The 2020 Autumn on the Prairie will take place on Saturday, September 19. The information below is for reference only and will be updated with 2020 details as they become available.

Saturday, September 21, 10 am to 4 pm
   (note new ending time)
Nachusa Grasslands Visitor Center
2075 Lowden Road, ​Franklin Grove, IL 61031​

• This annual event is open to the public.
• To keep our guests safe while we set up, we will open the festival gates at 10 am.
• Parking is $5 per car.
• Donations will also be accepted at the Welcome Pavilion and Bison Tours Tent.
• No Rain Date — Prepare for possible storms and schedule changes.
  

Riding Prairie Tours — Look for Bison
Departing from 10 am to 3 pm

• Free tickets will be available only at the Autumn on the Prairie site.

• Each person takes a number at the Bison Tours Tent.
• The Bison Tours ticket supply may be limited, based on festival attendance and the location of the herd.
• You can join a tour anytime your number is less than the one written on the white board.
• When you are ready, walk to the path entrance, where your tickets will be collected.
• Then walk west to the tent by the fence gate and get in line.
• First come, first served for all numbers less than the one posted.
• You will ride on a trailer through the preserve.
• Visitors with low mobility must be able to walk to the path entrance, ride a UTV to the fence gate, and then climb a ramp or stairs into a trailer.
• Finding the bison is not guaranteed, as they cannot always be seen from the lanes.
• Usually, the herd is more visible earlier in the day.
• The last tour will leave at about 3 pm, so please get in line before 2:45 pm.

Guided Hiking Tours
Departing from 10:15 am to 3 pm

• Meet at the Hiking Tours Tent.
• Experienced guides will lead walking tours of Nachusa's prairies, woodlands, and wetlands.
• Details on the times, destinations, length, and difficulty of the hikes.
  
• This information will also be posted by the Hiking Tours Tent.
• Several tour groups will walk a loop departing from and returning to the AOTP site.
• Shuttled tours will drop you off and pick you up at a place on the preserve and then return you to the AOTP site.
• Meet at the Hiking Tours Tent at least 5 minutes before the scheduled departure.
• Tours inside the Bison Unit will be limited to 12-15 people and will be cancelled or relocated if the herd is in the vicinity.
• The number of participants for other shuttled tours may be limited, based on available transportation.
• All tour length times are approximate.
• Sturdy shoes and long pants are recommended for the hiking tours, as most are off trail with hills.

Activities at the AOTP Site
10 am to 4 pm

• Visitor Center Welcome Area and T-Shirt Sales (New Design and Prices!)
• Catering by Oliver’s Market (11:30 am to 3 pm)
• Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab & Education Live Birds of Prey Program at 12:30 pm and Displays (all day).
• Self-Guided Plant ID Walking Path
• Books on First Sales
• Discovery Tent Activities
• Conservation Organization Displays
  

• Interactive Experiences with Brian "Fox" Ellis at 11:15 and 1:45 pm
• Live Music by Sláinte and Friends
• Prairie Art and Photography
• Native American Skills Demonstrations
• Local Produce Sales
  
• Franklin Creek Conservation Association Grist Mill Display
• Shuttle Service by Gene and Diane Rod

All posted plans are subject to change.

UPDATED 09/2019