Barn Keepers – Preserving Barns across Central Illinois

Fall 2020 Barn Tour Canceled

Board: Pandemic behind decision.
Plans underway for 2020 tour.

Faced with the specter of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing into the fall, the Barn Keepers board has decided to cancel the September 12, 2020 Barn Tour. This would have been our 15th consecutive tour, with the spotlight this year on the northeastern McLean County townships of Anchor and Cropsey.

Canceling this signature event was a sad decision to make, but it was not a difficult one. Barn Keepers simply cannot organize—in good conscience—an event of this size and scope while the pandemic remains a threat to public health. In these trying times, we cannot expect barn owners to open farms to several hundred strangers—even with stringent face mask and social distancing protocols. Likewise, an event of this nature would pose unnecessary risks to senior citizens, a group that year-to-year makes up a large percentage of our tour-goers.

Celebrating the rich legacy of Corn Belt barns is a worthy endeavor—but certainly one not worth risking lives. But fear not barn lovers! We will return next year, September 2021, with a slightly delayed 15th annual tour.

Until then, please enjoy here, our 34-page 2019 Tour Guide. The booklet features histories of the Sept. 14, 2019 tour’s featured barns, as well as information about several area sites including Patton Cabin and the old Blacksmith Shoppe. It also includes maps of the Lexington and Money Creek townships.

Public Programs Update:
September meeting canceled/November still possible

The Barn Keepers Board has canceled the Thursday, September 10 program. That said, at this time, we are planning to meet Thursday, November 12, hosting a program, as part of our annual membership meeting. If we are unable to meet in-person in November, at the FS Building on Hershey Road, we’ll use Zoom, to coordinate a digital meeting and program. Stay tuned for details!

And although the COVID-19 pandemic has put a temporary halt to our public programs, we’re still taking application for our popular Centennial Barn recognition program. See here for more information.

Barn Keepers is a McLean County, Illinois-based not-for-profit organization devoted to the documentation, preservation, restoration, and celebration of area barns.
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