May
2
9:00 AM09:00

Sheep to Clothing to Quilts

Sheep to Clothing to Quilts

Saturday, May 2 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 Illinois Amish Heritage Center – Arthur, Illinois

Experience the full journey from sheep to finished textiles at this family-friendly, hands-on heritage event.

Event Highlights

  • Sheep & alpaca shearing demonstrations

  • Wool washing, dyeing, spinning, weaving & quilting

  • Live demonstrations by the Charleston & Champaign Spinners and Weavers Guilds

  • Amish quilting and coverlet-making demonstrations

  • Turn-of-the-century laundry demonstrations using historic equipment

  • Traditional farm skills including chair caning, soap making, rope making & gardening

Family Activities

  • Pony cart rides

  • Petting zoo with farm animals and household pets

  • Try your hand at milking a goat

Food & Treats

  • Farmer’s breakfast available starting at 7:00 a.m. (pancakes, liverwurst & grilled sausage – fee applies)

  • Lunch options including grilled lamb kabobs, hamburgers & fried foods

  • Homemade baked goods from a local Amish vendor (bread, cookies, cakes & pies)

Historic Tours & Exhibits

Explore all historic Amish buildings on site, including:

  • 1865 Yoder House

  • 1870s Schrock House

  • 1879 Hershberger-Miller Barn

  • 1860s Yoder Workshop

  • 1930s German Schoolhouse

Displays include early Amish clothing, quilts, coverlets, and rare historic textiles dating back to the 1830s.

Vendors & Shopping

Located in the hay loft of the 1870s barn, featuring:

  • Handmade soaps, jams & jellies

  • Popcorn, crocheted items, herbs & flowers

  • Hand towels, books, paper crafts & more

  • Beekeeping display and tissue-paper flower making

Looking Ahead at the IAHC

The Illinois Amish Heritage Center will continue to bring history to life with smaller monthly programs throughout the year, offering hands-on learning and immersive storytelling. Upcoming events include:

  • All About Horses

  • Amish Education

  • A German Spelling Bee

  • Storytelling

  • The return of the popular 2025 Old-Fashioned Christmas, held in the one-room schoolhouse

👉 Event dates and details will be announced—watch the IAHC website and social media pages for updates.

Coming in 2026

Beginning in May 2026, the IAHC Living History Farm will be open to the public every Saturday, May through October, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  • Guided tours led by knowledgeable docents

  • No reservations required

  • Admission: $10 per person

Also slated to open in the fall of 2026 is the new Visitor’s Center & Amish Museum, which will house The Story of Anabaptism and the Amish—the original exhibition first showcased in Arcola in the 1990s and later at Rockome Gardens in the 2000s.



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Jul
31
to Aug 1

Steam Threshing Days

  • Illinois Amish Heritage Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Steam Threshing Days

Friday, July 31 & Saturday, August 1
📍 Illinois Amish Heritage Center – Arthur, Illinois

Step back in time and experience historic farming traditions during Steam Threshing Days.

Event Highlights

  • Oats cut, bound, shocked, and threshed using 19th-century methods

  • Live demonstrations powered by a steam-engine-driven threshing machine

  • Additional historic harvest activities and agricultural demonstrations throughout the weekend

This immersive event showcases the hard work, skill, and innovation of early farming practices and brings agricultural history to life for all ages.

👉 More details will be shared closer to the event.
Be sure to watch the Illinois Amish Heritage Center website and digital media for updates.

Looking Ahead at the IAHC

The Illinois Amish Heritage Center will continue to bring history to life with smaller monthly programs throughout the year, offering hands-on learning and immersive storytelling. Upcoming events include:

  • All About Horses

  • Amish Education

  • A German Spelling Bee

  • Storytelling

  • The return of the popular 2025 Old-Fashioned Christmas, held in the one-room schoolhouse

👉 Event dates and details will be announced—watch the IAHC website and social media pages for updates.

COMING IN 2026

Beginning in May 2026, the IAHC Living History Farm will be open to the public every Saturday, May through October, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  • Guided tours led by knowledgeable docents

  • No reservations required

  • Admission: $10 per person

Also slated to open in the fall of 2026 is the new Visitor’s Center & Amish Museum, which will house The Story of Anabaptism and the Amish—the original exhibition first showcased in Arcola in the 1990s and later at Rockome Gardens in the 2000s.

View Event →