The 2017 Bishop Hill Quilt Show will be from May 19 to May 21. This year’s theme is “Cats, Calico, and Cross Stitch.” At the Colony School, a bedazzling display of color will fill the building. Over 100 quilts will be on display: antique, miniature, patchwork, applique, and much more. Admission fee for the Colony School is $5. Proceeds from the show will be used for various charity quilts distributed to local hospitals, homes for the elderly, veterans, and children in need. The Prairie Queen Quilt Club Theme Challenge quilts and BHHA Quilt display will be on exhibit in the Steeple Building Museum. On May 20, Cathy Grafton will be conducting a hands on embroidery workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Dairy Building. Learn a bit of embroidery history and create a sampler with ten basic stitches. To register, please call 309 927-3064. Also on Saturday May 20, Cathy Grafton will talk about the story, the needlework, and the history of the Bayeaux Tapestry. This famous embroidery depicts the meeting of Harold of England & William Conqueror and then graphically illustrates the 1066 Battle of Hastings. This free lecture to the public will be at the Dairy Building and will start at 6 p.m. For more details about the quilt show, please call 309 927-3851. The quilt show is sponsored by the Prairie Queen Quilt Club, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association, and the Bishop Hill Arts Council. Show hours for May 19 and 20 are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Show hours for May 21 are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On Saturday May 20th, kites of all shapes and sizes will be soaring in the skies over historic Bishop Hill. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. approximately a dozen kites, some over 40 feet long, will be flying over the Summer Cottage, located at 507 Lindstrom Street in the northeast corner of Bishop Hill. Tony and Ann Killip, from Wataga, IL, are the proud owners of these kites and have participated in twelve or more kite festivals each year. This kite show is free and open to public, courtesy of the Summer Cottage and Our Kites Fly. The rain date will be Sunday May 21. The types of kites flown will depend on the weather conditions. For more details about the kite show, please call 309 927-3359.

For more information about these activities or future events in Bishop Hill, call 309 927-3899 or email bhha@mymctc.net.