Editing Collinsville, Illinois (section)

== Culture ==
Collinsville is the self-proclaimed "Horseradish Capital of the World", and sponsors an annual Horseradish Festival.<ref name="International Horseradish Festival">{{cite web|title=International Horseradish Festival|url=http://www.internationalhorseradishfestival.com/|access-date=25 April 2015}}</ref> The area is said {{who|date=April 2017}} to produce 85% of the world's [[horseradish]], of such high quality that Germany and China (key users of the herb) import it for gourmet use. The Horseradish Festival is held annually during the first weekend in June and is held uptown Collinsville on Main Street. It has activities for all ages, including a 5K run, live music, a beauty pageant, and root-grinding demonstrations.<ref name="International Horseradish Festival" />

Known for its large [[ethnic]] Italian population, descendants of late 19th and early 20th-century immigrants, Collinsville hosts an annual Italian Fest in the fall. The Italian Fest has been held annually since 1983 and is located in uptown Collinsville on Main Street. This two-day festival features live music and vendors selling authentic Italian food such as spedini, [[spumoni]], [[bagna cauda]], cannoli, and Italian Ices. Other activities include a parade, midnight bike ride, 5K Run/Walk, Little Miss & Mister Pageant, [[Bocce Ball]] Tournament, and a grape stomp.<ref name="Italian Fest – The Main Street Event">{{cite web|title=Italian Fest – The Main Street Event|url=http://italianfest.net/index.html|access-date=2015-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514171436/http://www.italianfest.net/index.html|archive-date=2015-05-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Image:Collinsville watertower.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower, a water tower in Collinsville]]
Collinsville is the site of the [[Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower]], "the world's largest catsup bottle", a {{convert|170|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} [[water tower]] in the shape of a [[catsup|ketchup]] bottle, which is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natregsearchresult.do?fullresult%3Dtrue%26recordid%3D0 |title=National Register |access-date=2014-02-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130220204509/http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natregsearchresult.do?fullresult=true&recordid=0 |archive-date=2013-02-20 }}</ref> The bottle along with the property was put up for sale for $500,000.00 on July 12, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://fox2now.com/2014/07/21/collinsville-catsup-bottle-up-for-sale/ | title=Collinsville catsup bottle up for sale | date=21 July 2014 }}</ref> In order to celebrate this roadside landmark, Collinsville hosts an annual World's Largest Catsup Bottle Festival in July.<ref>{{cite web|title=World's Largest Catsup Bottle Festival|url=http://www.catsupbottlefestival.com/archive.html}}</ref>

The [[Fairmount Park Racetrack]] for horse racing is located in Collinsville. The racetrack is owned by the corporation Ogden-Fairmount Incorporated. This is one of five race tracks in Illinois, and the only one located outside Chicago. Fairmont Park Racetrack features a one-mile oval dirt track and opened in 1925. The racetrack originally hosted both Thoroughbred flat racing and Standardbred harness racing. The racetrack has hosted popular races, including the Fairmont Derby in the 1920s and the St. Louis Derby in 2006, along with other weekly live races. Three restaurants are located at the track for visitors to enjoy: the Top of the Turf, the Black Stallion Room, and the 1st Turn Café.<ref>{{cite web|title=Embrace the Race|url=http://www.embracetherace.com/c10/Fairmount-Park-Racetrack-c44.html#}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Admission for live racing is $1.50 per person on Tuesdays and $2.50 per person on Fridays and Saturdays.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fairmont Park Racing|url=http://fairmountpark.com/racing}}</ref>

The [[Cahokia|Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site]] is located within the city limits of Collinsville. This large park has been designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]] and was one of the first eight [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Sites]] designated within the United States; today there are a total of 23.  A museum and visitors' center provide a movie and displays which present the lives of the ancient inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site|url=http://cahokiamounds.org/}}</ref>