Visit MerCo

10/21/2026

Another Boo & Brew location sighting confirmed!

Our spirit has been spotted at The Bean Field devouring a delicious Roasted Pumpkin cold brew. A refreshing fall favorite with pumpkin spice and toasted marshmallow.

Float over and try one for yourself!

The only thing scarier than a ghost? Running out of coffee!

10/20/2026

Boo & Brew!

There's a ghost haunting the coffee shops of Mercer County!

No tricks, just delicious caffeinated treats. Join this restless spirit as he sips seasonal specials and frighteningly good fall flavors.

Today he is creeping through Dark Horse enjoying their Witches Brew! A yummy combination of green apple and caramel! Stop by sometime before the end of the month to grab yours!

Where will he turn up next?

10/18/2026

Grateful & Giving

The New Boston Elementary staff will be at Mercer Market today until 4 PM selling tickets for their November Grateful & Giving Daily Prize Giveaway!

Tickets are just $20 each, and drawings kick off November 2nd!

Tune in to the New Boston Elementary page at 12:30pm throughout November to see if you’re a daily prize winner!

Stop by today and buy SMORE tickets, and help support New Boston Elementary!

10/17/2026

Fall is in the air and what better way to celebrate than with Aledo Main Street’s Fall Festival and Ferg's Public House’s Fergtober Fest happening today from 10am-10pm!

10/16/2026

Who you gonna call? VISIT MERCO!

We teamed up with Aledo Opera House to shoot a little short film ahead of this weekend’s Ghostbusters screenings, and things got… a little spooky.

Here’s a peek behind the scenes at what went into making it happen. We had a lot of fun filming it and thankfully, nobody got slimed!

Shout out to Nathan Sipes and Ike Lewis for playing with us and inviting us to the table! We had a blast.

Visit aledooperahouse.com to purchase tickets today!

10/13/2026

Aledo Main Street is helping celebrate City of Aledo’s new addition, Sponsler Manor with a Ribbing Cutting today.

Sponsler Addition is growing again for the fourth time in Aledo, Il with Sponsler Manor. We can’t wait to see the continued development in our county seat.

10/10/2026

General Grind and Machine is celebrating their 50th year and what an incredible 50 years they have had.

They have grown into an internationally known business for their work in steel. They have worked with companies like John Deere, Caterpillar, CNH, Mercury Marine, Komatsu, and so many more!

Not only have they had great business success but they share in their success with our community. They have helped countless teams, school initiatives, community organizations, and projects come to fruition in our community.

Congratulations on 50 years and here's to many more!

10/08/2026

Exciting times in the Visit MerCo office! We had the opportunity to visit with The Merco Momco to learn more about their organization and the ways they help support our community.

We came away with some exciting ideas for the future and how our two organizations can work together to create even more opportunities for Mercer County!

We can’t wait to see what the future holds!

10/03/2026

We are at the Sherrard Pumpkin Festival happening until 3pm today right in the downtown area of Sherrard!

But don’t let your Saturday fun end there. You can head over to Aledo for the Cub Scout 428 Aledo, IL Spaghetti Supper Fundraiser from 5pm-8pm and then the MC Art Collective Art Gala Auction starting at 6:30pm.

You can learn more about all of the events today on our calendar: https://www.visitmerco.com/mercer-county-event-calendar

10/01/2026

The walk might be cancelled tonight, but... you can always work on filling out your card for a chance to win a FREE piece of art at the MC Art Gala this Saturday, October 5 at 6:30pm!

Only two sleeps left to try and fill it up!

Will you be able to find them all? 🕵️‍♀️

This year, we’re adding a new element of mystery to our Art Gala!

There was a burglar in Mercer County that has stolen classic pieces of art and hid them all around the different businesses. We need your help to find them all!

Here's how you can help:
- Pick up a card at select locations to start the hunt.
- Locate at least 10 pieces of art.
- Have the business sign off that you found it on the card.
- Bring the completed card to the Art Gala event on Saturday, October 3rd to enter to win a free featured art piece!

Locations you can pick up a card:
📍 Prairie Cones in Viola, IL
📍 Bid's Bar & Grill in Keithsburg, IL
📍 Mercer County YMCA in Aledo, IL
📍 Mercer Market in Aledo, IL

We're relying on you Mercer County! Good luck and happy hunting🔎