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Old Capitol Art Fair

Last weekend was the Old Capitol Art Fair in Springfield Illinois! This free central Illinois event brings art-lovers and artists together at the Illinois Old State Capitol building. The fair featured amenities such as a Children’s Tent, food court and live music.

The art fair, founded in 1961, marked it’s 65^th year on May 16 and 17. The goal of the art fair was to bring Illinois and neighboring states’ artists together, educate the public, create a cultural event for and a civic art collection for the city of Springfield. According to the Old Capitol Art Fair website, the event is one of the most popular juried art fairs in the country. A juried art fair is one where art is selected by a panel of judges in a competition. The art fair’s awards go to best in show, different categories of art, merit and Children’s Tent awards. Each year the event brings more than 30,000 shoppers and viewers interested in all different forms of art. Original works run the gamut from jewelry and watercolors to woodworking, pottery and more. 

The Old State Capitol hosted the Illinois General Assembly from 1840 to 1876 and is currently in the midst of a comprehensive restoration effort.

You can find more upcoming events and information about the Old State Capitol here.

College ultimate frisbee championships coming to Illinois

Thousands of college athletes from across the country will be headed to Rockford, Illinois to play in the Division-I USA Ultimate College Championships from Friday, May 22 to Monday, May 25.

In the tournament, 40 teams (20 each in the men’s and women’s divisions), will compete to win the college national championship of Ultimate Frisbee.

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Did you know? Pullman Strikes led to Labor Day!

On May 11, 1894, the Pullman Strike began near Chicago, Illinois, later leading to the creation of Labor Day.

During an economic recession, George Pullman laid-off hundreds of employees and cut wages for the remaining workers at the Pullman Sleeping Car Company, a railroad car manufacturer with a company town near Chicago.

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Six Illinois schools make list of ‘World’s Top Universities’

A recent report from Time Magazine lists the University of Chicago among the world's top universities, ranking above Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, with five other Illinois schools also appearing on the global list.

The University of Chicago came in at No. 5, followed by Northwestern University at No. 85, University of Illinois Chicago at No. 151, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at No. 235, Illinois Institute of Technology at No. 266, and Southern Illinois University at No. 338.

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