A Grande old time

2010 Vandalia Grande Levee / National Road Festival
Set for June 18 and 19, 2010.

Vandalia – The 41 Annual Grande Levee, a celebration of the grand receptions held during the 1800’s to honor government dignitaries and important visitors, will be held Friday and Saturday at the Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site. The event is free and open to the public, and / is cosponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Vandalia Tourism Commission, The Old Capitol Foundation, Friends of the Old State Capitol and Vandalia Leader Union News Paper. The event coincides with the Vandalia National Road Festival being held June 18 and June 19 in Vandalia.

A BBQ dinner, funnel cakes and homemade ice cream social will begin at 5:00p.m. Friday, June 18 on the Statehouse lawn. George Portz will lead the Fiddlers’ Frolic from 6 – 9p.m. Friday night.

Guided tours of the Statehouse will be conducted Friday and Saturday. Period arts and crafts demonstrations will be on Saturday, including blacksmithing, basket making, pottery, tatting and lacing making. Home made Carmel corn, root beer, fried pies will be sold, and many “Taste of Vandalia “food booths will offer local fare.

Several entertainers are scheduled for Saturday, including Professor Farquar & Polecat Annie “Medicine Show”, DePriest Puppets, the Banjulele Band and ‘Madame Rosa’ Museum of Natural Oddities.

Special Saturday events include the St .Louis Zoo with a program entitled “Are you Smarter than a Zoo Keeper?” at 1:00pm, and Ed Tylor / Thunder Road Band will perform from 4:00 – 8:00pm.

Givens Meat Shop will sponsor a BBQ dinner starting at 4:00pm. Saturday evening. Also on Saturday, Givens Meat Shop will sponsor a BBQ Cook- off, with setup for cook off being earlier that day, and awards scheduled for 6:00pm.

Friday, June 18, 2010

4:00pm – 6:00pm – Bruce Ritter/Native Arts (encampment and items for sale)
5:00 – 7:30pm - Dinner by Stauffer’s Country Store
5:00 - ??? - Funnel Cakes, Homemade Ice Cream, Shake-ups
6:00 – 9:00pm - George Portz & the Friends of Bluegrass

Saturday, June 19, 2010

10:00am – 4:00pm Period Craft Demonstrations & Selling of Wares, Tomahawk throwing
11:00am - 4:00pm ” Taste of Vandalia “food booths
11:00am – 4:00pm The Banjulele Band
11:30am, 2:00pm De Priest Puppets (Aesop’s Fables)
12:00 noon, 2:30pm Professor Farquar & Polecat Annie
12:30pm, 3:00pm ‘Madame Rosa’ Museum of Natural Oddities
1:00pm St. Louis Zoo “Are you Smarter than a Zoo Keeper”
4:00pm – 8: pm Ed Taylor/ Thunder Road Band
4:00pm - ? BBQ Dinner / Sponsored by Givens Meat Shop
5:00pm BBQ Cook off Awards / Sponsored by Givens Meat Shop

    Click here to download event flyer