METAMORA, Ill. (WMBD) — David Mansfield and his wife have sold their handmade products at Metamora’s Old Settlers Days festival for over 15 years.
“It’s just a fun festival,” he said, “real family-oriented.”
Mansfield was just one of the many people setting up vendor booths, working on the carnival rides, or preparing food Wednesday afternoon.
The 2022 festival begins Wednesday night at 5 p.m.
“All four days, they’ll bring the community out,” Mansfield said. “They’ll also draw from a lot of areas around here.”
The festival in Metamora’s village square is back for its second year after the pandemic. Activities will include carnival rides, live entertainment, and the craft and food vendors.
Mansfield, from Washington, started Creative Home Accents, where he makes a variety of products, including earrings made from guitar picks.
He said events like this are not only fun, but it helps bring revenue to Metamora and support local businesses.
“This is what I do for a living,” Mansfield said. “It still supports the more local areas.”
The peak of the festival is the Old Settler’s Day Parade, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday (the parade route can be found here). The parade follows the 49th Lincoln Douglas Run, with a three or eight-mile run starting at 7:30 a.m. A kids fun run will start at 8 a.m.
