Week-End Extraordinaire – Well Folks, here is a mid-summer collection of events that gives everyone the opportunity to shop, spectate, participate, and ruminate in a non-stop fashion. Fairbury’s Specialty Shops and Businesses, Organizations, Institutions, and Facilities are teaming up on the week-end of July 24th & 25th and, combined, they have a Marathon of things that you can do that starts in the morning and goes well into the night. Are you ready? Here you go —-
Let’s start with a preliminary warm-up –
The Friends of the Dominy Library are having their annual Summer Book Sale and it starts on Thursday, July 23rd. It’s not a “lost art” People, reading is still a very solid and real way to learn and to be entertained and this very efficient and modern institution has a tremendous selection of books that you can choose from with prices that everyone can afford. Mysteries, romance, classics, religious, biographies, current fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, cookbooks, self-help, and children’s books dominate this literary paradise which has them all, and a lot more. It’s a great opportunity to feed your mind with the entertainment and knowledge that expands the thinking horizons and, gives you something to do that never grows old. Every year the Friends of Dominy Library collects and categorizes an endless supply of these gently used books, magazines, audiobooks, and DVD’s and then organizes all of it into an affordable availability to us so, come on up and get your chance to transport your mental awareness into places its never gone – it’s still a great “pass time”. And, with this sale, you can buy one and get one free on select paperback groups.
The Library is located at 501 South 3rd Street and, if you’ve got questions you can give them a call at 815-692-3231 or, just stop in – they’ll be glad to assist you. This years Summer Book Sale will be up and running on Thursday, the 23rd, from 9am to 6pm, Friday, the 24th, from 9am to 5pm, and Saturday, the 25th, from 9am to 12noon – so go find your super hero or answer that question you had about gardening, it’s all there and its yours if you go get it.
Now, we take you into the excitement of bargain and collectible hunting that only an All-Town Garage Sale can bring to life – everyone has “stuff” they’re not needing anymore and those that decide to do something about it get on board with the GFWC II Fairbury Women’s Club. These Ladies have been doing this for a long time and they know how to organize it and advertise it, so that both the seller and the buyer have maximum exposure. This two day event happens on Friday, July 24th and Saturday, July 25th and the gates go up at approximately 9:00am both mornings. You garage sale veterans know the routine and, for you newbies, this is a “hunt” for everything and anything you can think of – things you need, things you want, things that you don’t even know about until you see them and, the real challenge is to find them before someone else does.
For you potential sellers – you need to get in touch with Carol (the Women’s Club spark plug that makes it happen) and get yourself registered so you can get on “The Map” which will get you on your way to finding new owners for those things that you don’t need anymore and are cluttering the way for “more things”. Carol’s number is 815-692-2910 and she can walk you through the process. You can list ten items for $10 and, if you need more than ten listed it’s $1 for each item over ten. You need to do this by Sunday, July 19th because after that, the listing and the maps go to press. If you’ve been fretting over making room in your personal inventory its time to do something about it and here is a golden opportunity to get into the mainstream of what has become a huge and successful function that draws them in from all over the area.
For those of you who know, or want to know, the value of this special way of recycling you can get yourself acclimated for what to expect by picking up a map and the individual listings at any one of the following Fairbury businesses: Dave’s Supermarket at 120 South 3rd Street, Hearts Desire Antiques & Accents at 805 East Oak Street, Doc’s Drugs at 902 East Oak Street, Casey’s General Store at 109 East Oak Street, Dairy Queen at 411 West Oak Street, Once ‘n Again at 118 West Locust Street, Indian Creek Reality at 204 West Locust Street, or at the entrances to the Fairbury Fair Grounds going into the Race Track where the campers for the Prairie Dirt Classic racing program will be entering at. You can also go on line at www.cityoffairbury.com. The hunts’ on for all you hunters so, go bag your limit!
As you make your way around to the Library and the Garage Sales you will also find a whole host of Special Interest Specialty Shops and Businesses that Fairbury has become renown for. This tireless group of intriguing idea generators have gained a reputation for providing their customers with goods and services that are both inside and outside “the box” and user friendly. They are ingenious at making big week-ends even bigger and better and this one is no exception. Innovating with the theme “Race to Fairbury” (its the Prairie Dirt Classic week-end) these Folks always come up with in-house arrangements and specials that are designed to give their visitors comfort and savings along with fun in a very friendly atmosphere. These unique and robust goods and services businesses extend from just east of Fairbury to just west of Fairbury on Route 24 with a whole lot of locations in between. 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 and its proven to be way easier 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 (looking or buying) can be fun. From antiques to groceries, cut flowers to plant em’ plants, special interest items to clothes, furniture to floor coverings, farm products to country fare, sandwich shops to sit down dining, and, that’s just the tip of the iceberg cause there is so much more. In most of the businesses and public access places in Fairbury, as well as the surrounding towns, you’ll find brochures and post cards that will show you who they are, where they are, their hours of operation, and a number to call. They’re all easy to get to and to get in and out of so stop in, check them out, and you’ll see why so many people keep coming back – its a collective work in progress so make it work for you.
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 racing 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, the 24th, there is 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 qualifying. 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. The PDC is 100 laps (yes, 100) of frenzied racing that brings it all down to the car and driver who can outlast and outdo all the rest and it caps off a great two day event. The Fair Grounds’ camp grounds are open for those of you who want to bring your RV’s or campers so check out how to reserve yourself a spot. There is plenty of parking, plenty of seating, and plenty of food and drink and, its all happening at the American Legion Speedway at the Fairbury Fairgrounds which has entrances at the end of south Third Street and over on south First Street. 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!
So, Fans, Shoppers, Lookers, and Doers – there it all is for a great and super charged week-end that will bring you to your knees. Get your lists made out, put your trip schedule together, get in shape and come do it – probably can’t do it all but, there’s nothing wrong with trying – it’ll be there waiting for you!