Organizers are reworking Explore Elgin Arts and Culture into a year‑round program beginning in 2026, Megan Stewart, a contracted event coordinator for the City of Elgin, said during a city information segment.

Stewart said the festival has previously been held over a weekend in May and included music, art, studio tours and farm visits. Because many activities occurred simultaneously, she said organizers and hosts were unable to attend each other’s events. “We had so much activities happening at the same time that the people running those activities were not able to get out and enjoy all the other activities. So we've decided to space it out over the year and just focus on one theme each month,” Stewart said.

The city plans to release the themed schedule soon; Stewart said the program will kick off in January. The change is intended to let local artists, farms and studios host events on separate dates so organizers and participants can attend more of the offerings.

Stewart described her background organizing large operations as a former U.S. Postal Service postmaster and said she became more involved in Elgin through the city’s sesquicentennial committee. The segment did not include details about funding for the year‑round plan, permitting, or any formal approvals required; those items were not specified.