Make plans to attend Prairie Day

The 22nd annual Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area’s Prairie Day is just days away.
The Prairie Partners, the volunteer arm of the park, have set Saturday, Sept. 21 as the date for the annual festival.
Prairie Day is a day to celebrate the prairie environment. On this one day the quiet of the prairie is interrupted for exploration, amazement and fun.
Presentations on the environment and nature play an important part of the day’s activities. Presentations scheduled for this year’s event include a traveling American Indian museum, reptiles, wagon rides and weather presentation.
All activities are centered around the visitor’s center located at 5010 N. Jugtown Rd., Morris, and are free of charge. Events run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Refreshments including bison burgers will be available for purchase from the Prairie Partner food tent and the gift shop will be open.
The day begins at 10 a.m. with Lou Aiello’s Traveling Indian Museum and the Illinois Conservation Police Science Mobile.
A park video will be presented in the center’s auditorium at 10:45 a.m., at 11 a.m. Beth Wagner’s Scales and Tales Traveling Zoo will make an appearance and Bill Bradley’s Coal Black Exotics will be in the center at 1 p.m
A weather presentation by Illinois Storm Chasers is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Wagon rides will depart the visitors center at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The first ride will be hosted by Prairie Partner Beverly Mansfield and will take guests to the Cragg Cabin. The remaining rides will focus on flowers, grasses and terrain. Rides are free, but tickets must be reserved prior to the ride.
The day will also include face painting by Page Deulin from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and tickets for the annual Prairie Partner’s quilt raffle will be available in the gift shop until 2:30 p.m. when the winner will be drawn.
The event is organized by the Prairie Partners, the volunteer arm of the GLPSNA and sponsored by Exelon Generation’s Dresden Nuclear Generating Station.
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is located at 5010 N. Jugtown Rd., in Goose Lake Township. For more information visit gooselakeprairie.org or call 815-953-4567.