The Heritage of Kickapoo Creek Winery

The Heritage of Kickapoo Creek Winery

            Driving on Illinois I-74, you’re beyond bound to see seemingly endless corn and soybean fields.  However, just 8 miles West of Peoria, easily accessed from the Kickapoo-Edwards exit, you can find Kickapoo Creek Winery: a modern oasis of beautiful countryside.

            In 2003, Dr. David Conner (a now-retired orthopedic and hand doctor) started planting grapes along with his pre-existing nursery, and with that began Kickapoo Creek Winery.  Fast forward to 2005, the Tasting Room and Café, banquet center, full kitchen, and winery were established. 

            From Tuesday to Sunday every week, you can visit the Tasting Room. It is great for smaller parties to enjoy an afternoon of wine tasting and lunch with fun and friendly service. While you can find Kickapoo Creek Winery’s wine at various stores through Illinois, all of our wines are stocked in the Tasting Room.

            For larger parties, we offer banquet and catering services. Typical events in our banquet hall include big birthdays, retirement parties, organizational gatherings, and other events similar. However, one of Kickapoo Creek Winery’s specialties is weddings. 

           From ceremony to reception, we offer our beautiful landscape and services to make every wedding we host as magical as possible. Our various locations for ceremonies include either of our two lakes, our grasslands, by our vineyards, or under our Prairie Star Pavilion. For receptions, the banquet hall is decorated, lit up, and filled with food for a perfect celebration of a special day.

            Kickapoo Creek Winery wasn’t always a beautiful escape for lunch and wine tasting, or for celebrating any of life’s joys. The land used to be a farm owned by a man named Olli Smith—the namesake of Smith Road. He raised corn and soybeans until it was purchased 1965 by one Dr. McKnight, with the intention of raising thoroughbred horses.

           Dr. David Conner purchased the property in 1986 and turned it into a cattle farm, but got tired of chasing cows around. So, he sold the cows and started a nursery in the early 1990s. However, competing flower sales with big brand stores became a nuisance, which brings us to 2003, when Dr. Conner started planting grapes.

            In 2007, Dr. Conner retired from his orthopedic and hand practice; around the same time, his son and daughter-in-law, Rory and Mary, took over managing Kickapoo Creek Winery.

 





Call (309) 495-9463 to make reservations, inquire about events or catering, order wine, or talk to the business office.

Kickapoocreekwinery.com

6605 N Smith Rd, Edwards, IL, 61528