Carl Sandburg is coming to town!

As part of the 2025 Bishop Hill Chautauqua, Peoria singer-songwriter Barry Cloyd will reprise a crowd favorite, Illinois poet laureate and Lincoln biographer Carl Sandburg. Carl Sandburg’s sister Mary was a teacher at the Bishop Hill Colony School. This first person portrayal of Carl Sandburg will start at 3 p.m. at the park gazebo on Saturday August 9 in Bishop Hill, IL.

Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg’s 1927 anthology the American Songbag enjoyed enormous popularity, going through many editions; and Sandburg himself was perhaps the first American urban folk singer, accompanying himself on solo guitar at lectures and poetry recitals.

Barry Cloyd is a Midwestern based, award-winning, touring singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/historian who typically performs more than 125 shows of all types per year. He has shared the stage & recorded with many stars of the Blues and Americana worlds including members of Buddy Guy’s Band, The Byrds, Stephen Still’s, EmmyLou Harris’, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Denver’s and Dan Fogelberg’s Bands. In addition, Barry is also a recording artist with 10 CD’s, the last of which, the all original “Southland”, won an award for best Americana album in 2016 which resulted in his tracks “Spirit Dance” and “Know This River” being placed in international radio rotation.

All of the Chautauqua programs will be held at the gazebo in Bishop Hill’s town park, on the corners of Main Street and Bishop Hill Road, in Bishop Hill, IL. Folks are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and to bring a friend. This free public event is sponsored by the Bishop Hill Heritage Association, Community State Bank, Illinois Arts Council, Geneseo Foundation, Galesburg Community Foundation, and Fox Tales International. Regional Media is our major media sponsor. For more information, call 309-927-3899, visit www.bishophillheritage.org, or email bhha@mymctc.net .