Garden lovers can put on their walking shoes June 21-22 and discover Bloomington-Normal’s hidden treasures during the 17th Annual Glorious Garden Festival Garden Walk, hosted by the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site.

This year’s event provides walk-through tours of 11 private gardens, all located within convenient driving distance from one another. The Garden Walk will be held rain or shine. The hours are 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 21, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 22.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 the weekend of the event and $7 for anyone under 18. They may be purchased in advance at the Garlic Press and Schnucks Supermarket in Normal, and Casey’s Garden Shop, the Copy Shop, Grieder Sod and Landscaping, Schnucks Supermarket, Sunburst Nursery/Penn Landscaping, Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses and the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington.

Tickets may also be purchased online or at the David Davis Mansion the weekend of the event.

The walk is a fundraiser for the David Davis Mansion Foundation, which provides private support for the state-operated historic site.

This year’s theme is “A Community of Gardens.” From the whimsical to the classical, the gardens offer an abundance of flowers, water features, garden art and unique plants. The tour features a show-stopping garden in a wooded area once owned by the family that built Ewing Manor. Other stops include: a Victorian-style house featuring architectural plants and perennials, layered with a virtuosic use of annuals and tropicals; a double-lot garden designed with thoughtful transitions from indoor to outdoor living spaces; a lovely woodsy garden; and much more.

Staff representing local landscape sponsors will be on hand to provide expertise and insights. Rain or shine, visitors will be inspired by the creativity of some of the community’s most talented gardeners.

The garden walk begins on the grounds of the David Davis Mansion at 1000 Monroe Drive in Bloomington. Easy ticket and map pick-up, with drive-through service and free parking on the Mansion grounds, is available during the entire event weekend.

Garden walkers may also shop at the gardeners’ market place on the mansion lawn. All Glass Flowers, Green View Landscaping, Ecology Action Center, Fused Glass, Jim’s Ornamental Garden Iron and craft demonstrations by Joe Ramholz are some of the vendors and artisans taking part.

Visitors can enjoy complimentary tea and desserts served under a tent on the mansion lawn. Tours of Sarah’s Garden will be conducted by members of the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners in McLean County, and visitors can learn from these experts how to make their own Victorian gardens using heirloom plants from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and other famous American gardens. Guided tours of the Davis Mansion will also be offered. WJBC AM and FM will do a live remote broadcast from the lawn of the Davis Mansion during the garden walk.

Corporate sponsors for the Glorious Garden Festival are Casey’s Garden Shop, Chizmar Landscaping, Green View Companies, Grieder Sod & Landscaping, Original Smith Printing, Solid Ground Gardening, Sunburst Nursery/Penn Landscaping, Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses and Garden Center, WJBC AM 1230 & FM 93.7 and Zimmerman & Armstrong Investment Advisors Inc.

Proceeds from this year's event will support restoration of the historic Sarah’s Garden, a long-term project that involves research and the reintroduction of difficult-to-find heirloom plants and seeds. Proceeds will also be used to develop new school programs featuring the garden and to help keep the mansion open to the public.

The David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, was built in 1872 for Supreme Court Justice David Davis and his wife, Sarah. The site is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free public tours.

For more information, contact the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site at 309/828-1084 or visit their website.

Nearly 200 years ago, three women named Elizabeth helped defend a tiny fort from an attack during the Black Hawk War. Now a northern Illinois winery will celebrate their heroism at the Apple River Fort State Historic Site by revealing a new label for their “Elizabeth” white wine.

The public is invited to join the celebration on Sunday, June 23, at 1 p.m. Massbach Ridge Winery will provide samples, hold a tasting and sell bottles of its wines. Music from the Terrapin Ridge Ramblers will add to the festivities.

The new label was selected from submissions to a public contest earlier this year. The winning designer will be announced Sunday, receiving $100 and three bottles of wine.

The label celebrates the strength and courage of all pioneer women in the region, but particularly the three Elizabeths who helped the militia repel Chief Black Hawk's attack on June 24, 1832.

Massbach Ridge Winery supports the Apple River Fort Historic Foundation with proceeds from its “Black Hawk” red and “Elizabeth” white wines.

Kathleen Morgan, a member of the Apple River Fort Foundation’s board, said good crowds have shown up for the debut of past label designs, showing that local residents feel a strong connection to the fort and its heritage.

The reconstructed fort is located along U.S. Route 20 and is open for free public tours. For information call 815/858-2028, email or visit, www.appleriverfort.org.

Twenty-five American Indian artists from across the nation and from more than a dozen tribal affiliations will display and sell a wide variety of fine art during the 18th Annual Contemporary Indian Art Show scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 13 and 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Interpretive Center in Collinsville, Illinois.

The Art Show will feature numerous paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache and other media; pen and ink drawings; metalwork; sculptures in antler, wood and clay; pottery in traditional and contemporary forms; exquisite jewelry in silver, gold, precious stones and beadwork; carved, decorated and painted gourds; traditional dolls and Indian flutes; and more handmade items. The show is free and open to the public and will be held inside, and there will be something for everyone and in every price range.

A Preview Reception will be held Friday, July 12 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. offering the opportunity to meet the artists, be the first to see and purchase the artwork, and vote for the People’s Choice Award. Judges will award ribbons and cash prizes to the top four artists in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional categories. The Cahokia Mound Builder award will also be presented to those who have made a major impact on the preservation, development and interpretation of Cahokia Mounds and its surrounding archaeology. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. There is a fee for the Preview Party. Tickets are required and may be ordered by calling 618/344-7316.

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is just eight miles from downtown St. Louis in Collinsville, Illinois off Interstates 55/70 (Exit 6) and Interstate 255 (Exit 24) on Collinsville Road. For more information call 618/346-5160 or visit www.cahokiamounds.org.

The Fifteenth Annual Conference on Illinois History has been slated for September 26-27 at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center in Springfield.