Ottawa, IL - The Middle of Everywhere

parkrun
2026-04-11 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-18 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-25 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Chicago) | Heritage Harbor Ottawa, 2 Great Loop, Ottawa, IL, 61350, United States
Heritage Harbor parkrun, Ottawa is a FREE weekly 5k event for participants of all standards, which takes place every Saturday at 8:00 AM, May – September, & 9:00 AM, October – April, in Heritage Harbor. It offers an opportunity for all the local community, regardless of age or gender, to come together on a regular basis to enjoy the outdoors and get physically active. We want to encourage people to run, jog, walk and volunteer together – this event is truly open to all and best of all it really is FREE! Taking part is easy – just register before your first ever parkrun. The great thing is that you only ever need to do this once! Then just set your alarm for Saturday morning and get yourself there! Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee in the Bluegill Boathouse & Marina Bar – please come and join us! Maybe swap stories about your parkrun that day, chat to other parkrunners over a cup of tea or coffee and just be an part of this community. So whether you’re a complete novice looking to get yourself started or a regular wanting to use this as a part of your training schedule, you’re welcome to come along and join us. Please register before you first come along. Only ever register with parkrun once and don’t forget to bring a scannable copy of your barcode (request a reminder). If you forget it, you won’t get a time. You can visit the event website link to register.

Your Concert Series: Cecelia Teneal's Divas of Soul
2026-04-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Central Intermediate School, 711 E McKinley Rd, Ottawa, IL, 61350, United States
This spectacular celebration of thirty years of chart-topping music from artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston and more has wowed audiences worldwide, featuring hits from the Disco Era to Broadway to Pop. An award-winning songstress in her own right, Ms. Teneal has been nominated for four Independent Music Awards and claimed the title for 2011 Best Gospel Song and 2011 Best R&B Album, as well as 2018 Best Soul/Funk/Fusion Song. For tickets and Ottawa Concert Association membership information, please visit the OCA website or Facebook. You can also call Beth at (815) 228-6474. Adult membership is $60 each or $130 for the whole family. Membership includes four concerts in Ottawa and four in Pontiac.

Tom Nauman Memorial Midwest Morel Fest & Burger Bash
2026-05-02 08:00 - 16:00 | Washington Square Park, 100 West Jackson St, Ottawa, IL, 61350, United States
In loving memory of Tom Nauman—our founding father from Morel Mania—this event exists because of his passion and vision. Without Tom, none of this would be possible.
Join us at the Jordan Block (100 Main Street) where you can shop and peruse a large Botanical Market and Morel Market featuring everything… you guessed it… MUSHROOMS! We’ll even host MOREL UNIVERSITY, where you’ll learn to identify morels, so you know exactly what to look for on your guided hunt. (Please note: The educational hunt has limited availability.)
*Burger Bash information and registration is below the Morel Fest information and registration form.*

Schedule:
7:30 am – Hunt and Morel Market sign-in
8-8:30 am – Morel University
8:45 am – Busses depart for guided hunt
9am – 3pm – Morel Market – morel mushrooms only
8am – 3pm – Vendor Market
9am – 11:30 am – Guided Hunt
12:30 pm – Awards
Morel Fest Registration:

Morel Registration 2026

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Phone*GUIDED HUNT - 9AM - 11:30AMGuided Hunt Morel University 12 and under $25, until April 1, $30 after April 1 until April 27, $50 at the door! Quantity*

Price:
$25.00

Quantity
Morel University 13 and older $50, Until April 1, until April 27, $60 at the door $75. Quantity*

Price:
$50.00

Quantity
processing fee

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$0.00

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Hold Harlmless

Midwest Morel Festival
May 2, 2026
Ottawa, Illinois 61350

HOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
By submitting this registration, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

The undersigned individual, partnership, corporation, or limited liability company, including its successors and assigns, in consideration of its participation in the Midwest Morel Festival and partnership with The City of Ottawa, Illinois, The Ottawa Visitors Center, Inc., The Ottawa Exploreum Children's Museum, Ottawa Downtown Association, and/or their volunteers, hereby agrees to the terms outlined below.

I acknowledge and accept that there are inherent risks and hazards associated with participating in festival activities and being present on the event premises. I willingly choose to enter the premises and engage in activities despite these risks, understanding that conditions may be hazardous or may become dangerous to me or my property. I voluntarily assume full responsibility for any loss, property damage, or personal injury, including death, that may occur to me or any damage or loss to property owned by me.

It is my explicit intent that this Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement applies to my family members and spouse, if I am alive, and to my heirs, assigns, and personal representatives if I am deceased. This Agreement serves as a Release, Waiver, Discharge, and Covenant Not to Sue the aforementioned persons/entities, including their heirs, successors, executors, administrators, or assigns.

The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that this Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement is legally binding and supported by valid consideration. By signing, I affirm that:

I have full authority to execute this document.
I have read, understood, and voluntarily agreed to this Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement.
No oral representations, statements, or inducements apart from this written agreement have been made.
I am at least eighteen (18) years of age and fully competent.
I enter into this Agreement knowingly and willingly, with the intent to be legally bound.
NOTICE: This is a legal document that grants rights to The City of Ottawa, IL, and all associated entities listed above while creating obligations for the signing party. You may wish to consult an attorney before signing.

Join Us for the Burger Bash at the Tom Nauman Memorial Midwest Morel Fest!Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 2, and come hungry to the Burger Bash—a highlight of the Tom Nauman Memorial Midwest Morel Fest. Enjoy mouthwatering, handcrafted burgers hot off the grill, complete with all your favorite fixings and sides. Local chefs and grill master’s will be serving up their best, and every bite helps support the Ottawa Fireworks & Exploreum., which keeps the spirit of the Morel Fest thriving for years to come. It’s the perfect way to kick off the weekend—great food, great company, and a great cause. Don’t miss this delicious start to the festivities!
11am – Set -up.
Noon- Competition starts
4:30 pm Awards
Burger Bash Registration:

Tom Nauman Memorial Midwest Morel Festival & Burger Bash

Tom Nauman Memorial Midwest Morel Festival & Burger BashJoin us for the Burger Bash, a fun and flavorful new addition to the Tom Nauman Memorial Midwest Morel Festival!
This friendly cook-off celebrates community, creativity, and the joy of great Midwest food — all in memory of Tom Nauman’s love for gathering people together.

Event Highlights:

FREE to enter – no registration fees.

Slider buns provided by the festival.

Each competitor must prepare at least 200 bite-sized sliders for judging and public tasting.

Judging Categories:

Judge’s Choice (official panel)

People’s Choice (guest coin voting)

Prizes:

🏆 $250 Cash Prize + Trophy – Judge’s Choice Winner

🏅 Trophy + Bragging Rights – People’s Choice Winner

Proceeds from the Burger Bash benefit The Exploreum and the Fireworks Fund.Name*

First

Last

Contact person:Address*

Street Address

Address Line 2

City

State / Province / Region

ZIP / Postal Code

AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzechiaCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyria Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, the United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluTürkiyeUS Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands
Country

Phone*Email*

Burger Name or ThemeDescribe Your Burger (ingredients, inspiration, etc.)“Competitor Agreement”*

I will prepare a minimum of 200 bite-sized sliders for tasting and judging.

I understand that slider buns will be provided by the festival.

I will bring my own grill, ingredients, and cooking tools.

I will arrive and set up by the required time on May 2, 2026.

I will notify organizers by April 15, 2026, if I cannot participate.
Hold HarmlessHOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT By submitting this registration, you acknowledge and agree to the following: The undersigned individual, partnership, corporation, or limited liability company, including its successors and assigns, in consideration of its participation in the Midwest Morel Festival and partnership with The City of Ottawa, Illinois, The Ottawa Visitors Center, Inc., The Ottawa Exploreum Children's Museum, Ottawa Downtown Association, and/or their volunteers, hereby agrees to the terms outlined below. I acknowledge and accept that there are inherent risks and hazards associated with participating in festival activities and being present on the event premises. I willingly choose to enter the premises and engage in activities despite these risks, understanding that conditions may be hazardous or may become dangerous to me or my property. I voluntarily assume full responsibility for any loss, property damage, or personal injury, including death, that may occur to me or any damage or loss to property owned by me. It is my explicit intent that this Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement applies to my family members and spouse, if I am alive, and to my heirs, assigns, and personal representatives if I am deceased. This Agreement serves as a Release, Waiver, Discharge, and Covenant Not to Sue the aforementioned persons/entities, including their heirs, successors, executors, administrators, or assigns. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that this Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement is legally binding and supported by valid consideration. By signing, I affirm that: I have full authority to execute this document. I have read, understood, and voluntarily agreed to this Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement. No oral representations, statements, or inducements apart from this written agreement have been made. I am at least eighteen (18) years of age and fully competent. I enter into this Agreement knowingly and willingly, with the intent to be legally bound. NOTICE: This is a legal document that grants rights to The City of Ottawa, IL, and all associated entities listed above while creating obligations for the signing party. You may wish to consult an attorney before signing.“Type your full name as digital signature”*

Ottawa Fall Fest & Parade 2026
2026-10-04 08:00 - 17:00 | Downtown Ottawa
More details TBA!
