Pekin Marigold Festival

    Pekin Community Selects Winning 2022 Pekin Marigold Medallion Design A medallion designed by recent PCHS graduate Curtis Cook will represent the 2022 Pekin Marigold Medallion Hunt.  Pekin, IL May 18, 2022 - The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce congratulates recent Pekin Community High School graduate Curtis Cook for his winning Pekin Marigold Medallion design.  Nearly one dozen fused glass artworks were submitted to the Pekin Marigold Festival Committee, with finalists posted for a live poll on the festival's social media. All potential medallions were designed by PCHS art students, a tradition started just more than a decade ago.  Curtis began art classes with the high school in his freshman year, focused on completing the program and attaining an independent study course offering. Glassworks however was the class he most looked forward to. His design centers around a Pekin icon: the Mineral Springs Lagoon dragon paddle boat. The medallion is a "full fused glass" appro

    50 th Pekin Marigold Festival Will Be Held This Fall, September 8 th – 11 th   Pekin Marigold Festival announces theme of 2022 Festival: “Back in Time: 50 Years of Marigold Memories.”   Pekin, IL - On September 8 th – 11 th the Pekin Marigold Festival will celebrate its 50 th year honoring Senator Everett Dirksen. This year’s theme, “Back In Time”, will reflect on how the Pekin Marigold Festival has become a cherished tradition in the Central Illinois region. Beloved by his hometown, Pekin hosted the first festival in 1973 as a celebration of the late Senator’s legislative legacy. The Pekin Marigold Festival was named after Senator Dirksen’s love for marigolds, and to this day Pekin is recognized as the Marigold Capital of the World. Senator Dirksen was most known for his key roles in passing the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Open Housing Act of 1968. Chairperson of the 2022 festival, Brandon Bu

  Two Miss Marigold Queens to Compete for Miss Illinois in 2022   2021 Miss Marigold Elisabeth Sandoval and 2019 Miss Marigold Sarah Wynn will compete for the 2022 Miss Illinois title this summer.   Pekin, IL May 5, 2022 - For the first time in known history, two Pekin native women will compete alongside each other for the title of Miss Illinois in June. Reigning 2021 Miss Marigold Elisabeth Sandoval will compete for the first time, representing the community of Pekin and the Pekin Marigold Festival. 2019 Miss Marigold Sarah Wynn will compete for the second time, representing the title of 2021 Miss Blackhawk Valley this year.   Elisabeth Sandoval, Miss Marigold 2021 Miss Illinois, the official state final to Miss America, was first held in 1927, with four Miss Illinois winners succeeding to win a Miss America title since. Miss Illinois has won more Miss America titles than any other competing state in the history of the organization. The Miss America Organization has served