…through 618 Day 2026 Itineraries!

This year, I chose not to do a 618 Day Event. For one, Marion Connects was having Third Thursday a block away, so it seemed counterproductive to have a similar event on the next street…and in all honesty, I feel like I deserve a little something different for my birthday.

I LOVED hosting an awesome block party in Marion, but Third Thursday will be going on at Tower Square, so the party will still be happening! While I loved seeing you all and promoting the businesses that attended at our big block party last summer, last year was rough. We had to reschedule that party due to weather that didn’t happen, my mother died 9 days prior, I was 9 months pregnant and had to be induced on June 20th. Despite all that, I still pulled off the rain day event!

So…yes, this year we’re doing something different. We’re partnering with Southernmost Illinois Tourism to bring you 6 places in 18 Hours in the 618, a fun take on 618 Day.

By sharing real itineraries — meaning itineraries we would and have done in a day — we hope to showcase the places that make Southern Illinois so great. The places that you’ll leave saying, “Wow, that made me so happy to be here”.

Each week, I’ll be sharing itineraries in different counties, cities, or areas of the 618 area code so you can start planning your own 618 Day. Let me remind you that June 18th is on a Thursday this year, Friday, June 19th is Juneteenth which lots of folks already have off, AND it’s Father’s Day weekend! Take a day off to have an extra-long weekend here in Southern Illinois, and complete multiple itineraries. This page will update each week, but you can catch the itineraries as they launch on our Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Click the icons at the top of the page to access those and give us a follow!