SALISBURY, Ill. — The biggest thing she’s done in a long time is this weekend’s upcoming October Fest, said Pat Adamski, owner of the Morning Star Mercantile & Café in Salisbury.

On Oct. 1, the yard surrounding her lovely building – constructed from an old barn – will fill with crafts, jewelry, books by local authors and more. The day kicks off the Spoon River Drive and coincides with the big fall festival planned at The Farm, which is just a mile or so down the road.

This is the first event Adamski said she has offered at the café. Located just down the road from Lincoln’s New Salem, she is hoping the historic site, along with all the other local fall festivals, will draw visitors to her celebration.

The Morning Star Mercantile & Café was the dream of Adamski and her parents, Bill and Georgia Adamski. After living 20 years in Israel, where she put her Biblical anthropology background to work, she came home to Illinois in 1995 when she said, “I started to miss my family.”

Her sister found the perfect lot in Salisbury, where Adamski and her parents built the Morning Star Mercantile & Café. Although many think the name is American Indian-based, it was selected because as Adamski said, “Jesus is the Morning Star.

“The first thing I bought when I got home was an old barn. Dad and my brothers built this building with the wood and beams from that barn,” she explained.

The café has a cozy atmosphere in part because of the beautiful, functional fireplace which is patterned after the Doctor’s home in New Salem. Visitors to the October Fest will want to take a moment to sample wares both inside and outside the café. Cooking since she was a girl, Adamski’s food draws visitors from all over the Midwest and beyond.

“Mom and I have always loved to cook. We always had Olive Nut Spread sandwiches at home and this, along with our Cashew Chicken salad and the crepes we always made at home, became our signature items along with our Broccoli salad,” she said.

The Morning Star is also known for its delectable desserts: “The pies and the carrot cake is what people come out for. We were supposed to be just a tearoom. The first week was pretty quiet, but then after that, the crowd doubled. That is when we added the Angus burger and grilled chicken breast to make the café ‘man-friendly.’

“I have an organic garden and grow the herbs we use. Dad made me some raised beds,” Adamski said, adding how she enjoys just looking at them. “It is a visual thing.”

Open Tuesday-Saturday, the Morning Star operates from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch is served between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and desserts are served until close. Located on Interstate 97, the main street in Salisbury, it is next to the Colin Art Gallery. Call 217-626-2022 for details on the festival or the restaurant.