The Friends of Lincoln State Park are pleased to announce they will host an outdoor concert by the Spencer County Community Band on, Sunday, September 13th beginning at 3 PM at the Lincoln Amphitheatre in Lincoln State Park. Admission to the concert is free, however the $5 per car ($7 for out-of-state vehicles) park entrance fee will apply. The band will perform a variety of music including patriotic, pop, and jazz selections. This is the fourth year that the band has performed at the park and in the past the concerts have also attracted members of the Old Dam Band in Newburgh, the Owensboro Community Band, as well as other area performers. Some light concessions will be available for sale as well as Lincoln State Park merchandise with proceeds benefitting the Friends of Lincoln State Park.

   "We are very pleased to bring the Spencer County Community Band back to the Lincoln Amphitheatre and to once again sponsor this free concert. The audiences for the concert have gradually grown as local residents have gotten to know the band and come to enjoy their performances. I think those who come out to support their friends and neighbors in the band are always a little impressed when they realize some of the talent that we have in our own community. This is a great and inexpensive way for local families to spend a Sunday afternoon at Lincoln State Park," said Dan Wilkinson, Friends of Lincoln State Park president.

Learn More.

  The Friends of Lincoln State Park are hosting the Honest Abe Trail Run on Sunday, October 11th. The event will feature both a marathon and a 14K run on the trails of the park.

  The deadline for early registration is September 15th. Early registrants receive a discount on registration fees. Those who register after the deadline must pay the full registration fee. The event is limited to the first 100 people who register. There are currently around 50 registered participants, so there's still time to participate and get the early discount.

   For more information visit the official race website at www.honestabetrailrun.com or contact race director Beau Wendholt at bwendholt@hotmail.com or (423) 580-7868.

   The DNR Division of State Parks and Reservoirs was recently awarded $9,974 to conduct archaeological research at Lincoln State Park. As a result of the grant award, archaeological testing will be conducted at the park focusing on three areas significant to Lincoln's life in Indiana: the Colonel William Jones property, the Noah Gordon Homestead, and the presumed location of the Gordon horse-mill. The archaeological work will include opportunities for public participation and educational presentations as part of Indiana Archaeology Month coordinated by the The Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA), part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

   This is the fourteenth annual statewide archaeology event which seeks to encourage more and more people to gain a greater appreciation for the science of archaeology and what it may teach us about the past. For the first time this month, the statewide event will include the Lincoln's Boyhood Landscape-Archaeology Education and Event. Visitors to the Col. William Jones Home on Sept. 18-19 between 10 AM and 4 PM (CDT) will be able to volunteer to help screen for artifacts. DNR park staff will offer tours around the excavation area. It is hoped that evidence and artifacts from the Col. Jones' store will be discovered in the excavation area.

   Sept. 18th is primarily for school groups and Sept. 19 is open to all. There will also be interesting interpretive events in conjunction with the dig that represent the heritage of the site. The interpretive events will also take place on Sunday, Sept. 20th as part of the Keepin' Up With the Jones' event. Gate fee for park entrance applies. For additional information, contact Vicki Basman, Chief of Interpretation, Division of State Parks and Reservoirs, 317/690-6566 or Staffan Peterson, Indiana Department of Transportation, 317/232-5161.

   A large audience was on hand on Sunday, September 6th at the Lincoln Amphitheatre as the Evansville Philharmonic presented a concert to conclude Spencer County's 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial celebrations. Maestro Alfred Salvia led the orchestra in a special concert featuring Lincoln-related music. The concert included a performance of Aaron Copeland's "Lincoln Portrait" which was narrated by 8th District Congressman Brad Ellsworth. Mother nature added put her own stamp on the event with occasional thinder and lightning throughout the concert. The master of ceremonies was 14 WFIE's chief meteorologist Jeff Lyons who assured everyone in the audience that there was only a 30% chance of rain.

   The orchestra performed a medley of tunes by Stephen Foster who was a very popular American composer during Lincoln's lifetime. Other selections included Armed Forces Salute, the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony composed two months before Lincoln's birth, music from Ken Burns' Civil War, and God Bless America. The concer ended on a high note with a performance of the 1812 Overture complete with cannon fire provided by members of the Army National Guard, and an encore of the Stars and Stripes Forever.

   The concert was sponsored by the Spencer County Bicentennial Committee. The orchestra officially opens their 75th season next week in Evansville.

   With many upcoming events at the park this October, we are need in of volunteers...especially you! Volunteers are needed to help with the Honest Abe Trail Run on October 11 from 7 AM - 2 PM, the Fall Frolic games and activities on Oct. 17 & 24 from 11 AM - 2 PM, and with the Haunted Trail on the same dates from 7 - 10:30 PM. Even if you are unable to help for the entire period of time of these events, any volunteer help you can provide will be valuable and appreciated! E-mail us at info@lspfriends.org, call Dan Wilkinson at (812) 362-7954, call Bonnie Hohl at (812) 937-4934, or call the park office at (812) 937-4710 if you would like to volunteer or want more information.