Gathering for the Cause: A Civil War Sanitary Fair Experience

This fall, area arts and history organizations invite the public to experience the Civil War home front through a living history event inspired by the Sanitary Fairs of the era. The event brings together local organizations and groups dedicated to preserving 19th-century history and culture and will be held at the Western Illinois Museum. Visitors are invited to explore and learn about Civil War–era Sanitary Fairs.

Sanitary Fairs were large-scale fundraising events organized primarily by women during the American Civil War to support the work of the United States Sanitary Commission. This civilian-run organization provided critical aid to Union soldiers. These fairs combined education, entertainment, and charity to raise money for medical supplies, clothing, and food. The name “Sanitary” refers to the Commission’s mission to improve health conditions in military camps and hospitals. Fairs were a creative and communal response to the war’s pressing needs, embodying the spirit of volunteerism and civic duty.

Organized by The HUB Arts & Cultural Center in Rushville and the Western Illinois Museum in Macomb, who have created a version of the Sanitary Fair, bringing this powerful history to life through hands-on experiences, music, and storytelling that highlight the resilience and ingenuity of Illinoisans during the Civil War.

Program Highlights

• 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. – Experience the re-creation of a vibrant “fair” atmosphere with exhibits from the Western Illinois Museum’s collection, including period tintype portraits, clothing, and accessories such as the era’s popular hair jewelry. Discover the Civil War through the eyes of local roundtable re-enactors, who will share stories of women’s vital work organizing Sanitary Fairs, the daily life of soldiers, the weapons they carried, and the legacy of the Grand Army of the Republic in preserving their service.
• 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. – Grand Parade and Dance performance, by The Hub’s Historical Dancers. The performance features dances that would have been enjoyed during the Sanitary Fairs. The dancers will invite audience members to join in a dance at the end of their performance.
• 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. – Enjoy live music of the era performed by a brass quintet led by composer and bandleader John Mindeman. The ensemble features Bruce Briney and Anne McNamara on trumpet, Rachel Hockenberry on horn, John Mindeman on trombone, and Mike Rockstroh on tuba.
• 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. – Experience a musical Performance with Chris Vallillo. From patriotic anthems and campfire ditties to reworked versions of popular songs of the era, Civil War soldiers reshaped music to suit their tastes and capture the struggles and hardships they endured. Award-winning folk musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo draws from the journals and letters of the troops, bringing these rare and long-forgotten songs back to life.

Learn more about this program.