided paddle that traces the route fur traders used back in the day when the Rock River served as a major commercial corridor.
The trip is limited to 10 participants.
For information on cost and to sign up, call Rocktown Adventures at 815-636-9066.
South Beloit
Centennial celebration
• Aug. 24-27, South Beloit
South Beloit is hosting a special celebration for the 100th anniversary of the city's founding.
Events will take place from Aug. 24-27 at various locations in town.
Organizers planned the celebration to take place in conjunction with the South Beloit Fire Department's annual corn boil.
Wheeler House volunteers are working on a centennial book that is a compilation of South Beloit's history.
Local businesses are encouraged to build a float, hand out candy and even promotional giveaways at Saturday's parade.
A tentative lineup of events includes:
Thursday, Aug. 24 — A South Beloit High School alumni football game and a dedication and remembrance of the football field at South Beloit City Park.
Friday, Aug 25 — Burying of a time capsule at South Beloit High School.
Saturday, Aug. 26 — Community parade, corn boil at South Beloit City Park, food, vendors and music. Fireworks at dusk.
Sunday, Aug. 27 — Mary's Creative Catering breakfast at Businessmen's Hall, Bushnell Wheeler House activities and tours.
Throughout the celebration, there will be commemorative items for sale, including centennial books, South Beloit cookbook sales, police and fire demonstrations and open house tours, South Beloit Library events and more.
Beloit
Street Dance and Celebrate Weekend
• Aug. 4-5, downtown Beloit
Beloit's biggest street dance kicks off Celebrate Weekend on Friday night at the corner of State and Grand in downtown Beloit.
The weekend also features a sidewalk sale, the Beloit Farmer's Market, food concessions and many other family events. Sponsored by the Downtown Beloit Association.