Charleston, IL – Families can step back into the 1840s this Thanksgiving season as the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site prepares to host a living-history holiday celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The event takes place at the former home of President Abraham Lincoln’s parents, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, where interpreters and reenactors will demonstrate how families in the mid-19th century prepared and celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Visitors can watch hearthside cooking, tour the cabins, and learn how early settlers lived during the holiday season.
The Goosenest Prairie Gift Shop will also be open, offering handmade items from Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation volunteers, as well as locally sourced products and new seasonal merchandise. Officials encourage visitors to explore the shop for unique holiday gifts.
Thanksgiving did not become a national holiday until President Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation, issued during the Civil War. Prior to that, the tradition was celebrated regionally after George Washington’s earlier proclamation in 1789. The historic site’s program aims to highlight those origins while giving guests a hands-on look at the food, tools, and customs of the era.
The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, a gateway location for the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, sits eight miles south of Charleston and 14 miles southeast of Mattoon. The property preserves the homestead where Lincoln’s father and stepmother lived during the 1840s.
The event is open to the public, and officials encourage early arrival for those interested in observing the full cooking demonstrations.
