EVENTS & TOURISM

The Village of Makanda welcomes all visitors to visit Makanda and the surrounding Southern Illinois area. Makanda has a lot to offer. Visit the unique shops in downtown Makanda. Enjoy nature and the many rock formations at nearby Giant City State Park and Shawnee National Forest. Have dinner at the ever popular Giant City Lodge. Stay at many of the nearby cabins or bed and breakfasts. Enjoy the Southern Illinois Wineries on the Wine Trail. The possibilities are endless.

Below are several links to help you plan your Makanda and Southern Illinois experience.

RESOURCE LINKS:

http://www.southernillinoistourism.org/

https://shawneewinetrailbb.com/

https://www.southernillinoiscabins.com/

spring

Spring Makandafest

Makanda Springfest is evaluated each spring depending on the weather. Check back for updates.

For questions and additional information please email [email protected].

vulturefest

VultureFest 2025 Scheduled October 18th and 19th

Each fall, vultures soar and glide over Makanda and the surrounding areas and signal the beginning of fall and the arrival of the incredible fall colors of Makanda and southern Illinois. Vulture Fest features live music, food, shopping, and art by local artists for purchase.

For questions and additional information please email [email protected].

bcrossbuilding

B.C. Ross Community Center

Located at 230 Makanda Road near Downtown Makanda.

Building capacity and seating for 100 people. Full kitchen available. No alcoholic beverages allowed in building or on Village property.

Rental fee for Village of Makanda residents - $75/8 hrs. plus $60 Deposit.

Rental fee for non-residents - $100/8 hrs. plus $60 Deposit

Contact Trustee Elaine Ross at (618) 457-7940 or [email protected].

Visitors will definitely want to make plans well in advance of next April’s encore. For dawdlers expecting a room, it’s likely too late. Many lodging sites in the region have been booked since 2017. But plenty of viewing opportunites exist for the wise traveler. Downtown Makanda and its historic boardwalk business community of artists, galleries and totally cool people will be hosting a weekend eclipse party leading up to Monday’s grand spectacle. Local art, eclipse souvenirs, food trucks, music. $5 daily weekend parking and $20 on Monday. It snowed in Makanda on April 8 in one recent year. The next year it was sunny and 80. Plan accordingly.

Track the path of totality right to your door

Curious about how close you live to the path of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse? Or maybe you want to select an ideal viewing locahttp://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGoogleMaps.html