Hidden Histories Festival is an annual, open-air celebration of the untold stories, voices, and movements that have shaped Illinois. Hosted by Project XV Museum, the festival brings together historians, artists, educators, and community members for a day of live performances, storytelling, civic dialogue, and immersive museum experiences. This event features award winning EPG show choir!!
Guests can explore free museum exhibits, participate in interactive activities, hear keynote speakers, dance to live music, sing karaoke, enjoy food trucks, and connect with organizations preserving and advancing inclusive history across the state.
Festival Date: Saturday, August 15 4:00-8:00 PM
Project XV Museum has joined Illinois Humanities in partnering with the Illinois America 250 Commission and StoryCorps Studios to host Illinois Voices 250, a statewide time capsule capturing stories from all 102 Illinois counties in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.
Illinois Voices 250 invites Illinois residents to record and share their wisdom, stories, and hopes so future generations can connect these voices to real experiences of life, liberty, and happiness, documenting this moment in time with a diverse and representative record that reflects who Illinoisans are today while inspiring reflection on the past and aspirations for the future.
The recording studio, street party, museum, and speakeasy are all wheelchair accessible. Onsite Airbnb lodging available by contacting legacyoperahouse@gmail.com
ALL AGES
FREE Festival Entrance
BYOLawn Chair
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The Project XV Museum is a grassroots effort doing what many thought wasn’t possible: transforming the rural, historic site of David Strother’s barbershop into a powerful space dedicated to the history of voting rights in America. Built with minimal resources but deep community commitment, the museum brings national suffrage history to life—from the women’s suffrage movement to the ongoing fight for equitable access to the ballot across Black, Latino, and Asian American communities, including the legacy of the Jim Crow era.
Through impressive exhibits, interactive storytelling, and events like the Hidden Histories Festival, Project XV has created an accessible, community-centered space that connects past struggles to today’s civic engagement.
Open Mondays from 12–4 PM and fully wheelchair accessible, the museum continues to grow through grassroots support. Learn more, plan your visit, or get involved at projectxvmuseum.com.
1 W Front Street
El Paso, Illinois
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