2026 Tremont Turkey Festival
📆 Dates & Times: Thursday, June 11 from 4- 10 pm, Friday, June 12 from 11 am – 10 pm, Saturday, June 13 from 6:30 am – 10 pm and Sunday, June 14 from 8 am – 5 pm
📍 Address: Downtown Tremont, Illinois
Tremont Turkey Festival Celebrates it’s 60th Year
Thousands of visitors are expected to return to central Illinois this June as the annual Tremont Turkey Festival brings four days of food, music, family activities and small-town tradition to the town of Tremont.
Set for June 11-14, 2026, the long-running festival once again promises a packed schedule centered around Tremont City Park, featuring everything from carnival rides and live entertainment to antique displays, craft vendors and the festival’s famous turkey dinners.
Festival activities officially begin Thursday evening with Merchants’ Day downtown and the opening of the carnival, including discounted unlimited ride armband hours. Organizers say advance ride vouchers and ticket sheets will again be available before the festival begins.
Friday’s schedule includes the return of the popular food line, strawberry shortcakes and smoothies, the Turkey Express drive-thru service, and the opening of the large craft show surrounding the baseball field. Antique vendors will also line the west side of the park throughout the weekend.
The festival wraps up Sunday with a community church service, car show and the annual parade through Tremont. Organizers say spectators can expect antique vehicles, floats, horses, local officials and community royalty, including Miss Tremont and her court.
Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band Big Love
Live Entertainment at the Turkey Fest
Live entertainment will once again be a major centerpiece of the 2026 Tremont Turkey Festival, with tribute bands, regional acts and local performers scheduled throughout the weekend inside the festival’s Entertainment Tent in Tremont City Park.
Friday night’s headline performance features “Smalltown – A John Mellencamp Experience,” a tribute act celebrating the music of Indiana-born rock legend John Mellencamp. The show is expected to bring a mix of classic heartland rock hits and crowd singalongs to the festival’s main stage from 7 to 9 p.m. Earlier Friday evening, the Monster Lane Band will warm up the crowd with live music from 4 to 6 p.m.
Saturday’s entertainment lineup begins in the afternoon with Next Thing Smokin’, performing from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Festival organizers will then welcome River City Eagles, an Eagles tribute experience, to the Entertainment Tent from 4 to 5:30 p.m., giving festivalgoers a chance to hear recreations of classic rock favorites from one of America’s most iconic bands.
The weekend’s biggest concert event arrives Saturday night with “Big Love – A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac,” scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. The nationally touring tribute group is known for recreating the sound, harmonies and stage presence of Fleetwood Mac’s most popular era, performing hits such as “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” and “The Chain.” Organizers expect the performance to be one of the festival’s largest evening draws.
Sunday’s entertainment shifts to a more relaxed atmosphere as Kev & Mal perform from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ahead of the annual parade. The Entertainment Tent will also host the community church service Sunday morning at 10 a.m., continuing one of the festival’s longstanding traditions.
Carnival Rides at the Turkey Festival
The carnival midway is expected to once again be one of the biggest attractions at the 2026 Tremont Turkey Festival, bringing the sights, sounds and atmosphere of a traditional small-town summer fair to Tremont City Park.
The carnival opens on Thursday evening with special unlimited ride armband hours from 6 – 10 pm or on Sunday afternoon from Noon – 4 pm. Armbands are $30 per day in advance and $35 per day if purchased at the carnival. Regular tickets can also be used during armband hours. Advance armband vouchers may be purchased, starting after Memorial Day. These can be redeemed at the carnival for an actual armband and can be used for one day or the other, not both. Another option for Carnival tickets is to purchase a sheet of 20 tickets for $18. These tickets are good for all four days and each ride takes between 4 – 6 tickets.
Tickets and armband vouchers will be available May 27 through noon on June 11 (or until sold out) at the following locations in Tremont: Beecham’s Market, First National Bank of Tremont, Tremont Community Bank, Tremont Oil Company and the Tremont Village Hall.
Festival Food
Food remains at the center of the event, with grilled turkey, hot wings, pancakes and strawberry shortcake and smoothies among the signature attractions each year. Food line hours are as follows: Friday from 11 am – 9 pm, Saturday from 11 am – 9 pm and Sunday from 11 am – 2 pm or until food is gone each day. Please note that in past years, the hot wings have run out on Saturday night.
Saturday morning kicks off at the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast in the large pavilion in the center of the park. Enjoy hotcakes and sausage from 6:30 – 10 am. It’s all you can eat including coffee, milk, or juice for $10 for ages 13 and older and $5 for children aged 5 – 13. Ages 4 and under eat free.
Other Popular Attractions of the Turkey Festival
Beyond the food and live music, several longtime traditions continue to make the Tremont Turkey Festival one of central Illinois’ most anticipated community events each summer, including the popular 5K race, the crowd-favorite bed races and the annual Sunday parade.
The festival’s 5K Foot Race is scheduled for Saturday morning, June 13, beginning at 7:30 a.m. The race starts and finishes in the center of Tremont City Park along James Street, giving runners a scenic course through the village before returning to the heart of the festival grounds. Awards are presented immediately following the race at the park shelter. The event traditionally draws a mix of competitive runners, casual participants and local families looking to begin the festival weekend with a community activity.
One of the festival’s most unique attractions returns Saturday afternoon with the annual Bed Races at 1 pm in the center of the park on James Street. The event features teams racing decorated wheeled beds down the course while spectators line the street cheering on competitors. Bed races have long been a signature small-town festival tradition in Tremont, combining speed, costumes and humor into one of the weekend’s most entertaining events.
The bed races are followed by the strawberry shortcake eating contest, another crowd favorite that typically draws large audiences near the center of the park. Organizers often encourage businesses, organizations and groups of friends to participate in both competitions, adding to the community spirit of the festival weekend.
The festival concludes Sunday afternoon with the annual Tremont Turkey Festival Parade beginning at 2 pm. The parade winds through Tremont featuring antique cars, trucks, and tractors, floats, horses plus local celebrities including the Grand Marshal, Miss Tremont and her court, and local government officials.
Other events at the Turkey Festival include an antique tractor pull, craft show, country store, car show, a kiddie tractor pull plus a community church service at 10 am on Sunday.
The Tremont Turkey Festival has become one of the region’s most recognizable summer festivals, drawing families from across central Illinois for a weekend that blends hometown charm with carnival-style entertainment. Community discussions online frequently list the festival among the area’s signature seasonal events.
Additional schedules, parade information and vendor details are available through the festival’s official website at https://turkeyfestival.com
