By ROD AMNER
Yesiree, Bob. There’s another one.
Makanda is a village (population: 561) in Jackson County, Illinois, United States. It is named after Makanda, a local Native American chieftain.
Apparently, it has a smiley-face water tower.
According to onlyinyourstate.com, Makanda is the most hippie town in Illinois: “It is a place for free spirits and progressive thinkers.”
Like Makhanda, Makanda holds several annual festivals, including the Vulture Fest, an annual two-day event held during the third weekend in October that celebrates the migration of the black vulture and turkey vulture to the region.
On 21 August 2017, the centre lines of the paths of the solar eclipse crossed over Makanda. Tens of thousands of spectators flocked to the town to witness the total eclipse. It will happen again on April 8, 2024. Book your tickets!
On New Year’s Day, 2020, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana use for anyone over 21. Dozens of people flocked to Makanda to celebrate ‘Cannabis Liberation Day’.
They visited shops like Rainmaker Art Studio. Owner Dave Dardis has lived in Makanda for 45 years. He said the last time they had this many visitors was during the 2017 total solar eclipse.
