Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk Line 10-05-2026: Jennifer Lang talks Discover Dixon fall events

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Talk Line 10-05-2026: Jennifer Lang talks Discover Dixon fall events · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome back, Sog Valley. You're with The Waking Crew here
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: on FM 95.1 and AM 1460 WIXN. 8.15 on your
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Monday morning. Happy start to the week. Thanks for listening.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: And you know what time it is. It's time for
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Talk Line. And we're joined again once more by our
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: good friends from Discover Dixon. Jennifer Ling in the studio
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  Speaker 1: this morning.
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  Speaker 2: How are you, ma'am?
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  Speaker 3: I am doing well. It's such a gorgeous day out.
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  Speaker 2: It really is.
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  Speaker 4: It's been a great weekend. And, of course, here starting
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  Speaker 4: Monday with this beautiful weather. Let's do it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. Break from all the rain and knocking a
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  Speaker 2: little bit.
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  Speaker 1: But it's well-deserved and well in time for everything that's
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  Speaker 1: about to start kicking off with the fall weather.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, Mother Nature looks really good for the weeks ahead.
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  Speaker 4: So let's keep going with some good weather.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're going to start off talking about something
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  Speaker 1: that has a special place in my heart, especially this time,
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  Speaker 1: because it's a Halloween tradition in my house, and that's chili.
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  Speaker 3: Chili, that's right. It's crazy.
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  Speaker 4: I've been noticing a lot of restaurants bringing that batch
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  Speaker 4: of chili out. So, yeah, chili lovers and just lovers
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  Speaker 4: of events, please join us this Sunday, October 11th. We're
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  Speaker 4: going to be in Bean Blossom Parking Lot, the ultimate
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  Speaker 4: tailgate chili cook-off. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is
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  Speaker 4: a $ 5 entry, but with that entry, you get to
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  Speaker 4: taste a bunch of chilies, a variety of chilies, as
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  Speaker 4: well as you have the opportunity that we're asking for
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  Speaker 4: the community's best choice of chili. We'll have our judges
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  Speaker 4: there as well, but you can vote as well. A
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  Speaker 4: lot of other things are going to happen there. Of course,
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  Speaker 4: you can get a beverage from any of those participate
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  Speaker 4: in bars we also do have um asherlicious lemonade uh
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  Speaker 4: a young entrepreneur in our community so he'll be selling
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  Speaker 4: a variety of different flavored uh lemonades um we also
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  Speaker 4: do have the mobile tattoo um artist will be there
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  Speaker 4: so if you're looking for that small um tattoo maybe
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  Speaker 4: a bowl of chili i i don't know.
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  Speaker 2: Uh I love that combination. That's great.
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  Speaker 3: Or, you know, maybe a cracker. I don't know. Whatever.
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  Speaker 3: Piece of cheese.
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  Speaker 4: But the tattoo artists will be there. There'll be a
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  Speaker 4: bags tournament as well. We have a face painter coming. So, truly,
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  Speaker 4: it's something for everybody to join in on. And then,
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: of course, you know, football is not forgettable.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 4: Originally, you know, the Bears-Packers game was going to be
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  Speaker 4: at 3.30, and they've switched that.
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  Speaker 3: So that's going to be a noon game, and.
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  Speaker 4: I know all the bars are going to be having
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  Speaker 4: that going on inside. So whether you're inside, outside, come
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  Speaker 4: join us. Something to eat, see, smell, enjoy, socialize. It's
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  Speaker 4: definitely looking to be a great day next.
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  Speaker 1: Sunday, the 11th.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: Number one, you're not going to get to be fed
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  Speaker 1: that well for that cheap anywhere. And again, chili and
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  Speaker 1: getting to try so many and be a part of
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  Speaker 1: that fun is great. But I mean, bags, you can
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  Speaker 1: get a tattoo while you're there. I got some pieces
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  Speaker 1: I need finished. I don't need an excuse to have
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  Speaker 1: a bowl of chili next to me. This just sounds
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  Speaker 1: like something that would have been in my fantasies, and
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  Speaker 1: here you guys have put it together for us.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, we're really pumped about it. And I just want
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  Speaker 4: to talk about that $ 5 entry fee. So we do
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  Speaker 4: monitor that. We understand the gates open at 5 o'clock.
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  Speaker 4: We're going to be charging that. Or I'm sorry, the
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  Speaker 4: gates open at 11, and we're going to charge that $ 5.
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  Speaker 4: But we monitor the chili and such, and there will
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  Speaker 4: be a point that we won't be charging. But just
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  Speaker 4: also know that we're not here to raise a lot
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  Speaker 4: of money. It's just to have this event run well
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  Speaker 4: and help pay and enjoy, get people downtown.
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  Speaker 3: So come check it out. Get that tattoo. Get that lemonade.
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  Speaker 3: Watch the game. Play the bags. It's definitely going to
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  Speaker 3: be a great day.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: And speaking of great days, might be one of the
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  Speaker 1: best days of the year, frankly, depending on which side
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  Speaker 1: of the argument you stand on and that's Scarecrow Fest
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  Speaker 1: or Christmas Walk. And that if my boy was in here,
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  Speaker 1: we'd probably be having an argument.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah. Good things happening. That's Scarecrow Festival. Let's do it.
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  Speaker 4: So, you know, October 17th, it's our yearly Scarecrow Festival.
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  Speaker 4: Fun fact, I wish I could give you the exact date,
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  Speaker 4: but this event has been going on for over 30
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  Speaker 4: years in Dixon.
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  Speaker 3: So we should really be proud of that. There's been
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  Speaker 3: a lot of growth with this event. But a lot
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  Speaker 3: of good things.
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  Speaker 4: So we have over 120 vendors that will be setting
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  Speaker 4: up tents. We have all of course, the businesses are
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  Speaker 4: going to be open, their doors are going to be open.
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  Speaker 3: So go and check that out. You know, the scarecrow.
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  Speaker 4: Contest is happening that day. Lots of information is on
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  Speaker 4: our website on that. But Scarecrows, you can build and
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  Speaker 4: construct a Scarecrow. Put it up this weekend. The judges
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  Speaker 4: will be going out next Tuesday. We'll be announcing the
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  Speaker 4: winners the day of the Scarecrow Festival. But it's a
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  Speaker 4: great way to highlight your business, organization, your family.
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  Speaker 3: And it's actually quite fun. And, you know, like, oh, no,
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  Speaker 3: a scarecrow. You probably have all this stuff in your basement,
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  Speaker 3: in your garage. Really easy. Check on YouTube. But join us.
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  Speaker 4: It's a great way to be highlighted because people do
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  Speaker 4: walk the streets prior next week. Families will see out
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  Speaker 4: there checking them out. And of course, the day of
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  Speaker 4: and Speaking of another fun thing besides, you know, all
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  Speaker 4: the vendors that are happening, the Dixon Municipal Band will
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  Speaker 4: be there, street performers. But we also have our Pumpkin Derby.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 4: So another great way to highlight your organization or your business.
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  Speaker 3: So, you know, what do you do, right?
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  Speaker 4: So, again, you probably have all this stuff at your house,
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  Speaker 4: you know, or go to the lighting center. But think of, like,
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  Speaker 4: getting a skateboard or, you know, a Tonka truck, and
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  Speaker 4: you're going to put that pumpkin on there. You're going
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  Speaker 4: to secure it. You're going to decorate it. You're going
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  Speaker 4: to have fun with this. You're going to bring it
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  Speaker 4: to Hennepin and First Street on the day of the
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  Speaker 4: Scarecrow Festival. The races are going to start at 1,
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  Speaker 4: but you can go ahead and drop off your pumpkin
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  Speaker 4: racer at noon, right?
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  Speaker 3: Check in. And then, you know, still go wander.
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  Speaker 4: But come back at 1 because we will have different categories,
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  Speaker 4: everything from our children, teenagers, families, businesses, and you will
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  Speaker 4: race it on Hennepin. So it's kind of Hennepin to first.
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  Speaker 4: Let's say like Stone Ridge Running is a good area
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  Speaker 4: that they'll start at and go down.
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  Speaker 3: So it's quite the hoot to see this happen.
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  Speaker 2: It really is. It is.
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  Speaker 1: Just the creativity that gets put into some of these,
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  Speaker 1: you know, the excitement, but just what people come up
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  Speaker 1: with from the scarecrows to the pumpkins for the derby
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  Speaker 1: is just worth checking out in itself.
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  Speaker 2: It is.
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  Speaker 1: It is.
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  Speaker 4: It's fun, like you said, the creativity to see what
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  Speaker 4: people use, use of material. Of course, I just, you know,
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  Speaker 4: said the skateboard or even a Tonka truck, you know,
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  Speaker 4: and let the kids have fun with that. And, of course,
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  Speaker 4: it's great team building for the businesses. And you can
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  Speaker 4: get all that information on our website, discoverdixon.com. But you
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  Speaker 4: definitely don't want to miss the Scarecrow Festival because six
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  Speaker 4: blocks long.
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  Speaker 3: We have the.
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  Speaker 4: Ghostbusters are going to be here. So that's going to
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  Speaker 4: be fun. I'm just trying to think of what else
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  Speaker 4: we have. We have a group of line dancers that
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  Speaker 4: do an amazing job. And they actually do a witch's dance.
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  Speaker 4: They have been working on this for months. So that's
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  Speaker 4: going to literally take over that intersection of First and Hennepin.
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  Speaker 4: They just blare that witch's music. they do that line dancing.
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  Speaker 4: It definitely is a sight to see. And they'll be
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  Speaker 4: doing their dances twice that day. And then they just
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  Speaker 4: normally dance as well to some like spooky fun music.
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  Speaker 3: But something for everybody.
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  Speaker 4: You know, there's going to be food vendors and of
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  Speaker 4: course your craft vendors. And a lot of our favorites
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  Speaker 4: from the market on Wednesday nights will be joining us too.
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  Speaker 4: So Great way to also start thinking about those Christmas
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  Speaker 4: shopping gifts. You know, Santa's going to be here before
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  Speaker 4: we know it. But definitely, I can't stress enough, put
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  Speaker 4: it on your calendar.
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  Speaker 3: Join us. There's something for everybody.
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  Speaker 2: There really is.
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  Speaker 1: This is something that becomes a family tradition. And, I mean,
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  Speaker 1: not just for people that live in Dixon. This draws
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  Speaker 1: people from all over the Sauk Valley. And it's just
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  Speaker 1: gotten bigger and bigger.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, and speaking of that, you know, a
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  Speaker 4: lot of our vendors, we have vendors even from the
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  Speaker 4: Chicago suburbs who reach out. You know, Iowa come to us,
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  Speaker 4: you know, just for this one event. And we, unfortunately,
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  Speaker 4: had to push away some vendors because I just don't
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  Speaker 4: have the room. You know, besides all these great vendors,
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  Speaker 4: we have University of Illinois Extension. We'll free painting of terracotta.
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  Speaker 3: Pot plants. Yeah, pots.
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  Speaker 4: And then we also have Dixon Paint Company. You can
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  Speaker 4: grab a pumpkin and paint that. So there's a lot
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  Speaker 4: of paint, a lot of fun, a lot of pumpkins, scarecrows. Again,
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  Speaker 4: definitely you do not want to miss it. We are
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  Speaker 4: full of events in October and a lot of good
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  Speaker 4: things happening.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: That is, like you said, you want to put that
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  Speaker 1: one on your calendar. You want to come check it
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  Speaker 1: out no matter the reason. There is something for everyone.
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  Speaker 1: And it's easy to see why it becomes a fall
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  Speaker 1: tradition here. And speaking of that, Treat Street.
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  Speaker 3: Treat Street. Let's keep going in October.
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  Speaker 4: It's a busy weekend. There is something to do every weekend, right?
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  Speaker 4: So you know what? October 31st is, of course, Halloween.
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  Speaker 4: But we're giving you another chance to wear that Halloween
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  Speaker 4: costume on October 24th.
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  Speaker 3: Join us at Haymarket.
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  Speaker 4: Square where we will line up, parade.
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  Speaker 3: Through town in our costumes.
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  Speaker 4: And back at Haymarket Square where we'll give out some
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  Speaker 4: awards for costumes. And we, again, have different age brackets there.
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  Speaker 4: But then after that, we encourage you to go downtown
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  Speaker 4: to our.
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  Speaker 3: Treat Street.
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  Speaker 4: So we have a variety of different businesses who have
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  Speaker 4: signed up to give out candy or whatever they choose, trick-or-treating.
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  Speaker 4: And we also have a map. So we're still updating
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  Speaker 4: that as we go. And then they can also go
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  Speaker 4: to OSF Town Square or Circle Drive. And there we
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: have about 20 different vehicles that will be parked. And
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  Speaker 4: having a trunk and treat. So right now, we know
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  Speaker 4: that there's over 40 different opportunities on the 24th for
• 10:47
  Speaker 4: you to trick or treat at. And, you know, I
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  Speaker 4: always say go to discoverdixon.com. That's where you're going to
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  Speaker 4: find out all the information, all the dates and times.
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  Speaker 4: But also, that's where you're going to find out where
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: what businesses are participating as well. And of course, the
• 11:01
  Speaker 4: day of we're going to have a QR code that
• 11:03
  Speaker 4: you can easily scan that, and that will bring all.
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  Speaker 3: That information up.
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  Speaker 4: But get those costumes ready and join us. And, you know,
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  Speaker 4: we encourage you to dress up at Scarecrow Festival, too. Absolutely.
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  Speaker 3: You know, let's have fun with this.
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  Speaker 4: So there's three weeks right there guaranteed that you can
• 11:18
  Speaker 4: wear your costume.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I've just got to pick which one I'm going
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  Speaker 1: to be wearing this year.
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  Speaker 2: Do you already have yours picked?
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  Speaker 4: Yes, you know, I love this time of year. So
• 11:29
  Speaker 4: I have, I'm actually doing a Halloween camping trip. I
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: have my costume for this weekend. I'll have a different
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: one for um, trunk and treat. And then of course, uh, Halloween.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready.
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  Speaker 4: And you guys, it's not too late. Get out to
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: the lighting center or better yet, make something homemade. There's
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  Speaker 4: so many things that you can do or raid your
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  Speaker 4: friend's closet and ask what they have, but get dressed.
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  Speaker 3: Up and have fun for kids of all ages.
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  Speaker 2: Yes. Yes. We're yes.
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  Speaker 1: I'm a 43 year old kid. I, I, I completely
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  Speaker 1: get it. Uh, have some fun. I'm, uh, yeah, I,
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  Speaker 1: I might have to put it out to a vote.
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  Speaker 1: My wife wants me.
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  Speaker 2: To do Merlin. We're going to do Merlin and Mad
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: Madam Mim. You remember Sword in the Stone?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: One of my favorites.
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  Speaker 1: I had been singing that for like two weeks and
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: finally watched it again at night. And she was like,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: you know, I think we're going to do that. So
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: it was either that or I still had the Viking
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: costume back.
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  Speaker 2: But I... I think we're going to switch it up
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  Speaker 2: this year.
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  Speaker 4: I think you're on to something. I love it, and
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: I can't wait to see it. I'm sure you're going
• 12:30
  Speaker 4: to share with Radioland your costume.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, I will.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll have the headphones on over the cap. I
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: love it.
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: Well, see, there you go. You better start thinking. What's
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: the date today? October 5th?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: There's still time, but get out there and check it
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: out and get that costume. This is a fun time
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: for all ages to really get involved in. And speaking
• 12:51
  Speaker 4: of the trunk and treat, I love it when I
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: see families do the family costumes. Yes.
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: Not the littles and the parents or grandparents. It brings
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: me much joy.
• 13:00
  Speaker 4: So I look forward to seeing what everybody comes up with.
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  Speaker 2: Me too.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: One of my favorite things. I absolutely couldn't agree with
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: you more. Jennifer, thank you so much for coming on,
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: sharing all this information. I think October's where we've definitely
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: got to leave it. There's plenty more to come, but
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: we need to save it for another episode.
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, thanks for having me. And again, Radioland, DiscoverDixon.com.
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: That's where you're going to find all the great information.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: There you go. Go online. Find it out. Mark it
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: on your calendars. Be there. Mm-hmm.