Havana to host Smithsonian traveling exhibit celebrating rural innovation January 13 - February 17, 2024

The national exhibition will be accompanied by a locally-produced companion exhibit.

CHICAGO, January 10, 2024 — Illinois Humanities is pleased to announce that Havana will be the next Illinois town to host Spark! Places of Innovation, the newest traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. Spark! will be hosted by the Havana Area Chamber of Commerce from January 13 - February 17, 2024.

As a companion to the Spark! exhibition, Havana will present a locally-produced exhibit detailing the diverse resources and innovative research being conducted within the Illinois River Valley and specifically Havana, highlighting the two University of Illinois Biological Research Facilities, the Forbes Biological Station and Illinois River Biological Station. The exhibit will also showcase the innovative ways Havana has reinvented itself and restored its historic Downtown to transform its business community and grow its tourism industry.

Visitors will have an opportunity to attend the popular annual Fulton-Mason Eagle Day Festival on February 3, 2024. The free all-day festival will include live bird exhibitions and family-friendly activities that celebrate the culture and history of the Illinois River Valley area. Activities will

take place at the Havana City Center, as well as multiple other partner locations in Mason and Fulton County. Additionally, the Havana Area Chamber of Commerce will offer a full accompaniment of events on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m., Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the duration of the tour stop. These events will include presentations, lectures, performances, and historic architectural walking tours that provide a glimpse into the region’s rich natural resources, scientific research, ecology, arts and culture, history, and relationship to Native American communities. A full schedule of programs can be found at historichavanaillinois.com.

Spark! Places of Innovation will be at the Havana City Center, 326 W Market St

Havana, IL, January 13 - February 17, 2024. Havana is the second to last stop on the Museum on Main Street Illinois tour, with a final stop in Marshall, IL taking place late February through March.

Illinois Humanities partners with the Smithsonian to bring world-class, multimedia Smithsonian exhibitions to small towns and rural communities in Illinois. Through partnerships with organizations local to each community, every tour stop will showcase the town's homegrown stories, local events, and history.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

• January 13 – February 17, 2024: Havana, IL
  Havana City Center, 326 West Market Street, Havana, IL
• February 24 – March 30, 2024: Marshall, IL
  Marshall Public Library, 612 Archer Avenue, Marshall, IL