Green text and an illustration of a ships wheel with a river boat in the center on a white background

Great River Days Inc. is a non-profit run by volunteers which has been responsible for the Great River Days Festival in Muscatine, Iowa every summer for almost 60 years. At one point in its history a Great River Days pinback button served as the ticket into the event. In later years, the buttons became souvenirs instead of proof of payment to attend the festival. In 2017, It was announced that the festival would be discontinued due to cost and safety issues on the riverfront. 

Black and white text and an illustration of a whale on a light blue and blue background

Davenport, California is situated on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and is famous for picturesque cliffs and bluffs.  Davenport is named for a whaling captain named John Pope Davenport and is home to Davenport Beach, American Abalone (a producer of California Red Abalone), and Davenport Jail which today serves as a local museum.  

Due to Davenport’s cliffs and bluffs, whales can be seen during their annual migration from Baja, Mexico to southeast Alaska. Female gray whales give birth in the south during the winter and make their way north along the coast with their offspring. These whales stick close to land to avoid predators and are easy to spot along this migration route.  Gray whales are protected by the International Whaling Commission and only a small number of these whales can be hunted each year.

Blue text with a banner illustration and a red logo inside a blue circle on a white background

From June 22-24, 1926 a delegation of nearly 250 members of Sunday schools in the Illinois area convened for the 76th annual Illinois State Sunday School convention in Granite City, Illinois. The convention an others like it were being held in response to an increase in Sunday school programs in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries which created a growing need for properly trained Sunday school teachers. The conventions were held as a way to attract and train teachers, as well as develop age-appropriate curriculum for students. Key issues that teachers and churches might be faced with were also addressed at these meetings.

Black text around an illustration of an artist holding a frame in front of a canvas on an easel on white background

Established in 1903, Goods of Evanston is a framing gallery located in Evanston, Illinois. It offers a number of services, including canvas mounting, display cases, custom framing, glass replacement, and mirror repair.

White text on a green background

Mother's Day is an annual celebration of mothers and motherhood celebrated in the United States and in variations worldwide. Popular traditions include the mother's day brunch, gifts of flowers and chocolate, and, most notably, calling your mother!

Red text on a white background

Garden of the Gods is a public park in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1971, Garden of the Gods features large vertical rock formations made of red, pink, and white sandstone and limestone. The park’s formations were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago. Visitors to Garden of the Gods park can see evidence of ancient seas, ancestral mountain ranges, sandy beaches, and great sand dune fields in the layers that make up the rock formations. Garden of the Gods park is a popular place for hiking, rock climbing, road and mountain biking, and horseback riding.

Illustration of a grey fish on a red and white background with an outer blue edge with white text

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

Illustration of the top of a building at night with purple, white and blue text and an outer blue edge with black text

Located in Springfield, Illinois, First Night is a New Year's Eve art event that is dedicated to celebrating local and national art exhibits. The event is a family friendly activity dedicated to providing an affordable, accessible, and welcoming atmosphere. First Night Springfield is the oldest of its kind in Illinois and, by extension, the longest running, with the first recorded event in 1986. First Night's origins go back further, being modeled after First Night Boston which started in 1976.

Blue illustration of a whale with blue text below and an outer blue edge with white outlined text on it

The Festival of the Whales has been held annually in Dana Point, California since 1972. Taking place over two weekends in early March, The Festival of the Whales is one of Southern California’s largest and longest running festivals and many area businesses, like local Mexican food restaurant Casa Maria, participate in festival events. The festival celebrates the yearly migration of gray whales, who travel along the California coast during a 10,000-mile round-trip from their winter warm-water breeding and calving lagoons in Baja, Mexico to cold-water feeding grounds in Alaska. Scientists believe that the whales may use the cliffs of Dana Point as a navigational landmark, as they frequently appear close to shore during their migration north. The Festival of the Whales features four days of whale watching, a parade and street fair, arts and crafts shows, classic car exhibits, a sand sculpture contest, concerts, and various educational whale-related activities that support the protection and preservation of oceans and marine life.

Black text above and below an illustration of the earth with rays coming out of the top and two arms above it

Loyola University Chicago celebrated Hunger Week every November for over 40 years until 2019. Hunger Week was a student organized week of events to increase awareness of hunger and raise funds for organizations fighting hunger. In the final years, this fundraising event contributed to the STEP program and local garden projects to advocate change in the Loyola University area. The program was discontinued to refocus assets and funds to other programs.