History comes to life at Tavern Days

Five-year-old Connor Marks looked like a pro at spinning four strands of twine that would turn into his first handmade piece of rope.

Connor joined brother Jordan, 9, sister Chloe, 7, and grandpa Lee Sunday at the Glen Ellyn Historical Society's Tavern Day fest at its grounds near Geneva Road and Main Street.

"I hope they get exposed to history and how much fun it can be," said Lee Marks, a charter member of the local historical society that helped rebuild Stacy's Tavern, a historic building that used to be a stagecoach stop during the 19th century.

"Instead of having their noses in the books, they can see some of this for themselves," Marks added.

The centerpiece of Sunday's event were two sold-out performances written by New York performer and Glen Ellyn native Joel Jeske titled "Oh, My Goodness!" or "A Villain's Work in Vein!"

Jean Jeske, Joel's mother and a member of the historical society, spent the day managing the crowd during the breaks.

"We're not letting anybody in yet," she told a group of ticketholders about 40 minutes before the second show, a refrain she repeated several times. "It's been a pretty busy day. We're pretty thrilled with how things are going."

There were plenty of fresh fruit pies and pastries to buy from the historical society's bakers, and skills such as rope making and candle dipping for children to learn. Visitors also had a chance to try their hands at log-sawing or walking on wooden stilts.

"I tried it," said Pat Tunney of Elgin, who was in town Sunday to visit his daughter, Kristen. "It's not as easy as it looks."