Central Illinois Bed and Breakfast the Market Street Inn

The lovely and little known persimmon is the focus of a festival, known as the Persimmon Party, held annually on the grounds of the Christian County Historical Society in Taylorville, IL.  This is a unique event in that it is one of only 3 such festivals for the persimmon in the U.S.  Persimmons seemingly have diminished in importance and usage to the American public over the years and cultivation of the trees is not as prominent at it once was even though the tasty fruit has many important food and medicinal properties.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon .

Every year, when the persimmons ripen, members of the Chrisitan County Historical Society http://www.taylorville.net/Historical_Society.htm gather and “pulp” the persimmons and package and freeze the pulp and have it waiting for the folks who attend the Persimmon Party to purchase and take home to use in delectable dishes for their table.  What a great addition to your Thanksgiving Dinner.  This year the Annual Persimmon Party will be November 12 and 13, 2011.  What a great time to come to Taylorville for fun , food and festivities.  There are always a variety of foods, made from the persimmon pulp, to sample maybe including Persimmon Drop Cookies and Persimmon Pudding as shown belowCookies and Persimmon Pudding as shown below.  The Christian County Historical Society has two Persimmon Cookbooks for sale to provide ideas about how to use the persimmon pulp you purchase during your visit.

                                                                                                     

The Christian County Historical Society grounds are comprised of a variety of buildings of historical value including a Bee Castle and the original Christian County Courthouse in which Abraham Lincoln practiced law on the Illinois 8th Judicial Circuit.  Please take the time to pay a visit to our Facebook Page and like us.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-County-Illinois-Historical-Society-and-Museum/137053123008672

Come to Christian County Illinois for fun, history and good times.  The county seat of Christian County is Taylorville, Illinois where you will find all sorts of restaurants, lodging and even more history.  We are located just 30 minutes from both Springfield and Decatur, Illinois.

Every year for the last several the Christian County Geneology Society has sponsored a “Cemetery Walk” at Oak Hill Cemetery in Taylorville, IL.  This year the date is set for Sunday, September 25, 2011.  This is an event of historic note which will thrill those interested in heritage, history and our early beginnings.

Extensive research is conducted on persons of interest, historically, in Christian County and a local person protrays that person at graveside and tells their story of trials and tribulation, triumph and tragedy, failure and success including the family history which must accompany the story.  You will “meet” housewives, school teachers, store owners, bankers, lawyers, ministers, soldiers and statesmen and hear an accurate recapitulation of their life.  You will share their joys and tears and successes and failures and go away with more of an understanding of what life in the 1800′s and early 1900′s held in store for those here and living in a much simpler time than we live in today.

There is a modest fee to attend and truly enjoy learning about our ancestors and there is also transportation from site to site for those who need assistance.  Come in on Friday or Saturday and take some time to see the community today.  Enjoy the Farmers Market on Saturday morning on the National Registry Historic Square where Abraham Lincoln used to practice law.  Visit the Christian County Historical Society site on Friday or Saturday and make a weekend of it.  There are fun restaurants here with tasty, reasonably priced food.  Come and enjoy life at a slower pace.  Sit on our porch and sip and read.  We’ll look forward to seeing you.

Many years ago it was a tradition to Parade in one’s Easter finery along the Avenue and meet and greet and see and be seen by one and all.  Several inspired young ladies of fashion in Taylorville are recreating this tradition on Saturday, April 23 at 1:30 PM around the National Historic Registry Taylorville Square.  

Come and participate in our Easter Parade (Promenade_)

  Note!!!  This is not only for ladies of fashion but gentlemen as well.  Ladies, wear your Easter Bonnet and your finery and gentleman, wear your chapeau and fine suitings as well.  Don’t have a chapeau or a bonnet?  Go online and Google Easter Bonnet and Easter Parade and create your own.  What we want is participation.

The Taylorville Square is on the National Registry of Historic Places and has buildings dating back to the late 1800″s.  What a great place to meet and greet friends, both old and new.

Here are a couple of young ladies who have been hunting Easter Eggs in their beautiful attire.  Did I mention Easter Egg Hunt?  Yes, there will be an Easter Egg Hunt on the green of  the Courthouse Square sponsored by the Taylorville Kiwanis Club.  Eggs will contain various stuffings for the pleasure of the lucky who find them.  You might even expect a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Beginning at 1:30 PM is the Easter Promenade and remember, “This is not all about the girls!”  Men, come out and show your manhood by dressing up and parading with a finely dressed lady.  Or, perhaps, “Man’s Best Friend.”

 Of course, well behaved dogs are welcome, especially when attired in the finest of fashion.

After the Promenade, beginning at 2:30PM, there will be a wine tasting in the Shumway Room at One East Market Restaurant and Jazz Lounge.  Please come and enjoy.  Make a dinner reservation, go home and change and come back in your dancing  shoes to enjoy the sounds of The Big Shake Daddies.  You will be glad you did.

Easter is the Celebration of the Rebirth of Christ and what a great to do this.  Of course, folks from Miles Around and other well known cities are invited to join in and make this celebration the success it should be.  Happy Easter from the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast.

The Williams Family, who traveled from all over the US and from Spain and Scotland to spend an early Christmas with each other at

our Central Illinois Inn. What fun to have 23 fun folks gathering in our commons areas to reacquaint     with one another, tell stories of happenings since seeing each other last, telling the patriarch that he is going to be a grandfather once again and playing with and loving on the little children. Patriarch Williams will be 89 in January 2011 and is sharp and spry as is Matriarch Williams.

As innkeepers, we found it much fun to watch, listen and attempt to anticipate the wants and needs of the various members of all ages.  At breakfast on Saturday, one of the sisters-in-law gave one of our innkeepers a test on the names of everyone at the table.  He passed the test.  

Every Saturday morning, the Clock Keeper of our Courthouse Clock will take anyone who is waiting about 8 AM at the South Door of the Christian County Courthouse up into the clocktower while he winds the 7 Day Clock which faces the 4 points of the compass. The Clock Keeper is also very intimate with the engineering and architecture of the Christian County Courthouse and the changes which have been made in the past couple of years. He tells folks about the restoration of the art glass dome, the false ceiling which was removed to expose it once again to view from below and the removal of the second floor center to provide a view from the first floor all the way up.

Christian County Illinois Courthouse

Restored Art Glass Dome

The Clock Keeper also tells folks about the restored Tern and Bittern fountain on the Southwest Lawn and the 4 year old, bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln and the “pig story” on the Northwest Lawn. The entire Williams Family enjoyed the small town hospitality which happens here in Taylorville in Central Illinois.

Just about all of the Williams Family

 We hope you come back someday, Williams Family.

Who thinks about Persimmons today? Probably not a lot of folks but the Persimmon Fest in Central Illinois at the Christian County Historical Museum sure does draw a crowd from all over the country and then some. Actually the persimmon is a sought after fruit in Asian Countries.

The Lovely and Versitile Persimmon

Persimmons are not ready to eat, at least by local standards, before they have undergone a “killing frost” and we have had one now so the persimmon harvest is coming in, they are being washed, pitted and mashed into a pulp for use in all sorts of tasty dishes including puddings, pies, steamed persimmon pudding, spiced persimmon cake and other baked goods.  Darleen Wilson is making 24 persimmon pecan pies for this event.  Abraham Lincoln would have loved Darleen’s pies.

Persimmon Bundt with Walnuts

Persimmon Bundt with Walnuts Recipe

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Myrna, our chief innkeeper, is a survivor of  6 months. Our effort in promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to invite you to a stay at the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast for the weekend of Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30 or anytime through November 21, 2010 AND  10%  of your room rate will be donated to Cups for the Cure and/or Breast Cancer Research.  The donation will be in your name.

Some special events in Taylorville, IL   

** One East Market Restaurant invites you to make a $15 donation to attend a tasting of five fabulous wines and a complimentary, hand painted wine glass.  11 am to 5 pm    You may purchase any of the wines either by the bottle or case and all proceeds will go to breast cancer awareness and research in a ten-county area in Central Illinois.

** Lunch on the “Pink Plate Special” for $8.50 and $1.00 of each lunch will go to breast cancer research.

** The drink of the day at One East Market Restaurant will be the Flirtini Special for $7.50. Each Flirtini Special sold makes a $2.50 donation to Breast Cancer Research.

** There will be a 50/50 drawing and Gift Basket Raffles.

** There will be Art Bra’s on display, one by your innkeeper, and you may let your $$ vote for your favorite and, of course, all proceeds go to breast cancer awareness and research.

** There is NO COVER CHARGE for live music by 48 Connection from 5 to 8 PM. This band is known for their roadhouse blues and rock music.

Have fun, donate to a very worthy cause and enjoy Central Illinois finest lodging.  See us at www.marketstreetinn.com/

On Sunday, October 31st, Garlic Fest II will happen at the K of C Hall in Morrisonville, IL  just about 9 miles from the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast.  Tickets are $8 at the door and what a good time you will have.  Garlic!!!!  The doors will open at 1 PM and Bagna Cauda will be ready about 1:30 PM.  This gives you time to soak up a bunch of Bagna and beer preparing for the meal which will be at approximately 3:30 PM consisting of Garlic Sausage, Slaw & Mostaccioli.  There will be music by “The Music Men” from 3:30 to 7:30 PM.  Garlic Fest II is a revived area tradition and golly, did we miss it when it was gone.  Thanks for the revival.  You cannot have more down home fun than is available here.      

Bagna Cauda Recipe

Garlic Fest II Where Garlic is King

Romance and warmth multiply in flickering firelight

We are approaching the time of year when warmth is a desirable thing. There is nothing like a flickering fire or the warm bubbling waters of a whirlpool tub for two to warm and stimulate you and your partner and enhance relaxation and romance. Both fire flicker and bubbling jets of our whirlpool rooms are available at the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast www.marketstreeinn.com.

Whirlpool Tub for Two next to a Fireplace

Most of our guest rooms have either a gas log fireplace or an electric fireplace while our Hunt Club in the Carriage House has both. Enjoy the romance, the escape and each other.

Visit Lincoln's Home while staying at our Illinois inn

Fall is a super time for a getaway in Central Illinois. The weather is lovely, the crowds are thin, and there is plenty to do. We offer several specials at our Springfield area Bed and Breakfast – there is certainly one right for you.

We are still celebrating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and Central Illinois is still THE place to be to honor Honest Abe. Book our Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Special, and head just a few miles up to Springfield to visit the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Lincoln in Illinois, Photographs by Ron Schramm, is an excellent (and free) exhibit in the Presidential Library that runs through September 30. Traditional and non-commercial Lincoln statues are the subject of the photographs, and when gathered together they are an interesting lot. Illinois Stories, running through August 31, 2010, explores in depth the history of Lincoln’s home state.

Our Early Autumn Special encourages you to stay two or three nights in our Central Illinois inn. Visit Lincoln’s Home. Bring your bikes or walking shoes and plan to spend a day on the Lincoln Prairie Bike Trail. Bring your spouse and celebrate a honeymoon or anniversary. Or just bring a book, and plan to spend a couple of days being pampered and relaxing. We’ll feed you a tasty, wholesome breakfast each morning to energize you for the day ahead, no matter what you choose to do.