» 2026 Annual Events Sponsored Wholly or In Part by the BHHA Bishop Hill Heritage

June 13 Doodle Folk Music Festival

On Saturday June 13, 2026, start your summer by enjoying the Doodle Folk Music Festival. Located in the village park in Bishop Hill Illinois, some of the best-known Illinois folk musicians, such as Lee Murdoch, the Bucktown Americana Music Show, and more will be performing. Doodle was Bishop Hill’s first folk musician. A display about Doodle (Jonas Danielson) will be located in the park gazebo. All the park concerts are free and open to the public. Bring lawn chairs and enjoy the music!

Music starts at 10 a.m. and continues throughout the day. Peoria’s singer-songwriter Barry Cloyd will start off the day playing songs from his 10 CDs. At 11:30 a.m., the Taproot Wranglers will blend the classic sounds of old-time favorites with the contemporary vibes of Americana, bluegrass, and country swing. After a lunch break, the Bucktown Americana Music Show will then step on stage at 1:30 p.m. If you’re a fan of bluegrass, folk, Celtic, Americana, or old-time music, you’ll love the Bucktown Americana Music Show. To finish the day, Lee Murdock will be performing at 3 p.m. Noted as a fluent instrumentalist on the six and twelve-string guitars, Lee Murdock’s musical influences span fifteen generation, from 17th century Irish harp music, to Scott Joplin guitar rags, and embracing the blues, freshwater shanties, original songs and ballads.

In addition, the Filling Station Restaurant will be hosting the 17th annual Honor Flight Benefit from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds from the day’s events will be donated to Honor Flight of the Quad Cities. On Saturday, the Filling Station will have a pay-what-you-can Honor Flight Breakfast Buffet and then later a Lunch Buffet; the grill will not be open on the day. There will also be a brown bag raffle fundraiser from 8 to 11 a.m., followed by a live action at 11 a.m. In addition, there will be free live music.

This free folk musical festival is made possible by funding from the Illinois Arts Council and the Minneapolis Foundation. For more details, you can call 309 927-3899 or email bhha@mymctc.net. Information about this festival is also posted on www.bishophillheritage.org and the Bishop Hill Heritage Association Facebook page.

July 13, 2026 Dancing Queen: ABBA Tribute Band Concert

Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute is quite literally the most accurate tribute band on the planet. With painstaking attention to detail, they’ve recreated an ABBA experience that is second to none. This two-hour concert is FREE and open to the public. It will start at 1 p.m. in the Village Park. For more information about this concert, contact the Bishop Hill Heritage Association at 309 927-3899 or bhha@mymctc.net.