Wanna know what’s going on around Fairbury and the surrounding area in the good ol’ month of July? Well here you go folks – got a listing of events and specials that gives everyone an incentive to get up, get out, and see, buy, do, and enjoy. Fresh from the minds of the people who are proficient at making life interesting for the public, we give you, this area’s Summer Extravaganza:
Saturday, July 4th – Independence Day and the city of Chenoa does it up in style. It starts Friday evening up on Main Street with a Street Dance, graduates to an annual traditional well worth seeing 4th of July Parade that steps off at 2:00 Saturday afternoon, and brings it all to the finish line with a spectacular fireworks show that begins Saturday night at dusk at the football field. This annual celebration of America’s Birthday has an air and ground program that is choreographed to deliver the thrills and excitement that only a well orchestrated fireworks program can and Chenoa’s well experienced team of patriotic volunteers has it down to a science – its loud, its beautiful, and its the place to be for one of this area’s finest Independence Day light and sound shows that harnesses gun powder in a delightful way!
Monday, July 6th – here you go Ladies, are you a member at Fairbury’s Sunshine Fitness Center? Well, if you are then this is the first Monday of the month and that means that their visiting professional masseuse will be on hand to deliver those fantastic massages. This program has been ongoing and well received by the membership because you can get a fifteen minute massage for just $15 – go in and do your workout and then relax while the Pro works the kinks out or, just go up and enjoy the relaxing efforts of someone who knows how to get you loosened up. Not a member? Well, stop in, see what they’ve got at this Fitness Center for Women only and just maybe you’ll want to be a member – you can sign up for one month at a time and learn how to expend sweat in a helpful way. Sunshine Fitness is located at 127 West Locust Street (Fairbury’s Main Street) and their phone number is 815-692- 4086. Check it out and if its a fit for you than that first Monday of each month can be your escape into the bliss of a professional body massage – you might be surprised at how good getting (or staying) in shape can feel.
Tuesday, July 7th – Doc’s Cares – Julie Patten, head pharmacist at Doc’s Pharmacy in Fairbury, is giving another of her excellent informative mini seminars on health issues of interest. July’s topic will be “Sun Care” and Julie will walk us through the do’s and don’ts of being out in the summer sun. Obviously, at this time of the year, that becomes a serious concern for those of us who spend working or recreational time out in the ultra violet exposure and we need to take the appropriate precautions to prevent those damaging and threatening things that can happen to the unprotected. Julie’s presentations start at 2:00pm and last for about a half hour so bring your ears, your mind, and your questions and let her educate you on how to care for you and yours in defending against the very real threat of UV damage. Doc’s is located on the far east edge of Fairbury, right off Route 24, and they are a full service pharmacy and family store – you can give them a call at 815-692-2132 or, just stop out. There’s plenty of comfortable parking and they’ve got a friendly experienced staff to help you with your needs. Kudos Julie and, thanks for your efforts.
Wednesday, July 15th – its the China Kitchen, its great oriental buffet style food (or, special order for take-out), and it’s the day for the creative mind of owner Ziu-Ying Zheng (aka Wilson) to come up with another of his special Mystery Buffet items. He’s been doing this for some time now and all of these appealing dishes have added an additional selection to a Chinese buffet that is already packed with a variety of delicious entrees that keep people coming back time and time again. The China Kitchen is located at 108 West Locust Street (Main Street) in Fairbury and you can call them for take-out orders or questions at 815-692-3976 – they’ve got it all from salads to main line dinner plate busters to deserts and its fresh, well presented and, oh so good! Don’t miss out on the “mystery item” on the 15th – Wilson has a reputation of palate pleasers going and we’re sure this one will be an added accolade to that list.
Saturday, July 18th – the Slagel Family Farm is now officially into their monthly Dinner and Farm Tour sessions and this July event offers participants the culinary arts of Chef Matt Troost of the Three Aces Restaurant and Chef Mike Galen from the Bedford & Carriage House Restaurant which are a couple of Chicago Land’s finest. These dinner tours out on their Fairbury farmstead have proven to be quite a hit with both the locals and folks from the big city who have an interest in seeing where their dinner table ingredients come from. The Slagel Family is in their sixth generation of a family run producing and processing operation that provides meat products to a whole host of Chicago area restaurants and they are very good at how they raise and care for their livestock using all natural foods and processes to make it some of the best in the industry. Get yourself a spot in one of these dinner events, enjoy an organized tour of the farm’s facilities, walk with the animals, see how its done and then enjoy a professionally prepared four course family style dinner – its a great way to see and appreciate how the process happens in the hands of experience and success. Water and lemonade are provided with the meal but feel free to BYOB if you’d like something different. The Farm is located at 23601 East 600 North Road, you can call them at 815-848-9385 or, you can visit the Slagel Family Farm of Fairbury web site – getting tickets is easy, getting there is easy, so what are you waiting for? Go enjoy an afternoon and evening on “the farm”!
Friday & Saturday, July 24th & 25th – Ok Race Fans, here is one of the season’s “biggies” – The Prairie Dirt Classic! This is a two day extravaganza of stock car racing with a big purse appeal that draws them in from everywhere on the circuit and it puts the clouds of dust and the noise of roaring engines into a non-stop trip filled with thrills and spills and all the excitement that a quarter mile dirt track can bring in its version of “rush hour”. On Friday we’ve got the “World of Outlaws” late model series (#FALS Draw) and a $5000 top prize for the Late Model Prairie Dirt Classic Showdown. The first nights program includes qualifying heats for the PDC and the Showdown Feature along with the Summit UMP Modified Nationals Championship week-end. Saturday night brings you a full card of special racing with the 6th annual Prairie Dirt Shoot-out/Non-Qualifiers Feature, the Summit UMP Modified Nationals Championship Final, and a $26,000 purse is on the line for the Prairie Dirt Classic itself – 100 laps of frenzied racing that will cap off a great two day event. The camp grounds are open on the fair grounds so check out how to get your RV a spot and there is plenty of parking, plenty of seating, plenty of food and drink, and its all happening at the American Legion Speedway at the Fairbury Fair Grounds. Go on, go see how much adrenaline you can come up with and get in on some of the best racing excitement this side of Indianapolis!
Friday & Saturday, July 24th & 25th – right in line with the above we have that tireless group of Fairbury’s Specialty Shops and Businesses that use their ingenuity to make big week-ends even bigger and better. Innovating with the theme “Race to Fairbury” these Folks always come up with in-house arrangements and specials that are designed to give their customers comfort and savings along with fun in a user friendly atmosphere. These unique and robust goods and services businesses extend from just east of Fairbury to just west of Fairbury and they offer a great variety of shopping, both in special and standard categories, that can finish off just about anyone’s list of needs and wants. There’s plenty of dining opportunities along the way and everything is easy to get in and out of – it’s way better than driving a long ways just to get hassled in the crowds of “big city” shopping. This group is well populated and they’ve got it all right there at your fingertips so take a trip through the circuit and see how shopping, just looking or buying, can be fun. From antiques to groceries, cut flowers to plant em’ plants, special interest items to clothes for all, furniture to floor coverings, farm products to country fare, and plenty of places that will cook the food for you or fix you a cool ice cream treat and that is just the tip of the iceberg cause there is a whole lot more. Check out the post cards and brochures that are in all the public places and you can see who they are, where they are, a number to call if you want, and their very accommodating hours of operation. Its a collective work in progress so make it work for you.
Friday & Saturday, July 24th & 25th – yes, we’re still going on this doozy of a week-end. The Fairbury Women’s Club (GFWC) will be sponsoring the second chapter of their 2015 All Town Garage Sale schedule. These Ladies have been at this for a lot of years and they certainly have it down to a science. Take a look around your garage, your basement, your attic, or anywhere that the infamous “stuff” piles up at, and ask yourself, “should I get in on this opportunity to catch the traffic that this event draws and maybe get rid of some of these things we don’t need anymore?” Well here’s a good way to do it – get a hold of Carol Ely (815-692-2910) and get yourself registered and that will get you on their map that they put in all the town’s hot spots along with a “kit” for your sale – the GWFC also advertises the event in all the local public and social media. And, if you’re buying instead of selling (these organized events attract a huge crowd from in town and out of town) then get yourself one of those town maps that show the locations of all sales addresses – the Women’s Club makes it real easy to organize your search for “treasure” or, just to find a really good buy. It’s the excitement of the search, it’s the fun of bargain hunting, and its the challenge of finding it before someone else does – go make it happen for yourself no matter which side of the cashiers table you’re on because it works for everyone! The location maps will be available at local businesses a week or so before the week-end kicks off.
How’s that for a Super Week-End Fairbury – do it all and you’ll see why Sunday is a designated day of rest, phew!
Thursday, July 30th – Dairy Queen’s “Miracle Treat Day” – this nation-wide chain is sponsoring a special day to provide contributions to the Children’s Hospital Network and, on this Thursday, every blizzard that their customers buy will have a portion of the purchase price designated for local hospitals and their child care programs. Our Fairbury store will be sending their collected contributions to the St. Francis Hospital so, if you’re a blizzard fan this would be a worthwhile day to go treat yourself to one of those delightful concoctions and know that your enjoyment is assisting in the ongoing care that the miracle network supports and enhances for kids who need professional care. What a great way to contribute to a worthy cause and Dairy Queen is making it easy for you to do just that with a voluntary effort on their part that will make life better for kids in need. Help them out – this would certainly be a blizzard(s) that can be enjoyed and appreciated in more ways than one.
