Ashmore Harvest Festival

The Ashmore Festival is making a comeback after 5 years! 

Ashmore's community festival started out in 1979 as a 1-day ice cream social called Ashmore Day, which included card games, cake walk, and face painting. A parade was added in 1983. The festival grew from year to year and eventually became Ashmore Ag Days around 2015. It was a highlight of the year in town until the 2020 pandemic when it came to a screeching halt and momentum was lost.

In 2023, a group of Ashmore residents (and even a couple non-residents) decided it was time to have a festival again. Several things will be similar to the previous Ag Days, but several things will be different as well. What used to be held in August as a 4-day event, will be a 3-day event in October this year with a harvest theme.

Plans are underway (and funds are being raised) for the Ashmore Harvest Festival to be held on Fri-Sun, October 11-13.

Fundraiser: Saturday, June 22

5:00 - 10:00 pm
Ashmore Community Center
(211 S Illinois St)

Activities will include:

• LIVE MUSIC: Sawyer Brothers 7:00-10:00
• FOOD: Rollin' Smoke BBQ & How I Roll Bakeshop
• Silent Auction (TONS of stuff to bid on!)
• 50/50 Raffle

Harvest Festival October 11-13

So many activities crammed into one fantastic weekend! Download your schedule below OR the schedule is also available on Facebook.

Friday, October 11

• 4:00-7:00p Jonah Fish Fry
• 5:00-7:00p Hillbilly BINGO
• 5:00-8:00p Touch-A-Truck

Saturday, October 12

• 7:00-9:30a FREE Pancake & Sausage Breakfast
• 10:00-10:45a Parade
• 10:45a-5:00p Craft Vendors
• 11:00a-2:00p Kids Carnival (Games, Bounce Houses, & Face Painting)
• 11:00a-7:00p DJ Fire
• 11:00a-8:00p Food Vendors
  • Rollin' Smoke BBQ
  • Bubba's Burgers & Brats
  • How I Roll Bakeshop
  • Magoody's
  • We Li Kit Farmstand
• 11:30a-(Finish) Bags Tournament
• 11:30a-(Finish) Pickleball Tournament (in the Community Center)
• Noon Chili Contest
• 1:00p Jerky Contest
• 2:00p Kiddie Tractor Pull
• 2:00-4:00p Cake Walk
• 3:00-5:00p Pumpkin Painting with Libby Jo
• 4:15p AFPD Bike Raffle
• 4:30-5:15p Andrews Family Magic
• 5:15p AFPD Raffle
• 7:00-10:00p Sawyer Brothers

Sunday, October 13

• 10:00a Community Church Services in the Park

Festival Planning Committee 

Ashmore Festival Committee, Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization (FEIN: 99-2050355), and all donations are tax exempt. 
Donations may be submitted to PO Box 99 - Ashmore, IL 61912.

The Committee Board & Officers are as follows:

• Kurt Crail, President & Board Member
• Brook Cottle, Treasurer & Board Member
• Tyler Heleine, Board Member
• Jake Johnson, Board Member
• Marshall Reinhart, Board Member
• Jackie Freezeland, Secretary

Other members of the Planning Committee include:

• Ellen Ashmore
• Carol Bradford
• Dawson Bradford
• Bill Edwards
• Heather Heleine
• Destiny Johnson
• Cara Reinhart
• Bryan Watson
• Jessica Hills

If anyone is interested in volunteering or joining the Planning Committee, please contact any of the individuals listed above.