Charleston Illinois Tourism Office

08/19/2026

Some favorite swallowtail pics from Charleston Butterfly Blitz 2026.

IDs with individual photos


08/01/2026

We had a great time at the 3rd Annual Charleston Butterfly Festival! 🦋

Thanks to everyone came out and a HUGE THANKS to Lori Henderson, the Charleston CAN History and Tourism Committee, and the City of Charleston Department of Parks & Recreation and Charleston Public Works. Everyone did a fantastic job again this year with the organization and ex*****on of the festival. 🏆👏👏👏🏆

Can’t wait until next year! 🦋

08/01/2026

Congratulations Addy for winning the drawing for a new bike from BIKE & HIKE Charleston at the Butterfly Festival! Thank you Bike and Hike and Casey State Bank for your sponsorship of today's event and thank you to our exhibitors, vendors, and volunteers! We loved welcoming visitors from Peoria Charter Bus today!

07/28/2026

July 28, 2026- Update on Leaf and Limb Dropoff
As tree cleanup efforts from the June 17 tornado continue, the City of Charleston will resume normal operations at the Leaf & Limb Drop-off Site, located on West Madison Avenue, beginning August 1. The site will remain open for City of Charleston residents only to dispose of tree limbs, brush, and other vegetative debris. Effective August 1, contractors will no longer be permitted to dispose of tree debris at the site. Residents using the facility should enter through the south entrance and proceed as far west into the site as possible before unloading their debris. Public Works crews have completed their initial passes through every city street to collect tree and vegetative debris from the boulevards. Crews will now make one final citywide collection. Residents are asked to place any remaining tree and vegetative debris on the boulevard no later than August 14 to ensure it is included in this final pickup. Once the final collection is complete, city curbside debris pickup related to the tornado recovery will conclude. Residents may continue to use the Leaf & Limb Drop-off Site for the disposal of tree and vegetative debris during its normal operating hours.
Residents are also reminded that if they hire a tree service or contractor to remove debris from their property, it is the contractor's responsibility to properly dispose of that material. Contractors will no longer be permitted to use the City's Leaf & Limb Drop-off Site.
The City of Charleston appreciates the patience and cooperation of our residents throughout the tornado recovery process and thank you to everyone who is helping our community recover.
www.charlestonillinois.org/storm

07/20/2026

Charleston CAN's History and Tourism Committee thanks all who came to our Video Premiere of the new orientation video for the Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum! Special thanks to WEIU TV Public Broadcasting Station for co-hosting the event and providing the studio space for filming. Thanks to our cast, Ryan Goebel, Matt Williamson, Lauren Calandrilla, and Olivia Bennett for volunteering their time and talent. Thank you to Looking For Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln Association for funding this project. Be sure to visit the museum and see the video!

07/15/2026

IEMA-OHS SBA Press Release-
July 13, 2026 - State of Illinois Shares Information on SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers for Residents and Businesses Impacted by the June 10, 11 and 17 Storms
Springfield– The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA‑OHS), in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and local municipalities, is promoting multiple Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) to assist residents and businesses impacted by the severe storms on June 10, 11 and 17, 2026. These disaster declarations cover the primary counties of Cook and LaSalle for the June 10, 11 storms and Coles and Effingham for the June 17 storms. Residents and businesses in the contiguous counties are also eligible for SBA disaster assistance, including Bureau, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McHenry, Putnam, Will, and Woodford Counties in Illinois, as well as Lake County in Indiana for the June 10, 11 storms, and Clark, Clay, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Fayette, Jasper, Moultrie, and Shelby Counties for the June 17 storms . Centers will provide in‑person support for applicants seeking low‑interest disaster loans for storm‑related damages not covered by insurance.
SBA customer service representatives will staff each center to answer questions, explain the application process, and assist individuals and businesses in completing applications. Walk-ins are welcome at all sites. Residents and business owners in SBA declared disaster counties and counties that border those counties are eligible to apply and may visit any DLOC, regardless of where they live.
For online applications, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659‑2955 or email [email protected]. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 7‑1‑1 for relay services.
Homeowners can apply for up to $500,000 in low-interest SBA disaster loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners or renters can apply for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. Businesses and not-for-profits can borrow up to $2 million for physical damages. For more information, visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance.
Coles County
Coles County Center for Human Services
825 18th Street, Charleston, IL 61920
Mon–Fri: 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Sat: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
The deadline to submit SBA disaster loan applications for physical property damage is September 8, 2026, and the deadline to submit applications for economic injury is April 12, 2027.
Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS): www.Ready.Illinois.gov
www.charlestonillinois.org/storm

07/10/2026