{The following story is by Bill Pickett.}
The Vermilion River Fall Festival in Danville is marking a golden milestone this weekend.
Lindsey Franz, Community Relations Coordinator for the City of Danville, explains…
{AUDIO: “This is something we’ve been planning for for months. And this is the big 50th anniversary. (It’s) one of the longest, lasting traditions that the City of Danville holds.”}
The festival kicked-off Friday and continues through Sunday (September 21, 2025) at Ellsworth Park in Danville. Franz describes the type of items that are available at this year’s festival…
{AUDIO: “We have anything from home baked fresh goods, caramels. We also have hand-crafted holiday décor, signage, wreaths, Christmas trees, and a lot of wood craft and woodworking here as well. Even a boutique vendor this year and some homemade kettlecorn. There’s plenty of things from young children to adults. We’ve got just a little bit of everything.”}
Since this is the 50th anniversary of the Vermilion River Fall Festival, Franz was asked what she thinks has kept it going….
{AUDIO: “I would say just the amount of small vendors we have here, small businesses. We have about a hundred craft vendors that spend months preparing for this event. Handcrafted items. We also have about fourteen local food trucks that come out here. So I would say just the support of the community coming out here and giving the people the time to look at their items and purchase them locally and small is what’s most important to us.}
Franz and Community Relations Administrator Rheanna Ollis get help from Danville’s Public Works Department preparing for the event. And Franz likes the way the event showcases Danville…
{AUDIO: “Tradition and pride is one of the big things that City of Danville is proud to have. We keep this going not for our benefit but to benefit local people that put a lot of time into their small businesses. And we have kept this going for years – whether it has been hard or easy, we keep this going for them. That’s all really what it’s about. We don’t make a profit off of this really. So we’re able to provide all of this for them. That’s truly just what it’s about.”}
Whether you are looking for pumpkins, mums, craft vendors, food trucks or live entertainment you can find it this weekend at the festival. This year’s festival even offered tethered balloon rides on Friday and Saturday.
The remaining festival hours are Saturday (September 20, 2025) from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Sunday (September 21, 2025) from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Ellsworth Park is located just off U. S. route 150 on Danville’s west side.
