Meeting Thursday to Map "Heritage Days" Plan

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Du Quoin Main Street director Pam Pereira will meet at 7:30 a.m. Thursday to exchange ideas with the Du Quoin City Council on street closures for the upcoming Heritage Days Festival on Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2.

Pereira told the city council Monday night that the Heritage Days carnival company tells her that there is too much of a crown and drainage grade on Main Street to erect large carnival rides on Main Street.

In the alternative, it is seeking permission to build its carnival for the two-day festival on the city parking lot along South Oak Street across from the St. Nicholas Hotel property and Doc "Z"s Fitness Center.

Pereira told the council she would like to begin closing Main Street in downtown Du Quoin on Thursday so that the carnival can bring its equipment into downtown Du Quoin and so the band stand and beer garden for Friday night's planned concert with Randy Uhe's band " Mystery Train" can be set up.

Pereira said she is polling downtown businesses today to ask them about any inconvenience that might be caused by the Heritage Days Festival in advance of the Thursday morning meeting.

Mayor John Rednour, who also serves as chairman of the Du Quoin State Bank board, told Pereira that closing downtown Du Quoin would eliminate access to the bank's drive-through on one of the busiest weekends of the month as social security checks begin arriving and customers begin transacting their beginning of the month business.

At least two other businesses have expressed concerns about shutting down Main Street for the celebration.

Pereira, however, asks the business community to not lose sight of the goal of Heritage Days--to expose Southern Illinoisans to shopping opportunities in downtown Du Quoin.

She said the carnival and the planned events should bring hundreds of potential shoppers to downtown Du Quoin on Friday afternoon and Saturday.

Heritage Days will include stage coach rides, a flea market and craft fair, a downtown car show, several competitions and performances on the downtown stage by music groups, a drama group, the girl scouts and a local martial arts school.

There will be several auctions and giveaways that include two season tickets to Indian football, a 50-50 drawing and a football autographed by Du Quoin's Nick Hill, who has begun playing professional football through the Arena League Program.

If you have suggestions for the Heritage Event, please attend the 7:30 a.m. meeting of the council Thursday at city hall.