For information about the Catfish Days flea market on North Water St. please contact The Women of Wilmington via their Facebook page or Brenniej@aol.com
For all other festival inquiries, please contact CatfishDays@gmail.com
CATFISH DAYS
Down on the farm
July 20-23, 2023
Wilmington, IL.
2023 Catfish Days Schedule
HAPPENINGS ALL WEEKEND
🎪 CARNIVAL – With $25.00 All You Can Ride Specials on Thursday & Sunday 🎡
🌭 FOOD VENDORS—A great variety of food
🍻 BEER GARDEN—serving ice-cold beverages Friday-Sunday
All events on the North Island unless noted.
Thursday, July 20th
TEEN NIGHT, SPONSORED BY RIVERFRONT LANES
- 4-7pm Wilmington Park District Farmers Market (Downtown)
- 6-10pm Carnival & Food Vendors OPEN All you can ride wristband $25 DJ Roy Gregory with Music & Fun National Guard Climbing Wall & Dunk Tank
- 6-10pm BINGO in the main hall @ the VFW 18+
- 6-8pm Fear Factor Competition *Sponsored by Wilmington Coalition
Friday, July 21st
DOWNTOWN
-
5-8pm Barnyard Equipment Show
Make your own 'Horse' with the Park District
Balloon Art, Face Painting & Photo Ops! - 6-7pm Cardboard 'Tractor' Races *Sponsored by Wesley 4-H Hustlers
- 5p-2:30am Food Vendors OPEN
North Island
- 6pm-12am Carnival, Food Vendors & Beer Garden OPEN
- 6-7pm Reptile Show by Crosstown Exotics
- 6-7:30pm Line Dancing with DJ Doug Pfaff
- 8pm Hillbilly Rockstarz on Main Stage
- 9:30pm Fireworks
Saturday, July 22nd
- 9am-4pm Women of Wilmington Flea Market *Downtown*
- 10:30am Skinner's Bike & Pet Parade Jackson & North Water St. across walkbridge to North Island Stage
- 11am-3pm Mini Horse Carriage Rides
- 12pm-12am Carnival, Food Vendors & Beer Garden OPEN DJ Roy Gregory
- 12:30pm Circus Boy Bobby Hunt @ Main Stage
- 1:00pm WHS Spiritline Performance
- 1:30pm Park District Dancers
- 2-5pm Youth Bean Bag Tournament
- 8pm No Decision on Main Stage
- 9:30pm Laser Show
Sunday, July 23rd
- 8am-12pm Down on the Farm breakfast buffet at the VFW
- 10am Rusty Nutz Car Show
- 12pm Beer Garden opens
- 12pm-1pm Sensory Friendly Time at Carnival
- 1pm CFD Parade *leaves from Steven's Intermediate School to Water St to Mill St.
- 2pm-6pm Carnival *All you can ride. wristband $25* Greg's Fender Benders on the Main Stage
- 3pm Fear Factor Finals
- 3:30pm Coloring Contest
- 5pm Pie Baking Contest @ Veteran's Park *Sponsored by Wilmington Pastor's Association
- 6pm Wilmington Community Band @ Veteran's Park
Catfish Dinners
Would it be Catfish Days without a delicious catfish dinner? Stop in any of these restaurants
during the festival and to enjoy mouth-watering catfish meal deals!
The Rustic Inn
108 N. Water Street
815-476-7290
Choice of whole or filet farm-fresh catfish, coleslaw, potato wedges, and an ear of corn.
Wilmington House Family Restaurant
210 Bridge Street
815-476-2426
Broasted whole or filet catfish dinner with hush puppies, potato salad, and choice of either soup or salad. Dine-in or carry-out.
Wilmington VFW Post 5422
557 W. Baltimore street
815-926-2045
Serving Friday and Saturday from 2pm-8pm and Sunday if supplies last. Whole Catfish, Catfish Fillets and Catfish Nuggets dinners, includes choice of fries or baked potato, coleslaw and hush puppies. Dine-In and Carry-Out available.
Hayden’s Crossing
107 N. Water Street
815-476-5925
Offering a variety of catfish specials all weekend long including catfish filet dinners; catfish po boys; catfish tacos and catfish gumbo along with “adult” lemon shake-ups to wash it all down.
A Little Catfish Days History
Catfish have long been a specialty of Wilmington. Why? Because they played a large part in initiating the event, Catfish Days, after Forked Creek spilled over its banks and flooded the cellars of a section of Wilmington called, “Catfish Town”. This section was located in a hollow behind the Chicago and Alton railroad depot before the turn of the Century.
The first Catfish Days Festival was held in 1976 as a part of the bicentennial celebration of our country. Because of its acceptance and the enthusiasm it engendered, it had become an annual event. The Wilmington Area Historical Society coordinated the festival for the second and third years.
By the sixth year, it had grown so large that a separate Catfish Days Committee sponsored by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce was established.
1985 would hold the last Catfish Days festival, it would be 14 years before it would be revived. In 1999, the city of Wilmington once again celebrated the festival.
To date, Catfish days is running strong with many things to see and do for all ages!
Contact
Ⓒ 2023 Catfish Days
