Lucia Nights officially begins in Bishop Hill with the Lighting of the Park Christmas Tree at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 13th. 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 14th, 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 15th, 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.
