Your Weekend Top 5
Rochelle Regatta - ROCHELLE – Nothing says freedom like the roar of power boats ... well, maybe not, but it sure sounds like fun!
The races on Lake Sule are guaranteed to provide excitement for the entire family. There will be hovercraft rides and food, and the drivers’ pits will be open to the public for autographs.
The event is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call 815-562-7031 or visit www.rochelletourism.com on the Web.
Thinkin’ about Lincoln - MOUNT MORRIS – This Independence Day weekend is all about Honest Abe.
The Battery G Civil War encampment will run from Friday evening through Sunday.
The “Let Freedom Ring” Patriotic Program is at noon Saturday on the village campus, one block south of the state Route 64 and Wesley Avenue. Speaker Doug Wean will talk about Lincoln’s roots in Ogle County.
The Lincoln-Douglas Reunion Tour will re-enact the great debate at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the band shell.
Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair. To learn more, call Sally Gray at 815-734-4997.
This weekend at the Petunia Festival - The 2009 Dixon Petunia Festival is in full swing, and this weekend is chock-full of family-oriented fun. Admission tickets for the 2009 Dixon Petunia Festival at Page Park are $5. Tickets may be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce, online at www.petuniafestival.org, or at any of the gate entrances. For more information, visit the Web site.
Today
Ice Cream Social and Municipal Band Concert
- 5 p.m., Lee County Courthouse lawn.
- The Dixon Municipal Band will perform from 7 to 8 p.m.
- Admission is free.
Firemen’s Water Fight
- 6-10 p.m., Lincoln Statue Drive between Peoria and Galena avenues.
- Admission is free.
Saturday
Reagan 5/K Run/Walk
- 6:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. registration, Ronald Reagan Home, 816 S. Hennepin Ave.
- Kids’ free Fun Run at 7:30 a.m., with 5K race starting at 8 a.m. For more information, call 815-288-3211.
Guitar Hero
- Registration is at 11 a.m. at Park Stage, with competition starting at noon.
- Cost is $5.
Rib Fest
- Noon to 4 p.m. at Garden Stage.
- Cooking starts at noon, with judging at 4 p.m. For registration information, contact the Dixon Chamber of Commerce, 101 W. Second St., Suite 301, or call 815-284-3361.
Sunday
45th annual Petunia Festival Parade
- 1 p.m., starting at Seventh Street and Peoria Avenue and ending at the Dixon High School parking lot.
- Judging will be at Haymarket Square.
Gospel Concert
- 6 p.m. at John Dixon Park, sponsored by Sauk Valley Alive.
- Admission is free.
Rock River Jazz Band
- 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the River Stage.
- Admission is free.
Rockets’ Red Glare - Independence Day fireworks displays in the Sauk Valley will take place at dusk at the following locations:
Sterling and Rock Falls: Tonight at Westwood Sports Center, 1900 Westwood Drive, Sterling.
Mount Carroll: Saturday at the junior high school football field, South East Street.
Mount Morris: Saturday behind Mount Morris Junior High School, 105 W. Brayton Road.
Prophetstown: Saturday at Prophetstown State Park.
Dixon: Sunday near the Peoria Avenue Bridge.
Rochelle: Sunday at Atwood Park, at the corner of 20th Street and 10th Avenue.
Savanna: Sunday at West Carroll High School, 500 Cragmoor Ave.
Walnut: Sunday at the Walnut park, 403 Sunset Ave.
Living history - FRANKLIN GROVE – The 8th Annual Independence Day Celebration at historic Chaplin Creek Village features re-enactors who will read and sign the Declaration of Independence.
The free event starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The historic buildings will be open, and refreshments will be served following the ceremony.
To lean more, call 815-990-5090 or visit www.chaplincreek.com on the Web.