Danville: local rooms, events and more

Photo: ComRela · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Town and around · Illinois · 71k people

Danville

Locals say Vermilion County · “Hub of the Midwest”

Where the corn meets the sky

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Welcome to Vermilion County, where the cornfields meet the river and the small-town charm is real. Whether you're here for the sweet corn, a Dans game, or just passing through, you'll find a friendly wave and a good story.

Clubs for Danville

No clubs for Danville yet.

The room

Danville Quiet now Where the corn meets the sky

One room for everyone around Danville. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

Ask the neighbours

All

A good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.

Coming up

No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.

Marketplace

Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Danville. Sign in to sell something.

Things to do

Kickapoo State Park Outdoor recreation with lake and trails.
Vermilion County Museum Local history and heritage.
Fischer Theatre Historic performing arts venue.
Danville Stadium Home of the Danville Dans baseball team.
David S. Palmer Arena Events and sports arena.
Vermilion River Scenic river for fishing and paddling.

Outdoors Fish the Vermilion River
Outdoors Hike at Kickapoo State Park
With kids Catch a Danville Dans baseball game
With kids Picnic at Kickapoo State Park
Evenings Live music at local bars
Evenings Trivia nights
Locals love Small-town diners
Locals love Antique shops

Through the year

Vermilion County Fair summer Classic county fair with livestock, rides, and food.
Hoopeston National Sweetcorn Festival summer Celebrates the local sweet corn harvest with food and music.
Danville Balloon Festival summer Hot air balloon launches and family activities.
Danville Dans baseball season summer Summer collegiate baseball at Danville Stadium.
Danville Farmers Market summer Weekly market with local produce and goods.

Humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Best: Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to be out.

Getaways

Champaign-Urbana Bigger city with shopping, dining, and University of Illinois campus.
Terre Haute Cross the border for the Wabash River and Indiana State University.
Lafayette-West Lafayette Purdue University area with vibrant downtown.
Crawfordsville Small Indiana town with historic architecture.

Local flavour

Teams

Danville Dans Prospect League
Vermilion County Bobcats SPHL

Also rooting for University of Illinois Fighting Illini

Eat and drink

Sweet corn Hoopeston is the Sweet Corn Capital of the World
Pork tenderloin sandwich A Midwest classic
Catfish Fresh from the Vermilion River, often fried.
Cornbread A staple side with meals.
Apple cider Local orchards press it in the fall.

Where people go

Cornfields The defining landscape
Grain elevators Rising above the flat fields
Small-town diners Where locals gather for coffee and pie
Vermilion River A quiet waterway for fishing and kayaking

Heritage and traditions

Danville and Vermilion County take pride in their deep Lincoln heritage, small-town friendliness, and the natural beauty of the Vermilion River and Kickapoo State Park. Locals also celebrate their agricultural roots, especially the famous sweet corn from Hoopeston.

This time of year in Danville

Apple picking and cider pressing Fall September–October at local orchards.
Deer hunting season Fall/Winter November–December, a rite of passage for many.
Danville Light Opera season Spring and fall Spring and fall performances of classic operettas and musicals.
Danville Symphony Orchestra season Fall to spring Classical concerts from fall to spring at local venues.

Say it like a local: “supper” — the evening meal

Festivals

Victorian Christmas at the Fithian Home December A December open house with period decorations and caroling.
Danville Light Opera season Spring and fall Spring and fall performances of classic operettas and musicals.
Danville Symphony Orchestra season Fall to spring Classical concerts from fall to spring at local venues.
Danville Art League's annual art fair Summer Summer showcase of local painters, potters, and photographers.

Landmarks with a story

Fithian Home A preserved Victorian house museum in Danville.
Danville National Cemetery One of the original national cemeteries, established during the Civil War.
Vermilion County Courthouse Where Abraham Lincoln practiced law; features a Lincoln statue.
Vermilion County War Museum Exhibits on local military history from the Civil War to today.
Historic downtown Danville Nineteenth-century commercial buildings and a walkable main street.

Food traditions

Persimmon pudding in the fall A sweet, dense dessert made from wild persimmons, a Midwestern treat.
Apple butter making in autumn Slow-cooked apple butter at church and community gatherings.
Church potluck fried chicken A staple at community meals, often with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Sauerkraut and bratwurst German heritage dishes served at local festivals and family dinners.

Music and arts

Danville Symphony Orchestra A community orchestra performing classical and pops concerts.
Danville Light Opera A long-running troupe staging operettas and musicals.
Danville Art League Visual arts organization with classes, exhibits, and an annual art fair.
Quilting tradition Rural women's groups carry on quilting bees and county fair exhibits.

A little history

1841–1859 Abraham Lincoln practiced law in Danville
Mid-1800s Danville was a stop on the Underground Railroad
Early 1900s Glass manufacturing boom in Danville
Late 1800s–early 1900s Coal mining was a major industry in Vermilion County
1861 Danville National Cemetery established

Game day Danville Dans baseball games
Game day High school football on Friday nights
Outdoors Mountain biking at Kickapoo State Park
Outdoors Deer hunting in the fall
With kids Visiting the Vermilion County Museum
With kids Attending a Danville Light Opera performance

Locals speak with a typical Midwestern accent, often saying 'pop' for soda and 'you guys' for everyone. In casual speech, 'creek' may become 'crick' and 'supper' is used for dinner.

Only here

The Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is one of only a few National Scenic Rivers in Illinois.
Danville's Lincoln statue at the courthouse is a local landmark—Lincoln practiced law in this very building.
The Hoopeston Sweetcorn Festival claims to be the 'Sweetcorn Capital of the World.'
Kickapoo State Park's lakes are former strip-mine pits, now perfect for swimming and fishing.

New here? A few tips

Be ready for hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters—layering is key.
You'll need a car; public transit is limited outside Danville.
Try the sweet corn in July and August—it's a local obsession.
Visit the Vermilion County Courthouse to see the Lincoln statue and learn about his legal career here.
Stop by the Vermilion County Museum for a quick history lesson.

Make this page better

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Part of Champaign–Urbana area

Nearby

Every area

RockvilleIndianaWhere the bridges are covered and the welcome is open.Champaign–UrbanaIllinoisCornfields, campus, and the Illini roar.ParisIllinoisHeart of the Illinois prairie CrawfordsvilleIndianaWhere covered bridges meet the cornfields.LafayetteIndianaWhere the Wabash meets the Boilermakers Iroquois CountyIllinoisHeart of the Grand Prairie Terre HauteIndianaWhere the Wabash flows and the Sycamores grow.CharlestonIllinoisSmall-town warmth under endless skies.

Danville, IL. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.