For our 30th anniversary, we’ve launched the 30 Stories for 30 Years interview series. For the festivities, we’ve been meeting with former OVC Board members, and some others who have been along for the ride. We’re reflecting on three decades of tourism and considering what the future may hold. Join us, as we look back on local tourism’s evolution, some Ottawa Visitors Center history, and a special guest’s unique perspectives.
Our special guest for this entry is Alexis Ferracuti. Alexis is a local lawyer, event organizer, and heavily involved community member, having lived in Ottawa her whole life. She got us started by explaining her background in the city.
“I’m Alexis Ferracuti, now Alexis Stearns, but professionally, Ferracuti. I was born and raised in Ottawa. My father was Peter Ferracuti, my mom’s Janice Ferracuti. Pete was an attorney here for many years, since 1953, but was born and raised here in Ottawa. And my grandparents, he was a first-generation American. My grandparents were both Italian immigrants. Neither one of them had over an eighth-grade education, so it was a pretty big deal that he was able to go to law school, and come back, and practice here. After practicing here, he gave back to the town by building the beautiful Fox River Center right on the river, which is where I’m at now. I’ve been here, obviously, my whole life. My mom and dad raised me here on the north side, in the North Bluff. I became an attorney. I went to Illinois Wesleyan for college, and then I had double majored in political science and philosophy there with a double minor in business and Spanish. And then I went to law school in Boston at New England Law, and I graduated there in 2014, came home, took the bar exam, and I’ve been practicing here as the managing partner of the Law Offices of Peter Faracuti. Practicing since 2014, but managing partners since 2015,” Alexis explained.
“So I’ve been in charge of the firm now for 11 years and practicing for 12, or nearly 12. November will be 12. And yeah, I love this community. I’ve served in a lot of different ways. For Ottawa, I was in charge of tornado relief at one point. I run the county suicide prevention walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I am on several of the boards, specifically CASA. I was on the Community Food Basket Board. I’m on the Salvation Army Board. I am on the Under His Wings Board. And I’m really pleased to be able to serve in all those capacities. I also work as the Illinois State Bar Association Journal for, editor for the work comp law section, meaning I try to go through new case law and send that out to people who are practicing in that area, and put together an editor, a section newsletter every month. And I’m also the section newsletter co-editor for the rural practice section. And I serve on the editorial board for the Illinois Bar Journal. So there’s a lot of hats there.
“And personally, I’m married and have a five-acre farm now out of town. I lived in Ottawa until five years ago, we bought a farm out of town now, just outside of town. But we have a five-acre farm with donkeys and goats and sheep and chickens and a 13-year-old and two dogs and two cats. Awesome. So it’s a busy life, for sure,” she said.
As someone so involved in the community, Alexis can tell you a lot about Ottawa. In regards to our interviews, we’ve been exploring the many moving parts of local tourism that effect what we do. We next asked her what tourism in relation to Ottawa, means to her, especially in regards to her community involvement.
“It’s funny, this morning I was done on the podcast, but I have the podcast Ferracuti Files, where we talk about all things Ottawa, and talk about how to improve our community in the county in general, and what things we can be doing to benefit where we live. Because my father believed very much in giving back, and so do I. And I think that tourism brings, not only does it bring people to our area and show them what a wonderful place that we live in and how wonderful the people here are because we live in an area, we’re really fortunate to live in an area where people take care of one another and really are there for one another when the going gets tough. So we’re very fortunate to live in an area where that exists,” Alexis said,
“But tourism allows other people to come here and see that, but also benefits us in other ways. Like creating tax dollars for people like you to exist at the Ottawa Visitor Center, to bring more people in, and show them where we live, and what a wonderful town it is, and how beautiful it is. And to show them that we have all of the amenities of a larger city or a larger place, but with a small town feel. Meaning we have small businesses that do the kinds of things that big box businesses are doing in these larger towns.”
“But you’re getting the small business experience, you’re getting to meet with somebody who lives here, and talk to them about their experiences, and find out why they opened their place here and how they feel that it gives back to the community. And I think we’re fortunate to live in a place where many of the business owners here are incredibly philanthropic and want to give back to the community and build the community. That’s not always the case, but we’re lucky to have so many small businesses, that people here are truly invested in making sure our town grows, and that we give back and take care of one another. But tourism supports that. That’s how we keep the small businesses open. It’s how we lower taxes eventually. There’s a lot of big pluses to tourism in your community,” Alexis said.
Ottawa’s one-of-a-kind community is truly something special. It’s something that we’re so proud to share. That small town charm and big city amenity feel of Ottawa help solidify the town’s identity in the minds of tourists and locals alike. With her background in serving the community in mind, we next asked how she feels she has seen tourism in Ottawa change throughout the years.
“Oh, it’s definitely changed. Like, when I was little, there wasn’t as much. I would say, you know, Starved Rock obviously blew up a couple years ago. There was that article about state parks in Illinois that are overlooked, which now I think most of us who live here are like ‘Dang, I wish that didn’t come out,’ Because you can’t ever go to Starved Rock without it being a mess in the summer, backed up all the way down 80,” she joked, “You know, tourism is a great thing for the area. It does bring in more people. It brings people who want to live here. It contributes to our growth. But I think it’s totally different than what it was when I was a kid. You know, when I was a kid, we didn’t have half the businesses we have now. We didn’t have near as many restaurants as we have now. I mean, there are a few that have been there the whole time, but most of the restaurants are pretty new. I would say we have pretty expanding cuisine here, pretty expanding business ideas here now as a result of expanding tourism, more people come to the area, gives more opportunity for people to want open businesses. Growth is always good,” Alexis said.
This growth allows us to offer more things to tourists, which allows more things to be offered for the local community, and so on. It serves to help the community that props it up. For a specific example, we spoke with Alexis about the connection between tourism and local events like her Suicide Prevention Walk and Mental Health Wellness Fair.
“I think that people coming in and seeing that, that’s something that our community focuses on, I think that’s an important draw for people, a lot of people, to see that there’s a mental health focus here. I think one really cool thing about our event, is there’s been obviously disconnect with police across the nation, and I think that it’s kind of needed our event. The police come, and actually sit down, and talk to people, and are available. And you find out what services they can actually offer you. If you’re in a mental health crisis, rather than just being afraid of somebody calling the police, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. They can show up and help get you the resources you need,” she explained.
“And I think that’s one really neat thing. It’s a neat way for people in our area, if you don’t know all the resources that we have available, not even if you’re just in mental health crisis. If you’re with your housing crisis, or if you’re going through a food crisis. All of those resources are at the walk every single year in the community Wellness Fair that we put on. And I think that’s a really neat opportunity for everybody who’s in our area to participate. And get those resources, without it maybe seeming like you’re getting those resources, that’s another added benefit. And I do think it draws people in when you have a community center, focus on mental health and wellness.”
“And everybody in the community is participating. From the mayor and city council, down to, volunteers at local businesses who come to spend time and work the event,” she said.
It’s important for tourists to see events like these in towns, because it can tell you a lot about the location. As the Friendly City, Ottawa’s strong community is a foundational aspect of its image. This would resonate with tourists who are looking for a community to be involved with – whether they choose to stay as tourists or eventually join it. Certainly, Ottawa’s iconic attractions and strong events like this one are huge draws to the area. We asked Alexis if she has a favorite event or attraction in Ottawa from throughout the years.
“I mean, everybody loved Riverfest when we were little, right? Like, everybody loved Riverfest. That was kind of the thing. My dad and I always used to do the carnival, the Lions Club carnival. That was our, like, thing every year. So I think that’s probably still one of my favorite things that happens here. I do love how big it is now. It’s much different than when I was little. It was pretty small when I was little. Now it’s much larger. And it’s been pretty neat to be able to bring my own 13-year-old to, her friends, and our other nieces and nephews, it’s been pretty neat to share that experience with them. But we also share the experience of Kites in Flight with them. I love that event, I think it’s great. I think basically any kids event here, I’m generally all in on. I think it’s always nice to have kids events in the area. I will also throw out, we are foodies, so I just loved Restaurant Week. I had a great time during Restaurant Week.”
There have been many exciting events and attractions throughout Ottawa’s history. The next big thing could always be just around the corner, but many people still look back fondly on certain festivals and locations. We asked Alexis if there were any old events or attractions she would like to see return, or if she’d prefer to see something new in town.
“That’s a good question. I think both, right? So, I think there’s a way to bring back Riverfest, without it being what it devolved into. I think that by the end of Riverfest… it was more focused on alcohol. And not the entertainment aspect of it. And I would love to see like an Ottawa Fest, like a week. Like River Fest used to be a week long, right? Like we used to do different things, like there were different contests, there were different parades. And then that got shortened, and then that got chopped and that just, I think it kind of killed it… I’m more interested in all the events that lead up to it, and the opportunities it has for everybody to participate. I kind of liked that you could spend Wednesday, Thursday, Friday with your kid all day long at Riverfest doing different things and all kinds of different activities. And then, you could get a babysitter and go to Riverfest tonight, go to a concert. But, you need a good concert for that. You need a good headliner for that. And I think we sort of just… we lost it a little bit. So, I would love to see something like that come back, but in less of a focus on alcohol and more of a focus on entertainment value rather than ticket sales for beer,” she said.
As our interview drew to a close, we asked Alexis if she had any words on looking to the future of Ottawa tourism.
“I think that we will continue to grow. We have an absolutely beautiful town. We sit on the crux of two rivers, which is why my dad built his building where he built it, because it is such a beautiful place to be. I think that the people here are what draw others to Ottawa. I think they come to Ottawa because they see that we have all the different activities and things to do. I think they stay because of the people,” Alexis said,
“So I think as long as the people… that we have here, continue to be the quality people we have here, who care about one another, and show up for one another and speak to strangers as friends, I think we’ll continue to grow and it’ll continue to be a wonderful place to live.”
Many thanks to Alexis! Stay tuned for more interviews through the end of the month, as we celebrate 30 years in the Middle of Everywhere. You can find more updates and interviews on the rest of our blogs, or on our Facebook page.
