Heritage Days in Unforgettable Forgottonia
“The appeal of coming to Macomb is the small town peaceful vibe, a stark contrast to the bustle of Chicago. The Heritage Days festival ramps that up by bringing the whole community out. Come and have a “Heritage Days” experience by eating at the local restaurants, catching a live show at a pub, walking the town square, and shopping at local shops. As a bonus the area boasts history from our greatest president and adventure at scenic outdoor areas.”
The drive to Unforgettable Forgottonia from Chicago is a comfortable and nostalgic one for me. I hadn’t been back since attending Western Illinois University years ago; in the years since I’ve adventured through nearly all 50 states and over 43 countries around the globe.
Macomb and Western Illinois dubbed themselves “Forgottonia” after a satirical political movement in the 1970s. Sixteen counties situated around Macomb banded together and lightheartedly threatened to secede from the State and then surrender in hopes of getting more State funding. This movement resulted in improved roads, bridges, and a train line making the area more connected to the rest of the state. That friendly and funny spirit lives on in today’s Unforgettable Forgottonia.
Reverse sunset on the first night in Macomb
Day 1 - Live music and local eats
A great place to start your Friday night in Macomb is by heading straight to the beer tents at Heritage Days in Chandler Park. Parking was easy to find as street parking is free on the open streets near the festival and free public parking noted on signs in small parking lots adjacent to the square.
Heritage Days features live music, local crafts, amusement rides, local food vendors, and a parade on Saturday morning. Live music revved up starting at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and ending at 10:30 p.m. with Heartsfield, southern rockers who have sold over a million albums.
Take a break from the fest and the beer tent and head over to Sports Corner @124. They serve a delicious Reuben with cold craft beer in an air-conditioned environment.
Day 2 - Looking for Lincoln and Heritage Sunsets
Breakfast was served at Cathy’s Cafe on the square. This location served as a good strategic jumping off spot as the Bob Anstine Memorial Parade was about to commence.
Get a seat on the sidewalk on the east side of the square as the buildings protect you from the sun and you get the town square as a backdrop.
The Looking for Lincoln tour will take you all over Downtown Macomb!
The parade was classic small town America in the best kind of way; John Deere vehicles or someone’s pickup pulling trailers from a Macomb High School graduating class or people representing a locally elected official. The Western Illinois football team made an appearance as well.
After the parade, search for Forgottonia’s most famous visitor, Abraham Lincoln. Download the eAtlas self-guided tour experience and check out the ten Looking for Lincoln sites in the Macomb area. Most are bunched around the town square near the festival, so one can conveniently learn history while enjoying a frozen lemonade. Take a selfie with the Lincoln Topiary, visit the beautiful McDonough County Courthouse, and see the Randolph Hotel where Lincoln stayed.
After finding Lincoln, return to Heritage Days and get a tenderloin sandwich from Hillbilly Haven. Then, head on over for some craft beer at Forgottonia Brewery and have a Pink Boots IPA or a Where the Helles Forgottonia shandy.
The Real Pretenders started off the live music Saturday night playing covers as a beautiful sunset unfolded over the stage. A small town feel good moment took place when the lead singer announced, “Is there a Holly in the house? Holly, Mike has found your purse. Please come up stage to retrieve your purse.” Holly came up to stage left to meet Mike and reunite with her purse. You don’t see that everyday. Close out your evening with pizza from Gelsosomo’s Pizza.
Day 3 - Hiking and birding outside Macomb
Fuel up with breakfast from the Hometown Cafe and grab a coffee to go from Bold Brew House. Before you leave town, visit Argyle Lake State Park for some adventure. Or if you prefer golf, Macomb has several golf courses including the Harry Mussatto course.
First, make a stop at Oakwood Cemetery for one last Lincoln look. Owner of the Randolph Hotel, William Randolph, was murdered in 1864 carrying out a controversial draft law imposed by President Lincoln. His tomb can be found here as well as 300 Civil War soldiers.
At Argyle Lake, check out the Shanty Shack restaurant that also features a bait shop and canoe and kayak rentals. One can also bring a bike and ride the road around the lake or mountain bike the over five miles of trails through the woods. The amount of trees and the lushness of the forest here was quite surprising.
Pro tip: Drive past the Shanty Shack Restaurant, and the road follows the lake for a quarter of a mile and then winds around up a hill where there is a beautiful overlook.
Keep your eyes open for birds and animals. A red-headed woodpecker was spotted near the entrance as well as several species of flycatchers including the great crested flycatcher. Look for herons and bald eagles near the water’s edge. While driving the road through the woods a deer and a family of raccoons were seen crossing the road.
Tallgrass Prairie welcomes visitors to Lakeview Nature Center. A labyrinth is mowed into the grass, which is really cool to see from above, so this would be a great place to fly a drone.
If you need a little more Unforgettable Forgottonia on your way home, check out the tiny Macomb Airport. It is no O’Hare or Midway as it is just a couple of buildings in the middle of a cornfield. Also, Kipling Lavendar on the Mound is an interesting spot. A converted chicken farm is now a lavender essential oil distillation facility and listed among the historic barns of Illinois.
“I was really surprised at the amount of great photography opportunities found in Forgottonia. The town square at sunset, the overlook at Argyle Lake, and the clouds over the horizon on the desolate highways. The friendliness of the people was also unforgettable as I received many “howdies” while walking the streets of Macomb.”