“Once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities don’t come around that often, but residents in the Colchester area will get to celebrate a unique day on the 23rd of June this year. It’s ZIP Code day — 62326.
A committee is in place planning activities and raising funds to promote the event. Organizers include Catherine Lowderman.
Debbie Sullivan, Jamie Sullivan, Corrie Logan and Stephanie Zimmerman.
They have established a Facebook page (search “Colchester Zip Code Day”) and have an email location at 62326zipcodeday@gmail. com The event is scheduled for the afternoon of June 23, starting at 4 p.m. and will last until at least 8 p.m.
The location will be on the Prairie near the post office in “downtown” Colchester.
Plans call for a venue for local musicians and possibly for a street dance. Three food trucks will be available, including Twisted Pasta. Full Scoop ice cream shop will also be promoting the event at their east side of Colchester location.
Activities are being planned for youth participation as well as a possible quilt raffle featuring scenes from Colchester. A t-shirt order form is available through the Facebook page or by contacting Jamie Sullivan at the above-mentioned email site. Pre-orders are due by May 29 to ensure pickup by the 23rd of June.
The organizers are also planning for a community photo reminiscent of old-time photos of posed large crowds. Steph Zimmerman, a local photographer, is in charge of this activity, which will be held later in the evening.
Colchester’s ZIP Code is one of only eight codes in Illinois that are palindromic and can be celebrated in 2026. That is, the arrangement of digits can be read forward and backward resulting in the same 62326 code. ZIP Code areas are determined more by the most efficient delivery routes and domiciles rather than by political or geographic boundaries.
ZIP Codes don’t seem to follow any uniform system. For example, ZIP Code 62325 is for Clayton, Illinois, but there is no assigned area for ZIP Code 62327. It’s left purposely blank in case population demographics require altering routes or in case of increased population or business growth. If Toyota decided to build a huge auto manufacturing plant between Colchester and Tennessee (near both railroad and an interstate service), the USPS might assign the plant its own 62327 ZIP Code. The Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and Merchandise Mart, both in Chicago, have their own unique ZIP Codes as do the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
Plan on starting your Heritage Days week by stopping by Colchester on June 23 for a special day that you’ll get to experience only once.
