Welcome... To PetersburgIL.com!
PetersburgIL.com is the original web site to be focused on the historic Central-Illinois city of Petersburg, which is the county seat of Menard County, IL. Our web site has served Petersburg and the Menard County Illinois area since 1997.
Petersburg blends the old and the new into a place that is a great place to visit and a great place to call home. Petersburg and all of the other Menard County towns are close enough to Springfield Illinois to enjoy the resources of the city, yet far enough away to retain the small-town charm that draws tourists and new residents alike to our area.
Current Local Events & Activities:
New Boutique Shop on the Square- The Small Town Charm Boutiques shop opened April 2nd on the west side of the Petersburg Square in the former "Peddlers" building. Owners Mia Sullivan, Kristal Berck, and Jennifer Phillips teamed with a number of independent vendors to provide a fresh shopping experience for antique bargain hunters; Kristal and Jennifer will also operate the Angel Wing Art gallery within the Small Town Charm Boutiques location at 113 S 7th Street. Other shops are in various stages of opening for the 2012 Season, and we will have a further report on new business developments on the Square as they unfold.
Vintage Ag Association Expands - The Vintage Agriculture Association is breaking ground for their new building, which has been designed to effectively display their farm machinery collections. The building will be located along IL 97 just north of Petersburg. Not only will this be a building for meetings and association activities, but it will include static displays in the museum section, and will provide a venue for a wide variety of farm equipment demonstrations during special community events. Learn more at www.VintageAg.com
Menard Archers Offer Public 3D Archery Events - The Menard Archers Archery Club will hold their next 2012 Season outdoor archery 3D event on Sunday, April 29th. This is the third of eight 3D archery events open to the public this year. The club has thirty 3D targets set up depicting realistic archery hunting scenarios at their range, which is located next to the west edge of New Salem State Park along State Park Drive. Club membership primarily is drawn from Menard and Sangamon Counties, but archers from all over the state of Illinois come to participate in their public 3D shoots. The Menard Archers are also currently holding their annual membership drive; the club currently meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 pm in Gillmore's Restaurant. For more information, check out the club web site at www.menardarchers.com.
Annual Petersburg and Menard County Events:
Harvest Fest - The Annual Petersburg Harvest Fest is held annually during mid-September. A wide variety of events and activities are featured each year in the Annual Harvest Fest, including a large community parade!
The 2011 Harvest Fest began on Friday afternoon on the Petersburg Square with the scarecrow entries, and many more additional events were available on Saturday, September 16th. A pancake and sausage breakfast was held at the Petersburg Firehouse starting at 7 am, and both the the Harvest Fest 5K "Run & Walk" plus the food and craft displays (located on the courthouse grounds) began at 8 am. The Harvest Fest Parade began at 10 am starting from PORTA High School, and ended on the southwest corner of the Petersburg Square. A community group photo was taken immediately after the parade on the west side of the courthouse, and everyone was invited to join in the photo event.
The Menard County Rescue Squad hosted a pork chop sandwich lunch at their headquarters starting at 11 am, and a wide variety of food was continuously available for a number of food vendors on the square. Additional activities throughout the day included a Child Identification Program and Flag Display at the Senior Center, the annual ping pong drop, Cub Scout Soapbox Derby. A variety of entertainment and special interest activities were also offered throughout the day. The Menard County Historical Museum was open from 11 am - 2 pm, and the Edgar Lee Masters home was open from noon until 4 pm. Both the VFW tent and the Chamber of Commerce Tent featured live music: the VFW tent featured Whirled Peas from 1-3 pm, and Prairie Rose from 4-7 pm. The band Kung Fu Dynamite played at the Chamber of Commerce tent from 7-10 pm.
Full details and Harvest Fest event listings are available from the Petersburg Observer newspaper!
View The 2010 Harvest Fest Photo Slide Show - 120+ photos taken around the square and during the parade! Photos of this year's event will be published in the near future - check back soon!
Menard County Fair - The 156th Annual Menard County Fair ran from Tuesday July 19th, 2011 through July 24th at the Menard County fairgrounds. The Menard County Fair Queen pageant was held on the first day of the Fair. Be sure to make plans for attending the 2012 Menard County Fair!
2011 Menard County Fair Queens
- Miss Menard County Fair - Erin Deason
- Jr. Miss Menard County Fair - Grace Sinclair
- Little Miss Menard County Fair - Lexi Jones
The 2011 Menard County Fair Special Events included a Talent Contest, Demolition Derby, Kids Activities, Antique Tractor Pull, Tractor & Truck Pull, Truck Show, and a Mud Bog & Dash for Cash. The Menard County Fair also offered a wide variety of judging competitions, food & drink items, and a carnival. Specific wrap-up details of the 2011 Menard County Fair are available online at www.menardcountyfair.com, or from the Petersburg Observer newspaper office.
For tourists and other visitors, Petersburg and Menard County are nationally known for a great antique shopping experience, as well as proximity to several historical sites such as Abe Lincoln's nearby New Salem State Park.
New Salem is the local log cabin village where Abraham Lincoln lived and worked as he prepared for his role in changing the course of our national destiny. As President (1861-1865) of the United States, Lincoln guided our country with the knowledge and wisdom that he had developed here on the banks of the Sangamon river.
For our residents, Petersburg and the surrounding area combines a vibrant business community, beautiful scenery, an excellent school system, and progressive governmental services into a great place to live and work.
Sportsmen especially appreciate the abundant wildlife and outdoor recreational opportunities at local areas such as nearby JEPC (Jim Edgar State Fish & Wildlife Area) where hiking, hunting, and fishing opportunities abound. |
JW Woodworking of rural Tallula has recently changed their business name to New Salem Woodworking. As they expanded their internet marketing efforts, Owner Jon Walpole found that there were several other "JW Woodworking" shops in Illinois alone, not to mention in the nation. The business name was primarily changed to New Salem Woodworking to avoid confusion with these other woodworking providers. However, he also wanted to highlight their geographical location here in Central Illinois, and the close proximity to Lincoln's New Salem State Park and historic Petersburg, Illinois. 
New Salem Firearms has moved to their new storefront location at 121 S 7th St, on the west side of the town square in Petersburg, IL. (next door to the Menard County Historical Museum.)