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Holiday Walk at Spencer Conservation Area Dec. 2
BCCD IMAGE Belvidere Republican
Take a trip back to the 1800s on Saturday, Dec. 2, when the Boone County Conservation District will hold its annual Holiday Walk from 5-8 p.m. at the Spencer Conservation Area, 1121 N. Appleton Road, Belvidere. Visit two historic 1800s cabins and a schoohouse, enjoy live music and check out food items for sale. There will be warming centers next to the food tents and inside the schoolhouse. Visit bccd.org for more information.
Take a step back in time to the 1800s
The Boone County Conservation District (BCCD) is inviting visitors to get in the holiday spirit with its annual Holiday Walk to be held on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.
According to Mark Freedlund, BCCD program support coordinator, the event is being held at the Spencer Conservation Area, which is “a 353.72 acre site along the Kishwaukee River on the west side of Belvidere.”
During the event there will be a chance to experience life in the 1800s, such as live music in the one-room schoolhouse.
Visitors can also look inside two cabins constructed in the 1800s in Boone County, and get a glimpse of how families of that era would have prepared for the holidays.
“The Holiday Walk will take place on the Festival Grounds (about 6 acres) where the two historic Burr Oak cabins from the Newhouse and Murray Families are located now,” Freedlund narrated. “The Dawson River Road Schoolhouse and Dawson Blacksmith Shop are on this site too. All of the buildings will be open for viewing and you can enjoy music in the Schoolhouse and see a live blacksmith doing demonstrations at the forge.”
“The schoolhouse is located on the Festival Grounds between the cabins and is a replica of the Schoolhouse that was built on Newburg Road,” he related.
“The snack items for sale include holiday treats from different cultures,” the coordinator continued. “They include buñuelos (cinnamon and sugar tortilla chips), roasted walnuts (you get to roast them yourself over a campfire), kettle-popped popcorn and Ponché Navideño (warm spiced fruit punch). The Sons of Norway Valhall Lodge 5168 make items to sample, including fruit soup and holiday bread.”
Children of all ages can learn more about, and visit, a historic Civil War Santa, and there will be warming areas located next to the food tents and inside the schoolhouse.
The event is free but registration is required at www.bccdil.org/explore/winter-holiday-walk.
The Spencer Conservation Area is located at 1121 N. Appleton Road, Belvidere.
For more information, visit www.bccdil.org.
