How to go
What: 5th annual Barn Quilt Tour
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19
Tickets: On sale at the Champaign County Chamber and Visitor's Bureau, 113 Miami St., Urbana. Tickets will also be on sale the day of the event in downtown Urbana on the southeast corner of Monument Square.
For more info: Call (937) 653- 5764 or visit www.champaign countybarns.com
In the five years since it began, the annual Champaign County Barn Quilt Tour has encouraged residents and businesses to install quilt designs at about 70 barns throughout Champaign County.
No matter where visitors cross the county line now, it’s almost impossible not to see a quilt somewhere. This year, visitors will be able to tour seven stops that will take them on a roughly 30-mile loop along the central and southwest portion of the county.
Tina Knotts, executive director of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau, said this year’s stops will include Urbana University, KTH Parts Industries and the Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, along with the High Street Manor Bed and Breakfast in Urbana and three local farms.
Activities will be available at each stop, including quilt displays, a farmer’s market, garden tours and more.
“Every year we pick a different section of the county to feature,” Knotts said.
At Urbana University, 100 handmade quilts will be on display, and there will be an Underground Railroad exhibit. At KTH, the company will be showing off its technology, by using robots to take orders and serve ice cream to guests. Rita Steffenson, an award-winning quilt artist, will also place several of her quilts on display at the KTH site.
Three local families will also offer up their barns to the tour, offering home cooked food, garden tours and an antique tractor display, among other activities. At the High Street Manor Bed and Breakfast, local artists will be on hand to offer displays and sell their work.
Robert Rothschild Farm and KTH are the primary sponsors for the event.
While the activities will only be available this weekend, Bauer said maps of the tour will be available at the chamber office so anyone who’s interested can visit the sites at their leisure. The goal, he said is to bring people into the county and give residents a glimpse of what Champaign County has to offer.
“We hope people get out and enjoy the beauty of Champaign County,” Bauer said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
About the Author