Community News
Carnival, music, food, parade set for June 1-3
Black Diamond Days is approaching
A carnival is coming to town in less than one week, and fun times will definitely be tolerated.
Black Diamond Days, a beloved annual town event thrown in downtown Gillespie, will occupy much of Macoupin Street from Friday, June 1 thru Sunday, June 3. It will feature carnival rides, a parade, games, beer, bands, pageants, and plenty of food.
“We’ll have food… And we moved the beer tent to the south side of Macoupin Street to get it out of the way,” said Tobi Libbra, president of Black Diamond Days for 6 years.
The beer tent this year will be directly in front TwinnCo Real Estate. It was moved because people wanted to bring their kids to see the bands, but didn’t want them under the beer tent. “Now we will have more space and United Community Bank is letting us use their lot for seating,” Libbra said.
The beer tent was moved down by the Civic Center was to bring back tradition, according to the Black Diamond Days Committee. It was supposed to play on with the tradition with the destruction of the Coliseum. The Black Diamond Days Committee will now have double the space they had than the previous location.
“It’s not locked between two buildings, so it will be cooler,” Libbra noted, “It will make the event more family friendly.” It is also convenient because the food court will be on the South end too. The food court was first opened to nonprofit and charity organizations within CUSD #7. According to the Committee, all of these entries were not charged to help raise funds for the community organizations.
Black Diamond Days is Macoupin County’s original festival of coal. It takes place the first weekend in June and always draws a large crowd while providing a fun, safe time for adults and children alike.
Like last year, the festival will open at 5:30 pm on Friday, June 1. Armbands will run from 6-9pm on Friday and also on Sunday from 5-8pm. The Jr. Miss and Miss Black Diamond Days Pageant will also take place on the opening night at the Gillespie Civic Center, according to Libbra.
The pageant is set to start at 6pm. Music on Friday night is provided by Moonracer and the Jr. Miss and Miss Black Diamond Days will be introduced to the audience at 9:15 at the Grand Stand.
Bright and early Saturday morning, fishing tournament registration will begin at 5:30am. The fishing tournament, sponsored by the Masonic Lodge and Black Diamond Days, will take place at Gillespie Lake starting at 6:00pm.
In town, the one mile fun run/ walk will start at 7:30am while the 5K run starts at 8 o’clock sharp. The town will then have some down time until noon. The festival will reopen at 12 noon and washer registration will begin under the beer tent while dog show registration will start at 12:30 at the North side of the Civic Center.
The fun will really begin at 1 o’clock in the afternoon when the dog show and washer tournament begin. The Patty Bernhardt and Festus Memorial dog show will be in front of the grandstand while the Emra Edwards III washer tournament will take place behind the Civic Center’s parking lot.
Music will start at 3 Saturday afternoon and will be provided by B&B Strings. B&B Strings will play until 6pm. Then the Little Miss & Mini Miners Pageant will be at the Civic Center at that time. To close out Saturday night, Runaway Cherry will play from 8-midnight.
The festival will wrap up on Sunday, June 3. The carnival will open at noon again and the parade will begin at 3:00pm. Awards will be announced immediately following the parade at the judge’s tent. Armbands will run from 5-8pm on Sunday and the Southern Blend will be playing music from 4:30-8:30pm.
As always, there will be plenty of non-carnival events such as booths and music. The Black Diamond Days committee would like to remind everyone that beer is available only in the designated area. “Please drink responsibly and enjoy the festival,” Libbra closed, “City ordinances will be enforced.”
To view or print out the flyer, click here!
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SPRINGFIELD — Lincoln Land Community College has announced its full-time and part-time President’s and Vice President’s lists for the spring 2025 semester. Part-time students are enrolled in six to 11 credit hours while full-time students are enrolled in 12 or more credit hours.
Students who earned a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) are noted with an asterisk and earned President’s list honors. Students who earned between a GPA of 3.5-3.99 earned Vice President’s list honors. The excerpt below features Macoupin County students.
FULL-TIME STUDENTS
Bunker Hill – Logan R. Helling
Carlinville – Reid P. Evans*, Brody M. Reif
Gillespie – Maris E. Brill, Austin L. Grace*
Girard – Max Allen*, Katie Angulo*, Mick B. Downs*, Josh Hagerman, Reed Lewis, Michael S. Prose*
Mount Olive – Jakobb E. Brown*, Georgia G. Kampwerth
Palmyra – Alexis R. Bowman*
Staunton – Paige N. Horstmeyer*, Michael J. Matesa*, Lauren R. Mathis, Brandon Mo
Virden – Zorah E. Austin*, Michaeh N. Barnhouse*, Maddie Carver, Jackson R. Pierce*, Morgan C. Snell*, Grant M. Strickler, Courtney N. Ulinski*
PART-TIME STUDENTS
Benld – Christopher Young*
Carlinville – Alex C. Nance*, Jerry D. Nance Jr.*
Gillespie – Jessica L. Tiek*
Girard – Lindsey J. Ferguson*, Jackson R. Henke*, Natalie Moriconi*
Mount Olive – Kara A. Harmon*, Justin D. O’Neill*, Hayden Wylder*
Virden – Candace L. Carlile*, Lillian M. Carlile*, Natalie M. Little*, Josie P. Patterson, Luciano Pierce*
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The 2:18 Missions Team, a dedicated local outreach group based in Gillespie, is excited to announce its upcoming cookout fundraiser to support its community initiatives. The event will take place on Saturday, June 21st, at Randy’s Market in Benld.
From approximately 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., community members are invited to enjoy delicious homemade food while supporting a worthy cause. The menu will feature pork chops, pork burgers, hot dogs, and refreshing water — perfect for a summer day of good food and fellowship.
“All proceeds from this event will go directly toward our mission efforts to serve and uplift our community,” said a spokesperson for 2:18 Missions Team. “We’re grateful for the support of our neighbors and look forward to seeing everyone there!”
Come out to Randy’s Market in Benld on June 21st to enjoy a tasty meal, support local endeavors, and connect with others in the community.
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CARLINVILLE, IL – On June 14th, concerned citizens are invited to join a coalition of grassroots organizations to nonviolently protest in front of the Macoupin County Courthouse at 201 E. Main St. in Carlinville, IL, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. This protest is one of over 1,400 protests taking place nationwide with millions of participants as part of the NO KINGS National Day of Action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.
Trump’s unconstitutional actions include suppressing free speech, detaining people for their political positions, deporting American citizens, defying the courts, and much more – all while enriching himself and his billionaire allies.
“Now Donald Trump is planning a military parade in Washington, D.C. on June 14th. This display of might is intended to intimidate opponents and solidify his image as a strongman, while paying for it with taxpayer dollars.”, said Kelley Hatlee, a volunteer organizer with the Macoupin County 50501and Indivisible movements. “Instead of allowing this military parade to be the center of attention, the NO KINGS nationwide protests make action everywhere else the story of America on June 14th: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.”, said Hatlee.
“We’re showing up together as neighbors, friends, and fellow community members to say NO to authoritarianism and yes to a government that serves everyone,” said Chelsa Pruden, a volunteer organizer with Macoupin PRIDE and Macoupin County 50501 and Indivisible. “We’re tired of watching powerful people trample our rights and our voices. This protest is about reminding everyone, especially those in power, that real strength comes from the people.”
Participants are encouraged to make protest signs that convey their personal messages. Packaged, nonperishable food items will be accepted for donation to local food pantries to help low-income families who will be hit hardest by Trump’s policies.
The NO KINGS protest in Carlinville is organized by a volunteer coalition of the Macoupin PRIDE and the Macoupin County 50501 and Indivisible grassroots movements. The coalition has created a Facebook page titled “Macoupin County 50501 and Indivisible” for concerned citizens to follow.
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