Prairie State Wire

The Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site will host the annual Grand Levee, a celebration of the grand receptions held during the 1800s to honor government dignitaries and important visitors. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 15, and is free and open to the public. The historic site is located at 315 W. Gallatin St. in Vandalia.

Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the lawn of the Vandalia Statehouse with period arts and crafts demonstrations, including blacksmithing, pottery, wood and leather work, wool spinning, and more. Professor Farquar and Polecat Annie will present an Old Time Medicine Show with stage times at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 3 p.m., complemented by roving entertainment between shows.

Inside the historic site, visitors can tour the Vandalia Statehouse. Sweet Silhouette hand-cut portraits by Varin Acevedo will be available from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., offering visitors a free silhouette cutting mounted on a 5-inch-by-7-inch board. Additionally, Mike Anderson, known as the Dulcimer Guy, will provide music throughout the day with his main performance at 2 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for a performance by Lincoln presenter Randy Duncan on the front steps of the Statehouse at 10:45 a.m., followed by folk musician Chris Vallillo.

Members of Fayette County Art Connection will conduct painting demonstrations throughout the day. At 11 a.m., Crown Point Church will sell lunch items including ham and beans. Other food vendors include Pokorney with kettle corn, pork rinds, lemon shakeups, and the Rotary Club selling funnel cakes.

Additional activities feature 1800s period games and a petting zoo at noon by Lucky R Mobile. Blacksmith Bryan Dale Headley from Rural Heritage on RFD TV will demonstrate forging an unfolded cross at 1 p.m., which will be given away to an audience member.

The Grand Levee is sponsored by Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Old Capital Foundation, and the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition. For more information or a schedule of events, visit the Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site Facebook page or call them at 618-283-1161.

The Vandalia Statehouse is noted as Illinois' oldest surviving capitol building, serving as such from 1836 to 1839. It is open to the public between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.