The first annual River Harvest Festival will be held on Saturday, September 14, from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m., outdoors, at the Kellehers Irish Pub & Eatery, 619 SW Water Street in downtown Peoria.

Live music by Robin Crowe begins at 6:00 p.m. Ten local volunteer groups have been invited to offer specific ways to get involved in Illinois conservation and water protection here in central Illinois. There will also be bag toss games, a fresh local corn boil and other grilled food for sale. Great Lakes Brewery will offer nine varieties of their popular beer.

The Festival is organized to highlight work being done to clean up and protect the environment, especially the waterways of central Illinois.

One of the organizers, Dave Pittman of Sierra Club said, “There are lots of ways to become involved, including the annual trash clean up along the Illinois River the following weekend on Saturday, September 21. Volunteers will be able to sign up for a particular location to help with clean-ups along the river.”

River Harvest Festival is sponsored by the Heart of Illinois Sierra Club and Great Lakes Brewing Company, Generous contributions from the local businesses of Marketplace Solutions and Kelleher’s Irish Pub, plus the great musical talent of Robin Crowe and efforts by community groups will produce a great Peoria evening of good music, good food, good conversation and lots of fun for an important cause.

For more information please contact David Pittman at 676-5237, dvdpttmn@aol.com or through the HOI Sierra Club website at www.illinois.sierraclub.org/hoi.