We received a fall annual delivery today. Our crew is currently pricing and arranging. Hardy mums are also in stock now!

Just a reminder that we are closed Sundays for the remainder of our 2025 season, and we are also closed on Monday for Labor Day. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Make the Most of Your Artisan Market Experience

Saturday September 20, 2025 from 10am-4pm at Hornbaker Gardens

The 12th annual Artisan Market at Hornbaker Gardens will take place on Saturday, September 20 from 10am to 4pm. The artists and the live music stage are set up exclusively in the grassy parkway area of the garden center this year. The art market will welcome 34 fine artists selling their original work in mediums including jewelry, pottery, painting, fiber, mixed media, metal, photography, drawing, woodworking, and glass. Dawn and Ray Lovell plan to have their pottery wheel available to demonstrate and offer some hands-on experiences. Wendy Allaman is a lampworker and she will be demonstrating glass making in her little log cabin trailer.

Many times, we are asked where the artists are located. Here’s a list of where they are traveling from in Illinois: Amboy, Dunlap, East Peoria, Franklin Grove, Lacon, LaSalle, Magnolia, Mansfield, Minonk, Morris, Naperville, Oquawka, Ottawa, Peoria, Princeton, Prophetstown, Reddick, Rock Falls, Sheridan, Streator, Wayne, and Wilmington. Three artists are making their way over from Iowa: Clinton, West Burlington, Bettendorf. 

Plans for the day include delicious food and drink options. There will be August Hill wine, craft beer including our local Coal Creek Brewery and fresh-picked local produce from Hungry World Farm. Brakers’ Dozen, Ms. Mint's Pop Shop and Emerlian Bakery will have sweet treats. Lunch options will be available from Golden Rice, the Princeton High School Music Boosters, Wild Ginger Bistro, and Tony’s Tacos.

A popular interactive art experience will be back again this year. Market guests can contribute to the creation of a mosaic mural titled “Farm Dog”, designed by Princeton, Illinois artist Karen Kling. The mural is a celebration of KC, our farm dog that greeted many of you at the garden center (and The Barn) from 2015-2024. Participants will receive a pattern, a blank square, and everything needed to complete their small artwork. The mural will come together piece-by-piece throughout the day and be installed at the garden center. Be sure to check out completed murals from previous years hanging on the side of our machine shop under the big osage orange pergola.

We truly enjoy this opportunity to host fine artists in our gardens and encourage you to come out and support the arts. Many of the artists can take a credit card, but for some it’s helpful if you bring cash. Stay up to date on all the details by following the Artisan Market at Hornbaker Gardens Facebook page. We will be sharing a map of the event on that page a few days before the big day.

Fine Art. Food. Live Music. 



We are welcoming back, by popular demand, some very talented musicians to our stage. This year’s schedule/lineup includes->

Princeton's Historic Rail Depot Prepares a Prairie Welcome for Visitors

The Hornbaker Gardens crew spent last week on-site at the Princeton Rail Depot Campus; placing boulders, logs, and dry creek beds. Many trees were placed and planted this week. The dry creek beds will continue to evolve as smaller rock and more details are added.

Our crew is working on soil preparation, laying a thick base of composted leaf mulch to enrich the soil and hold moisture. Illinois natives and nativars are currently being planted to create a prairie-style aesthetic with a park-like feel. Tuesday we planted 1500 grasses, and Wednesday 800 more plants. Follow our social media to learn more about the plants we have installed.

Our fall bulbs are on order and are expected to arrive just after Labor Day. Watch our social media for an arrival announcement. You can now pre-order fall bulbs via phone at 815-659-3282 Option 3. Your prepaid order will be picked by our staff and you will be notified when your order is ready for pickup in the Garden Center.