Upcoming Events
- Falltober Fest at the “Rock”
Description: Join park staff, volunteers, and park visitors for a fun filled day at Starved Rock State Park’s Falltober Fest 2023! The day will kick off with a children’s program. Starting at 10 visitors can take a fall color guided hike (registration online only starting at 8 a.m. 9/21/23), or stay indoors and enjoy a live animal program presented by Incredible Bats Inc. Hikes will resume at 1 p.m. and the day will conclude with storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis sharing Native American folklore and ghost stories with drumming and chances to sing a long.
Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Time: Activities occur throughout the day at 9:30, 10, 11, 1, and 2.
Location: Starved Rock State Park Visitor Center and Trails.
Registration required: Yes, the guided hike portion of the day is by registration. REGISTER HERE!
- Starved Rock Annual Photography Show
Description: Starved Rock State Park would like to invite you to participate in the Annual Starved Rock Photography Show held every December at the Starved Rock Visitor Center. Photographers can download the Entry Form below for further information including categories, size limitations, how to drop off entries, and more.
Photographs can be submitted with completed entry forms to the Starved Rock Visitor Center starting November 1st and ending the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. A committee will judge the entries and awards will be announced on the second weekend of December.
The show will be open to the public for viewing the second Sunday of December through the second Sunday of January. All photographs must be claimed by January 14.
Date Entries are Due: November 1 through November 22.
Show Open: December 10 through January 7.
Location: Starved Rock Visitor’s Center Auditorium by the front desk.
Registration required: ENTRY FORM
- Starved Rock Saplings Story Time-Going Batty!
Description: We will be going batty at the park for Falltober Fest on October 21st. Join us for a fun kids program that morning where we will read a storybook on bats, explore the different species of bats found in Illinois, and play a fun game about bats and their favorite food moths!
Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Starved Rock State Park Visitor Center
Registration required: Please email lisa.sons@illinois.gov to register.
2023 Events
January
- January 28th, Eagles at the Rock! Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Eagles!
- January 28th, Eagles at the Rock! Guided Eagle Watch Hikes
- January 28th, Eagles at the Rock! Live Birds of Prey Show
February
- February 4th-March 12th, Starved Rock Annual Art Show
- February 5th, Sled Dog Demonstrations
- February 11th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Fossil Frenzy
March
- March 4th, Owl Prowl
- March 5th, Life as a 17th Century Fur Trader
- March 11th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Nature’s Yucky
April
- April 2nd, Steamboat Coming! Mark Twain Living History by Brian “Fox” Ellis
- April 15th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Flower Power
- April 16th, Art in the Park Workshop
- April 22nd, Starved Rock Stewardship Earth Day
May
- May 7th, Smartphone Nature Photography Class
- May 13th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Life Underground
June
- June 3rd, National Trails Day
- June 4th, Goat Yoga in the Great Outdoors
- June 10th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Silly Salamanders
- June 17th, Summer Night Hike with Moths
July
- July 6th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, P is for Prairie
- July 9th, Art in the Park Workshop-Summer Season
- July 29th, Junior Ranger Day
August
- August 6th, Dave’s Traveling World of Reptiles
- August 12th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Animal Adaptations
September
- September 3rd, Navigating the Great Loop-A Sailing Story
- September 9th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Oh Deer!
- September 10th, Art in the Park Workshop-Fall Season
- September 16th, Starved Rock Stewardship Saturday
- September 23rd, Bats of Illinois and Night Hike
October
- October 8th, Native American History of Starved Rock with Gerald Savage
- October 21st, Falltober Fest at the Rock
- October 21st, Falltober Fest at the Rock, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Going Batty
- October 21st, Falltober Fest at the Rock, Guided Fall Color Hikes
- October 21st, Falltober Fest at the Rock, Incredible Bats Presents Animals from Around the World
- October 21st, Falltober Fest at the Rock, Native American Ghost Stories by Brian “Fox” Ellis
- October 28th, Ghosts of Starved Rocks Past
November
- November 4th, Starved Rock Stewardship Saturday
- November 11th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Squirrely!
December
- December 3rd, Paleoindian Archaeology of the Illinois Valley
- December 9th, Starved Rock Saplings Story Time, Nature’s Noel
- December 9th, Starved Rock Annual Photo Show and Contest
- December 10th, Art in the Park Workshop -Winter Season