The Kankakee County Museum, at Small Memorial Park, 801 S. Eighth Avenue, will host its 33rd annual Rhubarb Festival on Sunday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s festivities include a wide variety of vendors, dime toss, kid’s zone, classic and old car display, pie-eating contest, live entertainment, and tours of the Taylor One-Room Schoolhouse and historic Dr. Small home.
Debuting at the Rhubarb Festival will be an exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversary of the museum home at Governor Small Memorial Park, as well as the annual Kankakee Art League Show, local hero display, and a vintage purse display (on loan from the Vintage Purse Museum).
Rhubarb and strawberry-rhubarb whole pies and slices (provided by the Bennett-Curtis House) will be available for purchase as part of the museum’s fundraising efforts. Whole pies also may be pre-ordered online through the Kankakee County Museum’s website through May 14.
The museum still is accepting classic car display participants and contestants for the pie eating contest. Early registration is recommended for both. Sign up online, call at 815-932-5279, or visit https://www.kankakeecountymuseum.com.
Scheduled Events/Entertainment Lineup
Let Freedom Ring Garden in the Circle Drive: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Classic and Old Car Display; 10:30 a.m. – Remembrance Table Ceremony, presented by Rolling Thunder Illinois Chapter 1; Dedicated to POW/MIA military veterans and an introduction to this year’s local hero display addition to the war exhibit.
Civic Auditorium Patio: 11 a.m. – Pie eating contest starts, with registration until 10:45 a.m.; noon to 1 p.m. – Shelby Ryan; 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Vince Amore; and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. – Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra.
Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for comfort.
New this year, Oasis Medical Services will provide a shuttle service to help with parking. Oasis will have two vehicles available (one with handicap accessibility) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To take advantage of this service, patrons should park at or near Taft Elementary School, 1155 W. Hawkins Street.
Why do we celebrate rhubarb? Before becoming governor, Lennington Small grew up in what is now referred to as the Dr. Small Memorial Home. Dr. Abram Small, the former Illinois Governor’s father, believed the plant held medicinal uses. From the early to mid-1900s much of the home’s surrounding land was covered with the plant.
This event is generously sponsored by Riverside Healthcare, Xfinity, State Rep. Jackie Haas, and CSL Behring.