A committee has finalized plans for a Westville Freedom Celebration that will occur June 8th through 14th (2026). Bill Pickett has the story….
Gary Delhaye is the chairman of the committee and says the celebration will be twofold…
{AUDIO: “One is the Bicentennial Celebration of Vermilion County. Their 200th anniversary is this year. And it’s also the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. So, we wanted to put together a Freedom Celebration that not only honors Westville, but also our country and our county.”}
(Westville Freedom Celebration Committee chairman Gary Delhaye (in middle), with two other committee members, Ruthie Hannan on left and Mary Ann Hughes on right. There are also others serving on the committee.)
Westville is known as a ‘melting pot of nations’ because of all the immigrants who traveled there to work in the area coal mines in the 1800s and early 1900s. Delhaye says a special ceremony at Rosies Tavern in the Grape Creek area on Tuesday, June 9th, is a tribute to the miners…
{AUDIO: “That celebration honors our coal mining heritage and honors the miners that were killed in Vermilion County. And we have a lot of fun activities that are scheduled that night.}
The week-long celebration includes numerous activities, including bands, a flea market and crafts on the St. Mary’s grounds, an open house at the Westville Historical Depot and Museum, and American Legion Post 51 Freedom Ride. Delhaye says there will also be a Patriotic Home and Yard Decorating Contest….
{AUDIO: “We encourage people to decorate their yards. We’re encouraging everybody to fly their flags across the village June 8th through the 14th. And that could be any kind of flag, whether it be American flags or special nationality flags, Westville Tiger flags, America 250, County 200, State of Illinois flag – whatever people like. We’re just asking them to fly their flags across the village and really make this a nice patriotic event.}
For a complete schedule of events visit https://stmaryscc.com/vermilion-200th.
