Fall Equinox this Saturday

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX CELEBRATION AT THE KALYX CENTER

Come on out to the Kalyx Center this Saturday evening for fun, food and a huge bonfire to help celebrate the beginning of fall! We're celebrating a few days early this Fall due to the crunch of lots of events later in the month and because the actual equinox falls in the middle of the week, and this notice is a bit late, so spread the word!!


When:

Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010

potluck starts about 6:00
Huge bonfire will be lit about 9:00

Bring:

Your wonderful self
Friends (please extend this invitation to anyone who might be interested)
Food -- enough to share...we have wood and charcoal grilles, microwaves, other kitchen stuff
Music -- Instruments, CD's, or your voice.
long pants and shoes for walking around


** The peak of the Autumn Olive season is right now. They’re all over the Kalyx Center land. They’re invasive, but also their berries are very good for your health. Check out this link (with thanks to Shameem Rakha.)
http://www.psa-rising.com/eatingwell/wild-foods/autumnolive.htm
If you’d like to pick lots of berries, come out early on Saturday afternoon. They’re free and healthful!

**Mark your calendar -- Urbana Country Dancers will be sponsoring two consecutive nights of fast-moving fall dance with live bands and callers at the Kalyx Barn on Friday and Saturday., October 1st and 2nd.


The Kalyx Center for Sustainability is a non-profit organization which
provides space for creative expression, exploration of innovative ways
of getting things done, meetings, campouts, weddings, exhibits,
concerts and retreats. We invite your suggestions for events!



Directions:

Beware -- Mapquest and some other map sites will get you to the wrong place. The following
Directions are time tested!

From Champaign - Urbana, take Church St, in Champaign westbound onto I-72. (not I-74)
Exit 166..It's the first exit for Monticello (marked "Market St. - IL 105")

Take Market St./IL 105 through two stop LIGHTS to the first stop SIGN. (corner of the ugly County Market)

Turn right onto Marion St., and go to the end (a "T" intersection by a golf course)

Turn left onto Allerton Road, and go about 3 miles, then past Allerton Park, to another "T"

Turn right onto 1300 North Rd. and look for the Kalyx Center sign after about 3/4 mile on the right side of the road


Biking directions or other HELP!

If you get lost or just want more information, call Bill Taylor at 217- 649-9085.

Spiffing up and bountiful harvests

Come on out to a Work Day to get the old barn ready for a thick and fast
succession of cool public events! (watch for upcoming postings)

Sunday, Sept. 12th 9a.m. till dark (Come out any time in there and stay as long as you want.)

We'll be finishing up on painting the barn trim, cleaning up everything for a rapid succession of public events, and doing some bonfire building and creating more space for parking in the process. People with special skills in carpentry, plumbing and painting should let us know in advance, so your skills can be well used. Don't worry if you haven't done things like this before...We'll find a niche for you. We'll provide some snacks and music to keep everyone happy!

Also on Sunday the 12th,

Bonfire Preparedness

There's the classic battle between invading autumn olive and honeysuckle
bushes and space for parking. Heroic warriors wielding laser sabres
(well, machetes and saws) will receive a victory trophy in form of a giant
spire of flame -- the bonfire for the Fall Equinox Celebration on Sat. the 18th (in which, admittedly, everyone can share).

And also, Autumn Olive Harvest and Massacree Festival

So autumn olive is this cool shrub which has lots of red berries
that are very beneficial -- Have anti-occidants and other cool stuff for
healthy bodies -- It's like you eat them and shzam, instant wellness! But
there's kind of a drawback too -- They were promoted a lot by
the Soil Conservation Service years back to rebuild soil -- which they do
for sure -- but, um, there's this other thing -- They just take over!
Make millions of seeds which the birds plant all over -- accch,
invasion!! So why not have a party to pick lots of those berries to
make muffins and juice and compotes, but also cut the shrubs to build a
huge bonfire! (Don't worry -- no danger of wiping out this crop.)
So you can come out and pick all the berries that you want for
free even, and maybe help build a huge, beautiful bonfire as well!
How cool is that?

If you want to take part in the harvest, or the massacree, it's all happening on Sunday the 12th of September as part of the work party