You will always encounter volunteers on your visit to Lincoln Log Cabin to engage you in the historic experience, but a visit to the site during one of the events below will make your visit extra special. Come and experience 1840s rural life in Illinois!
All events are subject to cancellation and/or rescheduling; please check back often.

January 29, 12:00 to 3:00: Lincoln's Final Farewell. Lincoln Log Cabin will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's final farewell to his family and friends in Coles County with a recreation of the celebratory dinner held in his honor on Saturday, January 29 beginning at noon at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site.  The event will conclude with a ride on horseback to the grave of Lincoln’s father, and all horse owners are encouraged to participate. 

The program will recreate Abraham Lincoln’s last visit with his Coles County family and friends which took place on January 31, 1861.  First-person interpretation will immerse visitors in that final farewell between the newly elected president and his extended family, including his beloved stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, who prophetically expressed apprehension at Lincoln’s leaving, stating that she feared she would never see him alive again.

Visitors will join Fritz Klein, as Abraham Lincoln, and Lincoln Log Cabin’s volunteers representing members of Lincoln’s extended family and other Goosenest Prairie residents in this farewell dinner.  Stories will be swapped between Lincoln and his family and friends during the meal.  The dinner costs $10 per person and will include a choice of either turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green beans, homemade noodles, coleslaw, rolls and butter, and choice of beverage.  Checks may be made out to the Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation, and since seating is limited for this portion of the program, reservations must be made by calling (217) 345-1845 Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by emailing lsff@lincolnlogcabin.org.

At 2:15 p.m., weather permitting, Abraham Lincoln will begin his journey on horseback to the Thomas Lincoln Cemetery, where he will conclude his final visit with a poignant farewell at his father's grave at 2:45 p.m.  Horse owners are encouraged to participate in this ride with Lincoln, and the starting point will be at Lincoln Log Cabin, with riders in place by 2:30 p.m.  The ride and gravesite visit are free, but riders are encouraged to call the site so organizers can have an idea of the number of participants.

February 10, 9:00 am- 11:00 am: Lincoln's Birthday. Local elementary school first-graders will be visiting for stories, songs and crafts in celebration of Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

March 26, 6:00 pm: LSFF Annual Dinner. The Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation will be holding the annual dinner with an inaugural theme in commemoration of the sesquicentennial of Lincoln's presidency. Lincoln Log Cabin's very own Goosenest Prairie Players will open the event at 6:00 and after dinner the Vintage Brass Band will play nineteenth-century music with educational narration. This year's dinner will be held at the Life Span Center just northeast of Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Care Center. Tickets will go sale soon, please email LSFF@lincolnlogcabin.org with questions.

April 8, 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm: Sargent Exhibit Opening at The Tarble Arts Center. The exhibition "Bridging the Past: Paul Sargent’s Coles County" is on view April 9 – June 12 at the Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University. This exhibition explores places in Coles County as depicted by Paul T. Sargent(1880-1946) in the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s and how those places have changed or remained the same since his interpretation.  In addition to oil paintings by Sargent, the exhibition includes present-day and vintage photographs, various artifacts, and objects once belonging to Sargent.  Some of the sites include the Sargent family farm, the EIU campus, Morton Park, and various sites along the Embarras River. The exhibition was organized by the EIU History Department's 2010-11 Historical Administration graduate students working in cooperation with the Tarble Arts Center.  The exhibition is made up of loans from area collectors and Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, materials from Archives in EIU’s Booth Library, and the Tarble's permanent collection.  Everyone is invited to a reception presented to open the exhibition "Bridging the Past: Paul Sargent's Coles County", the reception is Friday, April 8, 7-9pm, at the Tarble Arts Center.  Admission is free.  The exhibition was organized by the 2010-2011 Historical Administration graduate students who will be present:  Phil Grumm, Lori Henderson, Elizabeth Horoszko, Maggie McAdams, Christine McDonough, Patrick McGuire, Philip Mohr, Andrew Near, and Charlotte Rayburn.  The reception is co-sponsored by the Tarble and the Historical Administration Program Association, with refreshments provided by students from EIU's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. For information email tarble@eiu.edu or phone 217-581-ARTS (-2787).

April 30 and May 1, 9:00 to 4:00 Saturday and 11:00 to 4:00 Sunday: Shaker Box Workshop. This workshop scheduled for Saturday and Sunday will show participants how to make "Shaker boxes" used for food storage in the 18th and 19th centuries. The sessions are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $95 and participants should bring craft knives, while other materials will be provided. Participants will learn to make traditional cherry wood Shaker boxes in three sizes and a larger, divided box made of maple.

April 30 and May 1, 9:00 to 4:00 Saturday and 11:00 to 4:00 Sunday: Shaker Box Workshop. This workshop scheduled for Saturday and Sunday will show participants how to make "Shaker boxes" used for food storage in the 18th and 19th centuries. The sessions are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $95 and participants should bring craft knives, while other materials will be provided. Participants will learn to make traditional cherry wood Shaker boxes in three sizes and a larger, divided box made of maple.

June 4 and 5, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day: Antique Tractor Show. A variety of tractors from the 1930s through the 1950s will be on display.  The event is free and open to the public.  One of the featured tractors this year is a 1940s Massey-Harris, which in the 1950s became known as Massey-Ferguson.  Company founder Daniel Massey was born in Windsor, Vermont in 1798 moved with his family to Canada at an early age.  By the 1840s he had turned over the day to day operation of the family farm to his son and began working on farm implements.  In 1847 Massey partnered with a firm to manufacture farm implements and steam engines.  Some of the company’s early successes came from producing the latest American mowers and reapers in Canada, but by the late 19th century they had grown sufficiently to begin exporting their machinery throughout the United States and Great Britain.  In the early 20th century, as farmers turned to smaller and more utilitarian gasoline powered tractors over large steam engines, Massey-Harris entered the field selling tractors manufactured by Bull, a firm from Minneapolis, before ultimately producing tractors under their own name.  In the event of inclement weather the June 4 – 5 Antique Tractor Show will be rescheduled.

June 11, 4:30 to 6:30 pm: Beer Tasting and Silent Auction. Come out to the Visitor Center to sample a variety of microbrew/specialty beers! This event will also feature a silent auction of 19th-century furniture and 20th-century housewares. Tickets to sample 8 different beers and enjoy assorted sandwiches, cheeses, and sweets from Deli & More from Mattoon are $20, tickets will be sold at the event and are available before the event from any Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation Board member or at the Visitor Center. "Designated driver" tickets are $15, this ticket is good for food and the silent auction, there is no charge to attend the silent auction only. Vendors: Express Drive-Thru, Koerner Distributing, and Deli & More.

July 2: Taste of Summer and Corn Boil- 10:00 am to 4:00 pm . Gardening during the mid 1800s may be experienced during “Taste of Summer”. The gardens of Lincoln Log Cabin will be in full bloom, and visitors will receive a guide booklet to help them explore the gardens at the Lincoln and Sargent Farms.  Costumed interpreters will be on hand to demonstrate gardening methods and food preparation.  Nineteenth-century pioneer gardens provided seasonal fare for immediate table use, as well as items that could be dried, pickled, or stored in root cellars for the coming winter.  Visitors may sample fresh sweet corn at the Lincoln Farm after touring the gardens.

July 10: Vintage Baseball. The Vermillion Voles and the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels will be facing off at the site. Sponsors include Lifetime Eye Care, Tony Sparks, and the James Grant Law Office in Charleston. More details to come.

August 14: Blue Grass Jam- 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. The 35th annual Bluegrass Jam Session will be held at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site on Sunday, August 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Bluegrass and traditional musicians from Illinois and Indiana will converge at the site for an afternoon of jamming.  While there will be no formal stage performances, informal groups of musicians will jam throughout the afternoon.  The musicians will play in the shaded area near the site’s main parking lot and visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to relax in the shade and enjoy the sounds of bluegrass music in the park.

August 27: 75th Anniversary Celebration. The Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation and the Volunteer Pioneers invite you to join us for the 75th anniversary celebration of Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site. Dedicated August 27, 1936 by Governor Henry Horner, Lincoln Log Cabin opened as a state park with over 7,000 people attending the dedication.  We plan to honor those that made the site a reality, the local and state leaders, and the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps, with an exhibit chronicling their story and a dedication program based on the 1936 program. 
Festivities will start at 1:00 with music, games out on the farms, the opening of the exhibit, and cake and ice cream. A formal re-dedication ceremony will take place at 3:30 pm.

September 10, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm ($75.00 registration fee includes lunch): Writing Workshop with Steve Berry. .Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series, featuring The Jefferson Key, The Emperor’s Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link and The Templar Legacy. He also has three stand-alone thrillers (The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy and The Amber Room) and two e-book original short stories (The Devil’s Gold and The Balkan Escape). Although Steve’s road to publishing was long and arduous, spanning 12 years and 85 rejections over five separate manuscripts, he now has 12 million books in print, which have been translated into 40 languages and sold in 51 countries. He’s also an accomplished instructor, having taught writing to audiences across the globe. Steve and his wife, Elizabeth, have started a foundation, History Matters, dedicated to aiding the preservation of our heritage. History Matters is partnering with the Lincoln-Sargent Farm foundation and all proceeds from this event benefit the Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation to support preservation efforts at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site. EIU's Doudna Fine Arts Center is co-sponsoring this event and will provide the venue for the workshop in the Lecture Hall and a 6:00 pm Reading and Book Signing in the Black Box Theatre. See the Doudna's Web site for details and to purchase tickets http://www.eiu.edu/doudna/.

October 1-2: Volunteer Pioneer Fall Festival- 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. Lincoln Log Cabin’s Volunteer Pioneers will sponsor the Third Annual Fall Festival on Saturday and Sunday the 1st and 2nd of October from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days, with vendors and concessions open from 11-2..  Anticipated period craftsmen and vendors are: Andy Anderson of Paris, Illinois, woodcarver; Greg Cash of Alton, Illinois, Bud’s Root beer; Charleston Spinning Guild of Charleston, Illinois;  Albert DeSherlia of Pocahontas, Illinois, wood worker; Tim DeSherlia of Pana, Illinois, wood worker; John Graves of Greenup, Illinois, potter; Carl and Trish Handel of Blue Mound, Illinois, basket weaving; Barbara Mattes of Greenville, Illinois, Schernschnitte;  Jim Mewes of Pochahontas, Illinois, leather working; Mark and Kim Myers of Greenville, Illinois, tatting; George Spallinger of Findley, Illinois, blacksmith and Dick Torgerson of Decatur, Illinois, antique sewing machines. Activities will include children’s games, doll making, hearth cooking and weaving along with perennial contest favorites, a three legged race, a cast iron skillet toss and the two-man saw contest.   Visitors are encouraged to take part in the period games and activities over the week-end. A 19th century church service will take place on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. Ham and beans, cornbread, ice tea and lemonade will be available both days at the concession area in the Harris Education Center.

Saturday, November 12, 10:00 am- 4:00 pm: Knitting socks for Civil War soldiers will be the focus of "As long as these feet can carry me forward," a unique living history event on Saturday, November 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site. The event is free and open to the public, and those interested in knitting their own Civil War era socks are welcome to take part. The women of the community will gather to knit socks for and to share news of brothers, husbands and sons recently mustered into the Union army. Before the Civil War, American women knitted on average between seven and ten pairs of socks a year but as millions of men marched off to war, the need for socks grew. When the men picked up muskets, pistols and swords, the wives, mothers and daughters left behind picked up their needles or 'pins' as they were called in the 19th century and began to knit. Join the ladies to hear the latest news from Mrs. Adams' son Benjamin Baker, who recently mustered into the 25th Illinois Infantry; see original 19th century socks from Lincoln Log Cabin's own collections; and learn to knit socks using an authentic Civil War era pattern. Those wishing to learn to knit socks should bring four size 5 double ended needles, and eight ounces of worsted weight yarn in one color for the sock and four ounces of worsted weight yarn in another color for the heel cuff and toe.

Saturday November 19, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm: Goosenest Prairie Barn Dance in the Harris Building. The traditional end of the harvest season will be celebrated 1840s style at the Goosenest Prairie Barn Dance to be held Saturday, November 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site near Charleston.  The event will be held inside the Harris Building and is free and open to the public.  The barn dance will include period dancing accompanied by the Goosenest Prairie Players.  Nineteenth century rural farmers worked hard throughout the harvest season to ensure that they would have enough to eat for the winter.  After completing this essential work, they would often celebrate with a neighborhood gathering or a barn dance.  Barn dances were one form of entertainment and were most often held outside with a roaring fire, although the November 19 event at Lincoln Log Cabin will be held inside so it can be enjoyed regardless of the weather.

Friday December 2, 5pm-8pm: Christmas Candlelight Tours
A Christmas holiday tradition that looks like it came straight off of a greeting card can be experienced during the Christmas Candlelight Tours scheduled for Friday, December 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site near Charleston, Illinois.  The event is free and open to the public.            Visitors are welcome to tour the Lincoln and Sargent Farms by candle lit paths to see how Christmas may have been observed by 19th century Americans.  At the Lincoln Cabin, the family will gather around the hearth and share the evening socializing, as was common with many farm families after the busy harvest season, all the while continuing to stay busy spinning wool, knitting, and performing other small tasks.
            Meanwhile, at the Sargent Farm, members of the family will celebrate the holiday with good food and simple decorations, with an emphasis on Christmas as a family holiday.  Christmas as we know it today was not widely celebrated on the Illinois prairie; the Sargent family will represent a growing trend in the 19th century of those who chose to observe the holiday as a family affair.  This was a break from some earlier traditions where Christmas was a raucous holiday which in many ways rivaled New Years celebrations of today.