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Talk-Line: Matthew Lenox on Paw Paw Celebration · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: You I XCENT. Good morning, I'm Steve Marco. It is
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: time for our bi monthly look at news and information
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  Speaker 1: from Visit Northwest Illinois. We're talking tourism today and I
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: love doing that talking tourism across our northern Illinois area.
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  Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, the Visit Northwest Illinois territories
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  Speaker 1: predominantly cover our listening area, Lee, Ogle, Carroll and Whiteside Counties,
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  Speaker 1: and those are the target areas for Visit Northwest Illinois.
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  Speaker 1: But of course they expand out to even further than that.
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  Speaker 1: And we have our executive director on board with us
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  Speaker 1: today live in studio to give us our update for
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  Speaker 1: September of twenty twenty five. Our good friend Matthew Lennox
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  Speaker 1: joins us here at Studio A here at wixcent.
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  Speaker 2: Matthew, good morning, Good morning, mister Marco. How are you
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  Speaker 2: this morning.
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  Speaker 1: I'm feeling fine. Thanks, thank you very much. We are
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  Speaker 1: here to talk about tourism today with Matthew on WI Accent.
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  Speaker 1: Matthew's got some special activities obviously, you know, when it
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  Speaker 1: comes to visit Northwest Illinois, we can always depend on
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  Speaker 1: Matthew to kind of unfl the activity area, the events, area,
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  Speaker 1: visit northwest Illinois and check in and see what's happening
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  Speaker 1: across our northern Illinois area. And we're going to do
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  Speaker 1: just that a little bit further in our talk line
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  Speaker 1: today here at WIXM. But up front, we want to
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  Speaker 1: talk about a special activity that is taking place in
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  Speaker 1: this month of September. We've been kind of previewing this
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  Speaker 1: event the last couple of times we've had Matthew on board,
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  Speaker 1: and it's finally here. It's in this month of September
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  Speaker 1: that you are going to gather in rock Falls. Talk
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  Speaker 1: about this. Yes.
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  Speaker 2: Our annual meeting is September twenty fifth, and we're very
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  Speaker 2: fortunate to be able to host it this year in
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  Speaker 2: rock Falls at the McCormick Events Center. It's really special
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  Speaker 2: because every year we switch our venue, our county venue.
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  Speaker 2: We cover four county so each year we switch to
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  Speaker 2: a different county, we have a different host community. And
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  Speaker 2: I have been waiting since I took this job to
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  Speaker 2: have our annual meeting in rock Falls, and I just
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  Speaker 2: spoke with her yesterday, So this is an out of
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  Speaker 2: the blue, but I really just want to give accolades
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  Speaker 2: to the City of rock Falls and Rock Falls tourism
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  Speaker 2: for all the incredible work that they have been doing
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  Speaker 2: over the past several years, not just in you know,
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  Speaker 2: economic development, bringing new businesses to the community, but down
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  Speaker 2: to beautification efforts and making their riverfront area more beautiful
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  Speaker 2: and you know, renovating buildings and grant programs that they've
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  Speaker 2: been doing. It's been just incredible to see the momentum
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  Speaker 2: and that even through different governmental changes through the city,
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  Speaker 2: that they're making really good forward progress. And I just
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  Speaker 2: I wanted to celebrate that and that the great work
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  Speaker 2: that they're doing. So we'll be having it. Starts at
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  Speaker 2: five thirty. It's thirty dollars per person. It's a quick
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  Speaker 2: about two hour event, light or deus and drinks cash
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  Speaker 2: bar at the events Center. And then afterwards we recommend
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  Speaker 2: to everybody go out and patronize a local restaurant. So
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  Speaker 2: get a group together and go out to a local restaurant,
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  Speaker 2: patronized the business.
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  Speaker 1: After absolutely McCormick Event Center. Now you talked about, Matthew,
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  Speaker 1: the improvements that Rock Falls has made in the world
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  Speaker 1: of tourism and in especially the riverfront area. There's no
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  Speaker 1: doubt about it. They have really moved forward with their
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  Speaker 1: river as a matter of fact, kind of leading the
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  Speaker 1: packet and kind of guiding other communities Stirling Dixon, you know,
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  Speaker 1: you know in that area because of their development along
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  Speaker 1: that Rock Falls Riverfront area, they have kind of paved
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  Speaker 1: the way we really have. And that McCormick Center was
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  Speaker 1: one major addition that they put really was the McCormick
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  Speaker 1: Event Center that they put into that rock Falls Riverfront
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  Speaker 1: has really paid off.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, it absolutely hasn't. Going back last year at our
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  Speaker 2: annual dinner, we gave our Friend of Tourism wark to
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  Speaker 2: mister Matt Prescott and going you know at the McCormick
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  Speaker 2: Events Center. You know, the reasoning behind giving that award
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  Speaker 2: to Matt was he is someone him and his family
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  Speaker 2: they have been so invested in contributing and investing local here.
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  Speaker 2: When he could easily franchise the Candlelight restaurant, make it
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  Speaker 2: a national brand or whatever, he's chosen to stay local
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  Speaker 2: and invest local. And I have I have, I have
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  Speaker 2: many stories of meetings with with Matt and his you know,
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  Speaker 2: patronage to our local nonprofits and making sure that our
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  Speaker 2: community is supported. And so this is a small way
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  Speaker 2: that I think that we as visit Northwest Illinois can
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  Speaker 2: help support and promote what he's done in his businesses
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  Speaker 2: to make the area more inviting, more welcoming, and more prosperous.
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  Speaker 2: I mean things like the George Fest that they did
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  Speaker 2: this year for the first time, celebrating all things Chicken George.
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  Speaker 2: There are so many amazing things that are happening. And
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  Speaker 2: it's not even just you know, our government organizations like
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  Speaker 2: Visit Rock Falls or Visit Northwest Illinois or Discovered Dixon
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  Speaker 2: that are doing these things. There are other you know,
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  Speaker 2: private entities and people that are also doing it. We
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  Speaker 2: should celebrate those as well.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, absolutely, and again kudos to Rock Falls and kudos
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  Speaker 1: to the mccorm Event Center for hosting the Visit Northwest
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  Speaker 1: Illinois Regional Tourism gathering. As Matthew mentioned, it is September
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  Speaker 1: the twenty fifth, so it's a week from the day.
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  Speaker 1: It's a Thursday. Tickets are still.
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  Speaker 2: Tickets are on stale. We're keeping reservations open through the
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  Speaker 2: end of the day. If you haven't gotten it yet,
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  Speaker 2: you can still contact us so we can.
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  Speaker 1: Get you in all right, and we'll give you some
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  Speaker 1: contact information here shortly with Matthew. But again you can
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  Speaker 1: go very easy website to go to. Its very easy address.
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  Speaker 1: So we'll give you that in just a bit and
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  Speaker 1: again contact them and join them. They'd love to have you,
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  Speaker 1: I mean, you know, learn about Visit Northwest Elder. Here's
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  Speaker 1: a great way to learn about this organization and what
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  Speaker 1: they've done for our Nould and Illinois area in the
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  Speaker 1: world of tourism because you'll get a first hand update
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  Speaker 1: right here. You know, this is this is not an
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  Speaker 1: opportunity and this is not just you know, board members
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  Speaker 1: and you know organizations thinking like this is the public
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  Speaker 1: you can you can purchase a thirty dollars ticket and
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  Speaker 1: learn about Visit Northwest Illinois at this event. So we
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  Speaker 1: encourage you to join them at this reginal tourism gathering
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  Speaker 1: on September the twenty fifth. It runs from five thirty
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  Speaker 1: until seven thirty. Is Matthew mentioned again, It'll be a
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  Speaker 1: fun time and a lot of great information. I'm sure
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  Speaker 1: we'll be shared as we visit with our friends from
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  Speaker 1: Visit Northwest Illinois again during there. This is an annual event,
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  Speaker 1: as Matthew mentioned, and they switch venues, so this one
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  Speaker 1: pretty close to our neck of the woods because sometimes
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  Speaker 1: you venture up you know, north area, Savannah, you know
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  Speaker 1: Mount Carroll and why not you know, visit all the counties. Absolutely,
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  Speaker 1: but here's an opportunity right here in our backyard to
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  Speaker 1: join Visit Northwest Illinois this year and attend the Regional
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  Speaker 1: Tourism gathering on Thursday the twenty fifth. Matthew Lennox is
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  Speaker 1: our guest today from Visit Northwest Illinois activities going on,
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  Speaker 1: we're going to talk about some of those activities. Did
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  Speaker 1: we want to Let's let's get something else out of
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  Speaker 1: the way before we go to break here.
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  Speaker 2: So we got a good one. We got a good one,
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  Speaker 2: all right?
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  Speaker 1: Okay, what do you got for me?
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  Speaker 2: All right? This Saturday, September twentieth. I have been talking
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  Speaker 2: about this, I think since the start of the year. Steve.
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  Speaker 2: You remember me asking you, I don't know eight months
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  Speaker 2: ago and I asked you, did you know what a
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: paw Paul was? And you looked at me with a
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  Speaker 2: deer in the headlight look and you're like, what the
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  Speaker 2: heck is a paw paw? Well, if you listeners are
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  Speaker 2: wondering that same exact question, what is a paupaw? And
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  Speaker 2: why is there a town called Papa? And it was
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  Speaker 2: why did I only know that it was a town
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  Speaker 2: with windmills. Well, it's a town with the largest edible
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  Speaker 2: indigenous tree fruit in North America. And this Saturday it
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  Speaker 2: will be ready to be eaten. And so we are
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  Speaker 2: having the second annual Paupauw Festival supported by the Visit
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  Speaker 2: Northwest Illinois Spark Grant in Papaul, Illinois at Veterans Memorial Park.
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  Speaker 2: And we have Brothers Chimp Brewing out of Aurora. They
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  Speaker 2: are making a special Pawpaw culsh from the Paw Pause
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  Speaker 2: in Pau Pause two hundred year growth. And Eli's Cheesecake
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  Speaker 2: will also be coming down and bringing a custom Pau
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  Speaker 2: Paul cheesecake. This is the first You'll never have tasted
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  Speaker 2: this before. It's completely unique. It's you know, local to
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  Speaker 2: here in the Midwest, and I can't wait. We are
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  Speaker 2: expecting thousands of people at this point to show up
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  Speaker 2: and get involved. There will be fresh Paupaw pulp for sale,
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  Speaker 2: papau tastings. It is going to be an incredible time
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  Speaker 2: for a town of eight hundred people. We can't wait
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  Speaker 2: to see how many people show up and the incredible activity.
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  Speaker 2: And I want to also just give a special shout
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  Speaker 2: out to the Paul Paul Lions Club, who is the
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  Speaker 2: big volunteer, the manpower behind this event. I may be
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  Speaker 2: the mouthpiece and talking about it a lot, but these people,
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  Speaker 2: the Lions Pawpac Club, they are responsible for all of
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  Speaker 2: the work that goes in not just this event, but
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  Speaker 2: also the Pau Paul Labor Day Festival and the work
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  Speaker 2: that they do for that. For a town of again
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  Speaker 2: a hundred people, they have I believe the last time
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  Speaker 2: I talked to them, they have over sixty active members
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  Speaker 2: and their average of a Chub member is about forty
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  Speaker 2: years old, So that shows a very active yes, you
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  Speaker 2: know community and you know again, you know, I'm all
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  Speaker 2: about community support and supporting the people that contribute to
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  Speaker 2: their communities. And this is a great way to celebrate
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  Speaker 2: the work that the Lions Paul Paul Club is done
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  Speaker 2: and celebrate the most unique fruit you will ever have tasted.
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  Speaker 1: You know, in this. Yeah, Matthew did put me on
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  Speaker 1: the spot here a couple of months ago when when
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  Speaker 1: when he came in and started talking about this, because
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  Speaker 1: I figured, with Papa Illinois, you would think, you know,
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  Speaker 1: more of a you know, a Native American. You know,
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  Speaker 1: Papa you know, that sounds Native American to me, it does.
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  Speaker 1: It sounds like okay, you know, you know, maybe you
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  Speaker 1: know a a heritage group or you know, you know
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  Speaker 1: a Native American group, you know, Papa, you know, just
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  Speaker 1: sounds that way. But Matthew kind of explained it to me,
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  Speaker 1: and this is what it's all about.
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  Speaker 2: There is a.
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  Speaker 1: Fruit that is again famous for this area, and it
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  Speaker 1: is going to be displayed at this activity this Saturday.
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  Speaker 2: This Saturday. What are the time, So it's ten to six,
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  Speaker 2: ten am to six am or six pm. I should say,
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  Speaker 2: the earlier you get there, the more likely good chance
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  Speaker 2: you'll have of getting you know, a freshman paw or
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  Speaker 2: getting those samples, because again it is a very fragile fruit.
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  Speaker 2: It is not a shelf stable fruit. It is only
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  Speaker 2: good for about two weeks out of the year, and
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  Speaker 2: so this is that time when it's good. And we're
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  Speaker 2: actually also very fortunate we've partnered with Northern Illinois University
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  Speaker 2: on this event, and so Northern Illinois is actually in
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  Speaker 2: their agricultural department is looking at looking at how they
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  Speaker 2: can genetically modify the paw paw so that it can
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  Speaker 2: be a shelf stable year round fruit. So it's very
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  Speaker 2: cool and it's all starting here locally, all spurred by
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: this event.
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  Speaker 1: Any credible and there, and they're looking for a great
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  Speaker 1: turnout now hopefully I'm gonna trust this forecast right down
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  Speaker 1: the dumper there, because it is a predominant outdoor event.
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  Speaker 2: Masters that we we're looking at here primarily.
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  Speaker 1: So I'm gonna I'm gonna dump the forecast and not
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  Speaker 1: let's not talk about that. Because it is set for
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  Speaker 1: again September the twentieth, two days from now in paw Paw, Illinois. Uh,
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  Speaker 1: and they're expecting a great turnout for this again. What
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  Speaker 1: is it officially.
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  Speaker 2: Called now again the festival, second annual Paupaul Festival.
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  Speaker 1: The Paw Paw Festival is being held in Paupaw, Illinois
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  Speaker 1: and again put together in part by Visit Northwest Illinois.
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  Speaker 1: And again they invite you down to sample the goods
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  Speaker 1: and enjoy the day. I'm sure there'll be lots of
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  Speaker 1: activities going on throughout the entire day.
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  Speaker 2: Why, there will be live music, there will be tours
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  Speaker 2: through the Pau Paul Groves. It will be a good,
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  Speaker 2: great time.
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  Speaker 1: All right. That's Saturday ten until six in Paw Paw
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  Speaker 1: Illinois in Lee County in Papaw, Illinois is where this
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  Speaker 1: special activity will be held. Matthew Lennox is our guest today.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to break at the bottom of the hour
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: for News First with Brandon Clark. But when we come
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  Speaker 1: back some more activities on the list. Matthew has that
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  Speaker 1: for us as we continue our talk with Visit Northwest Illinois,
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: will do they honors again after News First with Brandon Clark.
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  Speaker 1: Eight thirty Wixen stay with hums, continue our conversation with
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  Speaker 1: our good friends from Visit Northwest Illinois. The executive director
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: is on board with us live this morning here in
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  Speaker 1: our studio A to bring us the latest from Visit
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: Northwest Illinois. The executive director is Matthew Lennox and he
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  Speaker 1: is with us today here at Wixent for our expanded
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  Speaker 1: talk by Matthew. Thanks again for expanding out with us
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  Speaker 1: this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Anytime for you, Steve.
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  Speaker 1: Well and we got a couple of important September activities
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  Speaker 1: through Visit Northwest Illinois complete in that last portion again.
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  Speaker 1: The annual gathering will be a week from the day
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  Speaker 1: on September the twenty fifth, And don't forget the Paw
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  Speaker 1: paw Celebration this Saturday. Again. It's put together again with
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  Speaker 1: the help of other organizations, of course, but through Visit
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  Speaker 1: Northwest Illinois. This is going to happen in Paw Pad
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  Speaker 1: And we've been touting this for quite some time now
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  Speaker 1: with Matthew saw a couple of September activities that we
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: wanted the list. Matthew has more that he's going to
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  Speaker 1: talk about here shortly. Anything happening, you know, on the
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  Speaker 1: general tourism front as far as the State of Illinois
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  Speaker 1: is concerned. Anything you know, you know that you can
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: tell us about, you know, concerning you know, Department of Tourism,
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  Speaker 1: things like that, I know, the usually kind of stick
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: something in there. Anything anything to tell us about.
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  Speaker 2: This, Yes, yes, we do. So. We do have a
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  Speaker 2: new state Tourism Director, Katie she An. Okay, she started
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: about a month ago, so we're very excited to have
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: her on board helming the state Office of Tourism. We
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: also did have a couple new from the state, a
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: couple of new grants that did drop. Whether or not
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: they're beneficial for some of our communities, that would be
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: up to people to look at. But there are two
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: great programs are out one is for Route sixty six.
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: The centennial is coming off for Route sixty six, so
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: there's a big celebration. There's a grant to celebrate Root
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: sixty six. So if any of our listeners are on
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: the Route sixty six or here, the Root sixty six here,
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: there may be a grand opportunity for you there through
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: the Illinois Office of Tourism as well as there's an
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: International Tourism Fund that's available for grant funds. So if
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: you're organization that works with international clients, maybe there's an
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: option for you there, and those are available through the
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: DCO website, through the grant portal.
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: Any rumblings, Matthew about the you know, the nation's centennial
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: or the celebration next to you, any rumblings in network.
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: I know that it's being worked on. From there are
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: several different nonprofits that have been set up through different
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: state governments. So we do have an Illinois Centennial Commission
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: that is actively working. Lieutenant Governor and a few others
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: are a part of that commission. And then we as
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: an association all of us designated Certified convey and Visitors bureaus.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: We also have organization and we're putting forward some ideas
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: and itineraries. One of the things that we are looking
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: for is for communities at the local level that are
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: doing events and activities relating to the centennial to let
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: us know so that we can forward that along to
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: the state and to the national level for promotion. If
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: we're not aware of what's going on, we can't send
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: that up up the chain of command. So if there
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: are communities that are planning on doing some type of
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: celebration for the centennial, please do send us that information
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: so that we can pass that along.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: Okay, and again, as I promised, we're going to get
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: you know, addressed information and contact information with Matthew very
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: shortly here at w i X. And you know, yeah,
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: the centennial obviously next year. Of course, we've got the
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: fall into winter season that we need to touch upon.
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: Do you have anything going on as far as well's
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: going on.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: There's a lot happening in Northwest still and especially this month,
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: especially this Saturday, as I'm going through our event Heller.
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  Speaker 2: Obviously we have the Paul Paul Festival this Saturday, but
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: there's also more since Paint the Town is occurring this Saturday.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: The USA Grasslands are doing their Autumn on the Prairie
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: event this Saturday, their Fall Festival and Grasslands Fall Festival
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: is a Saturday from ten to four that has a
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: five dollars entrance fee per vehicle. There is the final
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: show of the season at Timberlake Playhouse, which is the
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: bridges of Madison County, so you can still get your tickets.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: It's playing. This is the last weekend it's playing, So
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, now it's a
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: great time to get your tickets and go see that.
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: The Rock Falls Community crowd sails are over this weekend,
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: and I have an actual special one. This one's occurring
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: next week. This is actually occurring the same day as
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: our annual dinner annual meeting, but mister Tom Wadsworth, our
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: local historian, is giving a presentation on the stage coach's
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: role in the formation of Northwest Illinois at the Amboyd
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: Depot Museum. Okay, so there's a lot of little activities
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: going on, and I'll recommend everybody if you don't haven't yet,
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: or you're looking for things to do and you don't
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: know where to go, visit Northwest Illinois dot com your
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: best resource for activities across the four counties. It's also
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: free for our community members to submit their events to us.
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: If it's a tourism event, we're more than happy to
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: promote it and put it on our website. But it's
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: a great repository across all four counties, Carol Lee, Ogle
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: and Whiteside to find out what's going on, what you
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: can do over a weekend, and a lot of these
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: things are free activities that are put on by local
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: nonprofits and community organizations and they're just happy to have
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: you call them and join them. So get out there.
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: Take a look at the visit Northwest Illinois website. There's
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: a lot of events, a lot of events across these
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: four counties. Whether you're into farmers' markets, art shows, you
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: know festivals, you know events like the Paul Paul Festival,
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: or you know really cool community things like Morrison's Paint
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: the Town. There's something for everybody here in Northwest Illinois.
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: So go to visit Northwest Illinois dot com. Take a
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: look at our events calendar and I'm sure you will
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: find an event that you, your family, your friends, you're gonna love.
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. It's an easy trek to that Visit Northwest Illinois
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: dot com website address, and we always tout this every
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: time we talk with Matthew and our good friends from
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: Visit Northwest Illinois about the fact that you can go
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: to that easy website. They've got all kinds of community
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: and regional and even you know past that you know
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: some you know, some activities going on across our northern
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: Illinois area that they spotlight, and that again is updated
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: again at visit Northwest Illinois dot com. People are encouraged
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: to contact Visit Northwest Illinois with their happenings so that
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: you can get them on board at the website. Any
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: you know work being done. You know, as far as
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty six Visitors Guide is concerned.
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: Well, we're it is. We are in the beginning stages
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: right now. We're finishing up the skeleton structure of it
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: and what it'll look like. We are planning on having
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: an in hand date for March first of March for
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: next year. Gives us a little bit more time to
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: finish up our content and our copy for it. But
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: we do have quite a bit of our marketing campaign
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: for twenty twenty six. We've already produced about forty percent
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: of it for twenty twenty six. So it's we're generally
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: working year year in advance.
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yea. The cycle never never ceases. It just you know,
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: it just you know continues on. After the one guide
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: is out, then it work begins pretty much right away
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: on the next you know edition that comes out in
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: the next year, and so the cycle never stops.
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: We never have a there's never a dull day or
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: a you know, a day where we're not having something
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: going on in that. That's the beauty of this four
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: county region is it's diverse, and it's you know, geographic landscape,
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: it's cultural aesthetics. There, there's so much that you can do.
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: Whether you're go from the Rock River to the Mississippi
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: and you're in Oregon or you're in Savannah. There there's
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: a different vibe and there's different experience that you can
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: have across those four counties. You can have similar experiences
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: but also very different.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: All right, again, go to that visit Northwest Illinois dot
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: com website for again activity information. There's there's you know,
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: information about lodging, there's information about you know, stayications, things
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: like that. All through that again visitors guide area. But
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: again they've also got that area that is devoted to
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: all kinds of activities and events across our northern Illinois area.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: And when you want to again come to that annual
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: gathering in Rock Falls, is that where you go, then, Matthew.
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: To visit Northwest Illinois dot com. We have right at
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: the very top of the page is a link that
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: if you're on your desktop, it'll show up and you
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: can R s v P for that again quick thirty dollars.
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: Or you can also send me an email. My email
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: is Matthew. My first name m A T. T spelled
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: the right way with two t's, sorry for you, Matthews.
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: With one T we still we still appreciate you. I
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: love you, But two t's is the way it goes
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: at visit Northwest Illinois dot com, which is abbreviated, so
• 21:29
  Speaker 2: it's v n w I L dot com. Right, So
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: Matthew at v n w I L dot com. That's
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: the email, or you can always call us at our
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: toll free number, which is mister Mark.
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, you don't get it on. I thought
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: this changed though, didn't. I kept the eight hundred number
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: seven eight six seven eight Wait a minute, two one
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: zero eight Is that right, you got it, We got it.
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: Yes, Yes, it's one six seven eight two one eight
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: is our toll free number.
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: All right, So that hasn't changed. I know that we
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: had talked about a little bit a few office changes
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: recently with Visit Northwest Illinois. By that toll free number
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: has not changed. So one eight hundred and six seven
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: eight two one zero eight the number to call for
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: toll free information for Visit Northwest Illinois. Matthew, it's been
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: a pleasure having you on board our talk line for today.
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: Lots of activities coming up we look forward to all
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: good obviously coming towards the end of the year, check
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: Visit Northwest Illinois for holiday events things like that going on,
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: you know, as Thanksgiving, Christmas get going.
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, it's a great time for people that are coming
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: home for the holidays visiting family to see what's going on.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: And I just want to say, I hope that we
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: can get another one of these schedules in before the
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: end of October. But Steve, I've appreciated the past five
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: years that I've been coming and doing these with you.
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: You're the best to ever do it, So thank you
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: for everything.
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: We appreciate your visits and hopefully we won't be out
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: of contact with our good friends from Visit Northwest Illinois.
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: Hope to continue the trend here at w byings in.
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: But thank you very much for the kind words and
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: hopefully yeah maybe well you want maybe get together you know,
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: during during it. Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that. Thank you, Matthew.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Matthew Lennox, our executive director of Visit Northwest Illinois dot
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: UH and Visit Northwest Illinois here in our northern Illinois area.
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: Our guest today on the talk line Sports First is
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: Next