Events

Explore Our Upcoming and Past Events!

The Highland Historical Society is proud to host events that celebrate our community’s rich heritage and bring history to life. From lectures and exhibits to special gatherings and commemorations, our programs offer opportunities to connect with the past while engaging with neighbors and friends.

Explore our upcoming events to see what’s next, and browse past highlights to revisit the moments that have shaped our story.

Upcoming Events

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Highland Historical Society is happy & proud to announce our 38th annual fall event! This event is being held, as usual, the first weekend after Labor Day (Sept. 11, 12 & 13). For many years this event has been known as Homestead Harvest Days, but this year is special!

As a historical society, we couldn’t let our country’s 250th birthday pass without a major celebration. So, we will be celebrating Homestead Harvest Days AND America 250 together this year!

What can you expect? Don’t worry, everything you have loved over the past 37 years will be back! We will be holding demonstrations, living history, entertainment, children’s events, tractors & more! We will also be focusing on the decades throughout the years of not only our country, but also our historic town of Highland!

Annual Homestead Harvest Days

Each September, the Highland Historical Society hosts its Annual Homestead Harvest Days, a three-day celebration of rural heritage and community tradition.

This much-anticipated event transforms the homestead grounds into a living history experience, featuring antique tractor shows, farming equipment displays, and hands-on demonstrations of blacksmithing, quilting, and other time-honored skills. Families can enjoy children’s activities, live music, horse-drawn wagon rides, and a wide variety of food and refreshments, creating a festival atmosphere with something for everyone.

More than just an event, Homestead Harvest Days honors Highland’s agricultural roots and brings generations together to celebrate the values of hard work, community, and history. It has become a cherished tradition, drawing visitors from across the region who come year after year to reconnect with the past and make new memories.

Check back here for more details on the NEXT Homestead Harvest Days!

Haunted HIstory Tours!

Ever wonder what haunted tales can be found in Highland, IL? Wonder no more!

Our first Haunted History Tour will begin at the Highland City Cemetery and you will visit some of Highland’s other haunted locations!

This event is for people aged 15 and up. Tickets are $25 dollars per person. Payments can be made in cash, or check. Checks can be written to the “Highland Historical Society” with a “Highland Haunted History Tour” in the Memo. Payments can be mailed to Highland Illinois P.O. Box 51.

Due to space constraints at some locations and safety, registrants are limited to 25 per day. Registrants are accepted in the order they are received and by payment first.

Christmas at the Homestead!

We are excited to announce that we are bringing back Christmas at the Homestead! Join us at the Latzer Homestead for a look at how Christmas was celebrated in 1935!

Christmas at the Homestead is a cherished holiday tradition that brings the spirit of the season to life at the Highland Historical Society’s historic homestead. Visitors are welcomed into rooms decorated in timeless holiday style, each capturing the warmth and charm of an old-fashioned Christmas. Throughout the homestead, guests can enjoy the glow of twinkling lights, the sounds of festive music, and the aromas of seasonal treats. The event offers a chance to slow down, step back in time, and experience the simple joys of the holidays as they were celebrated in years past. Families, friends, and neighbors gather to share in the nostalgia, explore local history, and create lasting memories in a truly unique setting.