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2024 Lucia Nights in Historic Bishop Hill...
Historic Bishop Hill IL invites you to join our 2024 Lucia Nights (Festival of Lights) celebration on Friday December 13 and Saturday December 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. This Swedish tradition is based on a legend of Saint Lucia, Queen of Light. During a famine in Sweden, on the longest and darkest night of the year, Lucia appeared wearing a long white robe and encircling her head was a crown of candles. Legend has it that Lucia appeared on a ship laden with food. When the ship was unloaded, both it and Lucia vanished. Girls in Sweden today wake their families on December 13th carrying a tray of Lucia buns while dressed in a white robe and wearing a crown of candles.
On both nights, businesses and museums will have Lucia Girls to greet guests. Around the village, each building will have a single candle in each and every window, and sidewalks will also be illuminated by candles. Restaurants will be open both evenings. Special Christmas gifts will also be on sale at all the stores.
Lucia Nights officially begins in Bishop Hill with the Lighting of the Park Christmas Tree at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 13 (Printable Schedule). The public is invited to bring edible ornaments to hang on the tree. After the tree lighting, the fun continues in Bishop Hill with a wide variety of free Christmas activities. At the Steeple Building, Hammer and Pick
will be playing a variety of Christmas and folk music from 6 to 9 p.m. The Vasa National Archives will have a closing reception for their A Sampling of our Samling exhibit. Also at the Archives, storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis will share a medley of Swedish and Pioneer Christmas stories from 6 to 8 p.m. At the Prairie Arts Center, Deirdre and Fiona Light will be performing holiday music with their harp and accordion from 6 to 7 p.m. At the Creative Commons, the
Bishop Hill High Society Band will perform from 6 to 7 p.m., with Coffee Creek performing from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Galva High School Choir will be going from building-to-building singing Christmas carols. Finally, the Peoria Cooperative Academy Madrigal Singers will be singing at the Bishop Hill Methodist Church from 6:30 to 7 p.m.
On Saturday, December 14, Hammer and Pick will be performing at the Steeple Building starting at 6 p.m. Brian “Fox” Ellis will continue his storytelling at the Vasa Archives at 6 p.m. The Light girls will be playing again at the Prairie Arts Center. At the Bishop Hill Creative Commons, Coffee Creek will be performing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Peoria Cooperative Academy Madrigal Singers will once again 
be singing at the Bishop Hill Methodist Church from 6:30 to 7 p.m. The Cambridge High School Choir will be going from building-to-building singing Christmas carols. Finally, there will be an Old-Fashioned Barn Dance at the Colony School, starting at 7 p.m. The Sangamo Stemwinders will be performing. Dances will be taught and called by Gail Hintze. Beginners are welcome and no partner is necessary. All of these activities are free.
Both Friday and Saturday, the Bishop Hill Community United Methodist Church will host its annual Soup and Chili Supper, beginning at 4:00 p.m. A free-will donation is appreciated to cover the cost of the meal.
Please return to Bishop Hill on Sunday December 15 for a special free afternoon musical performance. At 
2 p.m. in the Bishop Hill Creative Commons, the Knox-Galesburg Symphony Brass Ensemble will perform a one-hour concert. This music performance is part of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony’s Community Series.
Lucia Nights is organized by the Bishop Hill Heritage Association. Activities are partly funded by the Bishop Hill Arts Council, Bishop Hill Old Settler’s Association, Community State Bank, Illinois Arts Council, Bill and Susan Sherrard Foundation, Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and SWEA- Chicago. Regional Media is our major media sponsor. For more details about Lucia Nights, view www.visitbishophill.com or call 309-927-3899.
Tom Aker's A Quad Cities Christmas Carol to Play In Galva...
Crossroads Cultural Connections, in partnership with Allenia Space and Crescent City Tap, is thrilled to present A Quad Cities Christmas Carol, an original play by local playwright, Tom Akers, that re-imagines Charles Dickens’ timeless holiday tale with a regional flair. This special performance will take place on Friday, December 20th, at Allenia Space (formerly The Swamp at Crescent City Tap), located at 330 Front St, Galva, IL.
The evening will begin with a festive holiday buffet from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, featuring seasonal favorites such as:
- Mulled wine glazed ham
- Turkey smothered in gravy
- Roasted red potatoes
- Roasted baby carrots
- Roasted green beans
- Deviled eggs
- Stuffed mushroom caps
- The Ghost of Christmas Present pound cake
- Plum pudding
Drinks will be available for purchase at Crescent City Tap.
The show will start promptly at 7:00 PM, with an intermission, and is expected to conclude by 9:00 PM.
The cost for this magical evening is:
- $25 for dinner and the show or
- $10 for the show only
Proceeds from the event benefit Crossroads Cultural Connections, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching Henry County and the surrounding area through live music, theater, and the arts.
Adding to the holiday spirit, musical entertainment for the evening will be provided by the talented and handsome Patrick Sloan.
Seating is limited and reservations are required to ensure an ample supply of food and comfortable arrangements. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Eventbrite. For more details or to reserve your spot, visit xroadscc.org/events.
Don’t miss this heartwarming local celebration of the holiday season—bring your family and friends to enjoy the joy and magic of A Quad Cities Christmas Carol.
Local Music Organization Chosen for Global Music Project...
Center for Music Ecosystems is delighted to announce the launch of the 2024 Music Policy Resilience Network. Due to the massive impact live music has had socially, culturally, and economically on Henry County, Illinois and the surrounding area, local non-profit organization Crossroads Cultural Connections was selected to participate as part of a cohort of 20 cities around the world which will benefit from bespoke research, masterclasses, international best practice examples, and knowledge exchange, focusing on the most important issues facing their areas and music ecosystems.
Center for Music Ecosystems’ mission is to demonstrate that music bolsters economies and improves livelihoods. The organization collaborates with leaders and policymakers to foster policies that lead to social and economic development at local, national, and global levels.
“Despite being a rural area, Henry County has become a destination for live music, and I think that is something we all should be proud of, but I also think we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible. Everyday world-class musicians from across the globe are asking to come here to perform. Guests from surrounding areas and beyond are traveling here to attend shows. My hope is that by participating in this project, we can not only solidify the work we have been doing, but also build something that will ensure live music is part of life in this area for well beyond our lifetimes,” says John Taylor, president of Crossroads Cultural Connections.
The Music Policy Resilience Network is a landmark transnational collaboration that aims to implement pro-music and culture policies that foster resilience in cities facing unique geographical, economic, or sociological challenges. It is generously supported by the Nordic Culture Fund and the Levitt Foundation.
The Music Policy Resilience Network is a result of 2022’s Defining Resilience in Remote Music Ecosystems and 2023 2024’s Music Policy Resilience Lab. It aims to further resilience in places that are, in some way, geographical outliers, facing various sociological, geographical, economic—or simply logistical—challenges to incorporating music and culture into strategic objectives, but united in their desire to advance their music ecosystems to their fullest potential.
2024 CITIES: Arundel (Norway), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Cuenca (Ecuador), Cumberland (Maryland, USA), Darwin (NT, Australia), Dera Ismail Khan (Pakistan), Ede (Nigeria), Folkestone (UK), Gallup (New Mexico, USA), Galva (Illinois, USA), Gander (Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada), Homer (Alaska, USA), Lerwick, Shetland (UK), Mariehamn (Åland Islands, Finland), Nuuk (Greenland), South Tarawa (Republic of Kiribati), St. Johnsbury (Vermont, USA), Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Umeå (Sweden), Whitehorse (Yukon Territory, Canada), Whitesburg (Kentucky, USA)
Songwriter Shines Spotlight on Neglected Historic State-Owned Buildings with Heartfelt Anthem...
When singer-songwriter Dan Holmes heard the historic state-owned properties in his hometown of Bishop Hill, Illinois had fallen into disrepair he knew he needed to do something. "So, like I usually do when moved, I wrote," said Holmes. The finished product ended up being a song, titled "Hometown", which is partly a history lesson of the colony and partly an autobiographical account of a childhood spent in Bishop Hill and insight gained through a life of travel. Holmes, very gently, makes a nod to the long neglected historical landmarks owned by the state, in hopes that "it might help the cause". The Bishop Hill Colony Church was recently added to Landmarks Illinois' Most Endangered Historic Places List.
Holmes began playing guitar at age 10, learning by listening to James Taylor, Paul Simon, Jim Croce and John Denver records. His music career later began to grow while attending Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. For a time, Holmes moved to the east coast and experienced some success there, once opening for Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger. When his father was diagnosed with cancer he moved home and put music on hold for a time, while he began a career in education. Years later, Holmes began performing again, including four tours of Europe, performing at the Illinois State Fair and the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk To Cure Breast Cancer, and writing music for the Appalachia Service Project.
Dan calls himself an "old school singer/songwriter" who loves creating music about the presence of God in our world. He lives in Belvidere, Illinois with his wife.
"A recording of Hometown" can be heard at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngk0muiXq80
Those interested in helping the cause are encouraged to voice their concerns to Governor Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and their state legislators.
Blue Star Home Program Announced...
Applications are begin accepted for those that wish to participate in the Blue Star Home Program ("the Program").
Upon completion of an extensive background check, a Blue Star home will be given the opportunity to display a blue star on on their homes indicating that they have chosen to assist any young person that feels threatened in any manner, whether that threat is bullying, suspicious activity or imminent bodily harm.
Any juvenile that is uncomfortable with conditions outside a Blue Star Home may seek refuge from those conditions by ringing the door bell, pounding on the front door or yelling for help.
Blue Star Home participants are limited to assessing the situation, calling the child's parent or guardian absent an immediate threat, reporting all such incidents to the Galva Police immediately after contacting the child's parent or guardian, or in the case of a threatening situation immediately dialing 911.
Further, Blue Star Home participants agree that they will NOT take the law into their own hands, and that they will always have the best interests of the child in mind when offering assistance.
The Galva Police Department reserves the right to reject any application for the Blue Star Home Program for any reason or for no reason at all.
If you would like to participate in the Program, download the Application, fill it out in its entirety, and return it to City Hall. If your application is approved, you will receive a call from the Galva Police Department indicating acceptance into the Program and will be allowed to pick up your Blue Star from City Hall.
Letters from Galva...
Galvan Ryan Olson Featured In Airman Magazine...
When Ryan was a senior at the Air Force Academy, Airman Magazine wanted to do a video on the space program at the Academy. Ryan was the number one cadet in the Astronautical Engineering department and was chosen to do this video.
The Galva Giant Makes It To YouTube...
OSF Announces The Care-A-Van Mobile Health Care Unit...
Gary Metiever Produces Galva Levitt Amp Video...
Eagle Enterprises Publishes New Recycling Standards...
View or Print the Recyclables List
Sons of the American Legion...
The Galva American Legion Post #45 has received their charter for a new Sons of the American Legions Squadron.
The Legion is looking for new members to get the squadron rolling.
If you have a parent, grandparent or great grandparent or step parent or step grandparent that was in the military, you are eligible to join.
If interested, please contact Wayne Glisan at (309) 335 - 2931, Lloyd Anderson at (309) 853 - 7347 or Earl Stuckey at (309) 853 - 7917
