Vandalia Illinois Tourism Commission

08/14/2026

08/04/2026

Stop by the Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site to take it all in! Across the street, you can sit by this Lincoln statue at Lincoln Park and take your picture with him to commemorate your visit!

THIS DAY IN LINCOLN HISTORY On August 4, 1834, Abraham Lincoln is elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as a representative from Sangamon County. This is his second bid for public office.

Lincoln served four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives for Sangamon County. In this role, he championed construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, voted to expand suffrage beyond White landowners to all White men, supported the chartering of the Illinois State Bank, and also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield.

You can visit the Vandalia Statehouse where Lincoln served, as it's open as a historic site. Learn more at:
https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites/site.vandalia-state-house.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawTLVWRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEzczRYMURZTU9qR2FFeWpwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHiGkkVQXdKym30-n3Ld4OleJ5zAjdrS4uCw4KqWuBJQxUPKhScpdg98qKC0j_aem_ymAz7edmDQFMY7LSHxMWfw

07/20/2026

Every visitor has a story, and we're grateful when that story includes a stop in Vandalia! ❤️🤍💙

A heartfelt thank you to Mitzi, organizer of the Pontius Family Association Annual Reunion, for partnering with us well in advance to welcome more than 60 family members from Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, and communities throughout Illinois. Working together before their arrival allowed us to prepare welcome bags, share information about our historic sites, local restaurants, shopping, and attractions, helping visitors experience all that our community has to offer.

Helping families, tour groups, clubs, and organizations discover Vandalia is super important! Whether you're here for a reunion, festival, sporting event, meeting, or weekend getaway, we want your visit to be memorable and encourage you to explore everything our city has to offer while supporting our local businesses.

If you're planning a visit to Vandalia for one of our many events or bringing a group to town, we encourage you to contact the Tourism Office in advance. We'd be happy to help with visitor information, itineraries, dining recommendations, attractions, lodging, parking, and other resources to make planning easy and your experience exceptional.

Thank you to every family, visitor, and group that chooses Vandalia. We look forward to welcoming you and helping you create lasting memories in our community!

07/15/2026

🇺🇸❤️🤍💙 Thank You, Vandalia! 💙🤍❤️🇺🇸

What a memorable evening as our community came together on the grounds of the historic Vandalia Statehouse to commemorate America's 250th Birthday with a Community Reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this celebration so meaningful. Seeing neighbors, families, and visitors gather to reflect on our nation's founding and celebrate our shared heritage was truly inspiring.

A special thank you to everyone who helped make the evening possible:

🇺🇸 VFW Post 9770 for the Presentation of Colors, helping us begin the evening with honor and respect for our nation's flag.

🎶 Lady Liberty for providing patriotic music that perfectly complemented the evening's celebration.

🎤 Mayor Doug Knebel for serving as our Master of Ceremonies and guiding us through this meaningful celebration.

📖 Kim Schroeder for sharing a fascinating history lesson that helped set the stage for the evening and reminded us of the significance of the Declaration of Independence and America's founding.

📜 Our outstanding Community Readers, who brought the Declaration of Independence to life: Bret Brosman, Shauna Sprague, Kevin Childers, Sandy Ehrat, Todd Stapleton, Dale Timmerman and Kim Schroeder.

🔔 LaTisha Paslay and Dale Timmerman for leading the moving Thirteen Bell Toll Ceremony, honoring each of the original thirteen colonies and the birth of our nation.

🚩 Patty Winn for her engaging presentation as Betsy Ross, sharing the history and symbolism of the American flag.

🏛️ Kim Lake and the staff of the Vandalia Statehouse for their partnership and dedication in helping bring this America 250 event to life.

🪑 Kaskaskia Supply for generously donating the chairs that helped make the evening comfortable for everyone in attendance.

👏 Carla Huhn for organizing this wonderful celebration and helping bring together so many people to honor America's founding in such a meaningful way.

Danielle Caruso for her endless support and creation of the Declaration of Independence poster that participants were able to sign to commemorate the day. This will be hung at City Hall for future generations to enjoy!

If you weren't able to attend, or if you'd like a keepsake from the event, we still have America 250 commemorative hand fans, copies of the Declaration of Independence, copies of the United States Constitution, and Illinois Passports available while supplies last at Vandalia City Hall.

This evening was a wonderful reminder that history is best celebrated together. Thank you for helping make this event such a success as we continue Vandalia's year-long commemoration of America's Semiquincentennial.

We look forward to seeing you at many more America 250 events throughout the year as we continue celebrating our nation's history and the community that makes Vandalia so special.


Photo credits to reporter/editor Anna Garner from the The Leader-Union.

07/04/2026

The Fourth of July weekend is here, and Vandalia Summerfest has a full schedule planned at Vandalia Lake!

Here’s what’s happening Friday and Saturday:

Friday, July 3
5:00 to 10:00 PM: Stars & Stripes Carnival, food trucks, beer garden, and The FNB Community Bank Kids’ Zone
6:00 to 7:00 PM: Schoonover Solo Show on the Freedom Stage
8:00 to 10:00 PM: Haarberger’s Ball on the Freedom Stage

Saturday, July 4
8:30 AM: Vandalia Asphalt Red, White & Blue Coed Sand Volleyball Check-In
9:00 AM: Vandalia Asphalt Red, White & Blue Coed Sand Volleyball Tournament
10:00 AM: ABATE Independence Cardboard Boat Regatta Check-In
11:00 AM: ABATE Independence Cardboard Boat Regatta Race
11:00 AM to 11:00 PM: Food trucks
12:00 PM to 9:00 PM: Stars & Stripes Carnival and The FNB Community Bank Kids’ Zone
12:00 PM to 11:00 PM: Beer garden
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM: C**t Strader on the Freedom Stage
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM: Midwest Dueling Pianos on the Freedom Stage
8:00 PM to 11:00 PM: Finale Steel on the Freedom Stage

Make plans to spend part of the weekend at Vandalia Lake as our community celebrates America’s 250th.

More details at Vandalia Lake - Vandalia, Illinois

07/01/2026

🌱🇺🇸 Growing America, One Seed at a Time! 🇺🇸🌼

This summer, Vandalia's Little Community Garden is joining the celebration of America's 250th Birthday with a beautiful display of red, white, and blue flowers, created in partnership with Zimmerman's Greenhouse.

We invite you to stop by and celebrate with us!

📅 Saturday, August 8
🕘 9:00–11:00 AM
📍 Vandalia's Little Community Garden
157 W. Edwards Street

As part of the celebration:

🌱 The first 250 visitors will receive a FREE packet of seeds to plant at home and continue the spirit of growth and community.

🥕 Fresh garden produce may be available (weather permitting).

🛻 Be sure to check out the antique wagon display, a tribute to one of America's greatest innovations during the past 250 years and a reminder of the pioneering spirit that helped shape our nation.

Whether you're a gardener, history enthusiast, or simply looking for a fun Saturday morning activity, come celebrate how our community continues to grow together.

🌼 Plant a seed. Celebrate our history. Grow our future. 🇺🇸💙❤️

06/30/2026

🇺🇸 Keep the celebration going! 🇺🇸

The Fourth of July may come and go, but America's 250th Birthday deserves more than just one day of celebration!

Join us outdoors on the beautiful grounds of the historic Vandalia Statehouse as we gather beneath the summer sky to reflect on the words that changed the world and celebrate the birth of our nation.

Experience an unforgettable evening featuring:

🎶 Patriotic music by Lady Liberty
📜 A historical presentation by Kim Schroeder
🇺🇸 A Community Reading of the Declaration of Independence
🔔 A Thirteen Bell Toll Ceremony honoring the original colonies
🚩 A special Betsy Ross presentation on the American flag by Patty Winn
🎂 Birthday cake as we wish America a happy 250th Birthday!

📅 Wednesday, July 8
🕠 Beginning at 4:30 PM
📍 Vandalia Statehouse Lawn

After celebrating our nation's independence on the Fourth, come celebrate the document that started it all. There's no better place than Vandalia to honor America's past while celebrating its future.

🇺🇸 We look forward to celebrating with you!

Bring your family and your patriotic spirit as we celebrate together in one of Illinois' most historic places.

☀️ To help keep you cool, the first 100 attendees will receive a commemorative America 250 hand fan while supplies last!