Arts & Entertainment
From the downtown gallery displaying the work of local artists to concerts by the high school band and chorus, the arts in Paris are largely homegrown pleasures and enjoyed as much as any traveling Broadway show or concert by a big city symphony. When desired, Parisians can drive to nearby Terre Haute where university life influences appreciation of the arts. The Bicentennial Art Center & Museum is the oldest brick structure in Paris.
Summer begins in Paris with the Edgar County Shrine Barbecue, Parade and Auction. A fundraising event, the weekend celebration raises money for the Shrine Children’s Hospital the second weekend in June. The Fourth of July celebration is a daylong event featuring a barbecue and entertainment at the grounds of the American Legion. The Jaycees sponsor a parade and a superb fireworks display at the beautiful Twin Lakes Park on the city’s north side.
The Edgar County Fairgrounds, in Paris, comes to life in mid-July with the annual free Edgar County fair and the 4-H fair. There are harness races; evening shows in the grandstand; the Miss Edgar County Pageant; western, youth and society horse shows; a carnival; farm and business exhibits; and competition in homemaking, fine arts, and agriculture.
The biggest event of the year is the Honeybee Festival and Paris High School Homecoming, held the fourth Friday, Saturday and Sunday in September. The festivities begin with Prairie Settler Days (Thursday-Saturday) sponsored by the Edgar County Historical Society. On Friday, the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is host to a large and entertaining golf outing with prizes, food and fun where members and guests may participate. Saturday features the Honeybee-Homecoming Parade. Then there’s the Honeybee Run sponsored by the Paris YMCA, and a fishing tournament.
In November, Paris hosts the International Thanksgiving Fellowship, housing guests from around the world in Paris and Edgar County homes. Visitors are offered tours of local farms and industry. The event concludes with an International Candlelighting Ceremony and community reception.
The first Friday evening in December is the annual “Christmas on the Square.” Participating merchants hold a progressive dinner and offer door prizes. As you walk around the festive, lighted square, you’ll enjoy the carolers, live nativity scenes and a horse drawn carriage ride. This is also the official arrival of “Santa” in Paris.
Holiday in the Park is held annually at the West Lake Park. This event draws a steady stream of cars filled with awed families enjoying the creative displays presented from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day by the merchants and organizations. The Holiday in the Park committee received the Governor’s Home Town Award for their community participation in June 2003.
