Village of Carlock

07/07/2026

The results are in for the home/business decorating contest…and winners have been notified.
West Washington “rocked it out” according to the “stealthy” judges.
🥇 - 102 W Washington: “From the neatly edged sidewalks to the bunting, this home was our overall pick for it’s dedication to small town charm and patriotic spirit, a true testament to the neighborhood making every corner beautiful”
🥈- 203 W Washington: “A perfect showcase of summer color and America 250 pride. Nice to see the family enjoying each others company on the porch with decorative chairs and pillows. Reminiscent of days spent sitting on the porch, family values and the old fashioned sweetness of spending slow hours together.”
🥉- 302 W Washington: “Upon entering town, this main stop welcomed us with a beautiful mural! It brought to mind the days they would paint the windows downtown. We rise by lifting others and this display elevated the entire community.”
Congratulations to all!

07/05/2026

Dogs are cookin', stage is being set.....Come on down to the park enjoy lunch and some music to close out this fabulous weekend if celebration!

07/05/2026

SHARE YOUR TIME CAPSULE PICS AND CONTENTS HERE!

If you are so inclined to share some pictures and or commentary of your time capsule contents, please do so here. We would love to have a record of items and we know many people are interested to know. We understand some items may be private and we do not wish to impede on your privacy. Only share what you feel comfortable sharing. We will be adding pictures of items left to the mayor and the Village of Carlock this week.

07/05/2026

POST YOUR PICS!

We want to see your pics from Carlock's America 250 Celebration! Let's make an event photo album. . . . post your pics in the comments!

07/05/2026

Today is the finale of Carlock's America 250 Celebration! Join us for one last gathering after we Pack the Pews, down at the Park.

Noon: Picnic Lunch - bring your own or enjoy a hot dog lunch by the Carlock Bible Fellowship Church.
12:30: The anticipated Duck Race! (Not too late to buy a duck, $3)
1:00: Music by The Gibson Girls!

Bring: Lawn chairs or blankets.

Home page of The Gibson Girls, a group from Jerseyville, Il. Here is a little bit about us. We are three sisters: Alisha, Kabryn, and Kathryn Gibson. We started singing in church when we were very young. It has always been our heart's desire to travel a

07/05/2026

Carlock's America 250 Celebration has been going off without a hitch so far! Yesterday we were treated to some dancing, great food, and a wonderful fireworks show all hosted by Braffet Berry Farm & Orchard, LLC and sponsored by the White Oak Township.

Today, we witnessed the best parade Carlock has ever hosted (in my lifetime at least). . . .it was so much fun!! And today's events at the park were just what you'd expect of a small town July 4th celebration. . .boy scouts flag raising, the national anthem, the reading of the Declaration of Independence, kids games, historical games, food, historical displays and tours, face painting, balloons, fire department games, community club lemonade shakeups, beard contest, and period dress participants. But the best was the anticipation of the 50 Year Time Capsule. Family members who've traveled thousands of miles to see what was sealed in the vault. . . . Newspaper clippings, advertisements, coins, letters. It was quite amazing and humbling to watch all at the same time. The only thing we missed today was the Duck Race because of the incoming storm, but we'll do that tomorrow.

One more day of events to go to wrap up this amazing celebration and homecoming. Tomorrow morning, let's Pack the Pews, by attending one or your hometown churches, then we'll meet down at the park for a picnic lunch at noon . . . bring your own or grab a hot dog lunch from the Carlock Bible Fellowship Church. The Firemen will be handing out ice cream treats as well. Duck Race will run at 12:30pm and the finale will be some music by The Gibson Girls.

This is the link for the Event Schedule:
https://carlockil.gov/carlock-s-america-250-celebration

This is the link for the Self-Led White Oak Historical Driving Tour:
https://carlockil.gov/documents/630/White_Oak_Driving_Tour.pdf

This is the link for the T-Shirts:
https://shop.limelitegraphics.com/collections/village-of-carlock/products/carlock-illinois-250th-celebration

07/03/2026

Let's give a shout out to our White Level Sponsors! They have donated money or services to this event and we are grateful!

The Descendants of Patriot Hanchrist Carlock -- this family was so excited to know we were holding this event, they sent in a donation and created a logo! So glad to call them sponsors!

Heartland Grounds - Owned by Laife and Angie Franscisco, they're sponsoring the face painter at tomorrow's park events.

Carlock Bible Fellowship Church -- They are providing the hotdog picnic lunch at the park on Sunday after everyone Packs the Pews in the morning!

Carlock Christian Church -- Thank you for your financial sponsorship! They'll have some kiddie activities at the park on Saturday. We're so grateful for our faith families!

Carlock Historical Society -- Mike and Sharon Miller will have a historical display at the park on Saturday and will host the walking tour later in the afternoon. They've provided a lot of historical context and we appreciate their knowledge and service.

Freitag Seasonal Service -- Many thanks to Freitag for their continued support of Carlock and it's events. Also thank you for the work done to freshen up our welcome signs. They do great work!

07/03/2026

Today kicks off the America 250 festivities! Check out our webpage for activities and updates. Weather is being monitored by our local EMA with the help of the county. Please bring your own seating, lawn chairs, blankets, sun protection, etc.
https://www.carlockil.gov/carlock-s-america-250-celebration

Today's activities include:
1pm - 4pm Carlock Library Open House
5pm - 10pm All activities at Braffet Berry Farm & Orchard, LLC
~Dancing
~Kids Activities
~Bouncy House
~Food: A-Train Award Winning Pork Chop Sandwiches!
Menu: Pork Chop Sandwiches-$6, Meal w/ chips cookie & water, $10; Hot Dog-$2, w/ meal, $5.
~Food: Braffet Berry Farm & Orchard, LLC Berry Shortcakes and more!
~FIREWORKS

IMPORTANT: Parking is limited, please carpool. OR use our shuttle bus between 5pm and 6pm at the baseball diamond. It will return after the fireworks. ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING will be allowed on the county road.

07/02/2026

Our final two Red Level Sponsors are Eagle Crest Services and White Oak Township!

Eagle Crest Services is locally owned by Scott Frietsch and specializes in Residential Construction and Remodeling. Scott is also well invested in our community as a volunteer firefighter and a member of the Carlock Zoning Board of Appeals. He's always willing to help out on village projects and we're grateful for that. Check out his website and give him a call for your building/remodeling needs. https://www.eaglecrestservices.com/

White Oak Township has graciously partnered with the Village of Carlock in hosting our America 250 Celebration. They are the sponsors of the fireworks and activities being held tomorrow evening at Braffet Berry Farm & Orchard, LLC. They also partner with the village on dumpster day and other projects. Thank you White Oak Township for your partnership!

Finally, we should note that we had an anonymous Red Level Sponsor who wanted no acknowledgement, and though we promised not to reveal their names, we want them to know how grateful we are for their support!

07/01/2026

Are you as excited about this weekend as we are??

Please visit our webpage for events and updates:
https://www.carlockil.gov/carlock-s-america-250-celebration

Please see below for the the map of events, parking and the parade route.

PARKING: Jefferson Street south of Franklin Street will be blocked off. Only vehicles with Handicapped placards, vendors, and staff will be allowed access at that point. All other general parking is off park grounds as noted in blue areas on the map. Thank you for your cooperation to help us keep event pedestrians safe.