July 2025 Escape to Elsah Newsletter:  

Viking Cruise Line (a Mississippi River boat cruise, docked in Alton for the day) and among its excursions included an “Explore Elsah” tour on June 28^th.  We saw 3 busloads of happy guests checking out the village and learning about our history. With a walking guided tour that included stops at the Green Tree Inn, The Elsah Museum, and Peace Works gift shop at the Riverview House.  After touring the village, they made their way up to Principia for a guided bus tour around campus with a couple stops at two of Maybeck’s buildings. Viking will have additional tour dates in the coming months. Thank you to all business owners (especially those opening special for the tour) and volunteers/residents of the village also supporting the tour.  

Fourteen Village residents took part of a promotional video for the village on Monday June 23^rd. For all those who came out to support in some way during the excessive heat wave, a huge THANK YOU.  

The Elsah website is in need of some updated marketing and promotional tourism content. The project has been headed up by Julie Connoyer and Ryan Baird. Ryan has graciously volunteered to film and edit the video. In place of actors, the Tourism Committee agreed that it would be fun to invite Elsah residents to “act” in the footage. The project will be continually worked on in segments and headed up by Ryan Baird. When the video and other edits are completed, you can check it out on the Elsah website (www.escapetoelsah.com).

Happy Independence Day!! There will be several events in the area to celebrate the 249-year birthday of the USA!!  Fireworks on the 3^rd in Alton, the 5^th in Grafton and in St. Louis on the 3^rd & 4^th.  All events are free of charge and family friendly.  

• The St. Louis event will launch fireworks (beginning at 9:40pm each night) over the Gateway Arch. The live music performers will be Russell Dickerson and Gavin DeGraw. The event will be located along Leonor K Sullivan Boulevard. There will be food and drink vendors, will feature a Family Fun Zone and have a ceremony honoring veterans.   

• The Alton fireworks will be launched over the river and visible from the Alton Amphitheater, following the 399th Army Band performing (concert 8pm-9:30). There will be food trucks beginning at 5pm. 

• In Grafton, the Fireworks Authority will stage the show next to the Grafton Lighthouse beginning at 9pm. There are several locations to view as you can also enjoy live music from the various restaurant/pub/bars/wineries in town. 

• In addition to live fireworks displays and events, the 2025 Macy’s Fireworks show will be televised on NBC and Peacock from 8pm-10pm ET on Friday, July 4^th. There will also be performances by several artists.   

Elsah’s Annual 4^th of July Parade and Potluck Party. The parade kicks off at 11:30am at the Elsah Civic Center on the 4th. Everyone is welcome to join the fun… whether you’re in a car, on foot, or cheering from the sidelines!  After the parade, the celebration continues with a potluck and a party back at the Civic Center. The village will provide all the paper products and drinks. Please bring a dish to share with your friends and neighbors.

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The annual hummingbird banding this year will be on the 12^th from 9am-noon in the yard of Gene and Sally Horbelt’s home (113 Mill St). All are welcome. During a hummingbird banding, the birds are captured and handled safely, a small (very small) band is placed on the leg of each bird by a trained and licensed bander, while also recording data of its age, sex, condition, and measurements, before carefully releasing it. It is a great experience, especially when they let you hold and release a hummingbird yourself! Thank you to Gene and Sally for putting this on for so many years and inviting all to join. And to our official banders, Vernon and Betty Kleen.

New Elsah Museum Exhibit to open on July 12^th. As the HEF photography exhibit ends and the photographers pick up their pieces, there will be a new exhibit to look forward to. Opening July 12^th thru the end of the year. Entitled “The Coloring Book Process” where two local artists (Marty McKay and Sun Smith-Forest) have collaborated on creating themed coloring books of Historic Elsah and Iconic Alton. Most of the process is shared over 5 museum panel displays, demonstrating the process. There will be coloring books ($15 each) and greeting cards ($5-18 each) available for purchase at the museum as well. We hope you can come to the Elsah Museum and see this new exhibit before the museum closes for the season in October. Please see further details in the attached flyer.

From the Editor: “As I see it” Weather recap- Attached are photos of a large Maple Tree that had suddenly and without warning fell across the main road in the village on June 4th. Thankfully nobody was hurt, or vehicles were negatively impacted by the fall. However, the big tree took out some of the electrical lines and even snapping a telephone pole several yards away. This left some of the village without power, including State Street on LaSalle restaurant.   

Thank you to our Elsah Maintenance crew who were quick to help clear the tree. You can see both Randy and Tom working hard (in the picture).  

Other weather in the village in June includes unseasonably cooler weather, wind, rain and even fog. Thankfully the rain didn’t bring flooding or flash flooding in June, but we were under severe thunderstorm warnings a few times, hail warnings and tornado warning and watches. At the beginning of the month, in the St. Louis area, there were two tornados that touched down and affected many by devastating homes, businesses and communities. This weather event impacted several counties and towns across several states as it moved through.  Furthermore, towards the end of the month most of the Midwest and Eastern states were under Excessive Heat warnings for a week.  

For Elsah Residents: 

• Here is a list of reminders already mentioned in previous Newsletters.  

• Reserve your Spot! A Sign-up sheet for using the community fireplace behind the Civic Center is a calendar hanging in the hallway outside of the restrooms (which is unlocked 24/7).  

• Our leaves from last fall are composting in the Wetlands. Feel free to load up a bucket or make arrangements with Randy or Tom, for larger amounts. This is a great soil amendment or mulch for flower or vegetable beds. 

• QEM has Free Smoke Detectors with free installation for any residents of QEM Fire District. To schedule the free installation of these smoke detectors, call (618) 786-3300. 

• Any Elsah Resident interested in taking a CPR class, please contact Susan Young. sioux.zen63@gmail.com. 

• Fiber Optics: You can contact them directly to ask questions or sign up to have your home connected with fiber optics.   

Grafton Technologies website has information about services offered and prices.  https://www.gtec.com/ or you can call them at (618) 786-4000.

• Meetings open to the Village Residents: 

• Second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm: The Elsah Board of Trustees meet 

• First Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm: The Zoning Board Committee meet 

*Check times for specific Committees on the Civic Center bulletin board up to 48 hours prior to the meeting or call the Clerk for more information.  

  Civic Center: (618) 374-1568 / elsah.clerk@gmail.com

*All Monthly Meetings are open to Elsah Residents and may be canceled due to a lack of business to discuss. They are held in the Elsah Civic Center at 51 Mill Street.  

Reminder to all Readers: 

Email address change: If you have any ideas for featured stories or you would like more information about being a guest writer, please send an email addressed to “Mary” to escapetoelsah.news@gmail.com. The editor will do her best to take all requests and suggestions. Thank you.

Announcements: 

*If you are interested in more events happening in the area, we recommend the Great Rivers and Routes website or mobile app for a complete listing.  

• 3^rd (Thur) 9:30pm Alton Fireworks (at the Alton Amphitheater)  

• 3^rd & 4^th (Thur/Fri) 9:40pm St. Louis Fireworks (over the Gateway Arch) 

• 4^th (Fri) Independence Day  

• 4^th (Fri) 11:30am Elsah Independence Day Parade and Potluck Picnic 

• July 5^th (Sat) 9pm Grafton Fireworks at the Grafton Lighthouse 

• 12^th (Sat) 9am-noon Humming Bird banding (at Sally and Gene Horbelt’s home) 

• 26^th & 27^th Riverside Flea Market (at the Grafton Loading Dock) Open Sat 9-5pm, Sun 9-4pm. 

• Every Thursday 7:00pm- Grafton Music in the Park (MIP) at the Grove Memorial Park. Bring lawn chairs, and snacks. Family friendly. Best local bands in the area.  

• The Elsah Book Club has chosen July’s book selection, “The Underworld: Journey to the Depths of the Ocean” by Susan Casey. The club meeting will meet on Monday July 28^th. For more information, contact cecilyellenlee@gmail.com.    

• Principia Events open to the public  

• No known events at this time.  

• Astronomy  

• 4^th- Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation (look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset). 

• 10^th- Full Moon (named the Buck Moon by early Native American tribes as it was the time of year that male buck deer would begin to grow their new antlers).  

• 24^th- New Moon (due to no moonlight this is the best time of the month to view faint objects/stars because there is no moonlight interference). 

• 28^th & 29^th- Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower (up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak, left by debris from comets. Shower runs from July 12^th to Aug 23^rd- peaking on the night of July 28^th and morning of July 29^th. Best viewing will be in a dark location after midnight.  

For Sale within the village! There are currently no new homes or businesses listed since our last Newsletter publication. However, included is the link to view the Bed and Breakfast currently for sale in the village. 

• 15 Mill (Green Tree Inn)  

 For more information visit: 15 Mill St, Elsah, IL 62028 | MLS #24017079 | Zillow