Special Kneads Bakery

10/01/2026

Come see us at the Buddy Walk Saturday!

09/27/2026

We had a great day in Bishop Hill today for their Ag Days. So many friendly faces, my grandkids and great vendors too!
We just about sold out so I had to go and bake again tonight.
It’s been a long day and I’m pooped. At least I have a jump on the morning and the pumpkin bars are done!
Come visit us tomorrow!

09/13/2026

Doing what I can to overcome this anxiety about getting back to business at the bakery while managing all that life hands you.
Starting fresh means cleaning everything top to bottom. Today my husband helped me. I’ll move forward with help from Frankie too! I want this to be more about Frankie and keeping him busy. He’s totally capable of running a retail shop.
This bakery is too special to give up on! Time to make it happen again!

Do you know someone who creates their own products that has a disability? Maybe soap, scrunchies, jewelry,squishes etc?

We would like to feature a few local artisans with disabilities to have a place where they can sell their handmade goods.

Tag them here so we can get an idea if this could work out for our special needs community!

Thanks for all your support over the last 8.5 years! Here’s to a bunch more!

09/04/2026

Hey everybody, I know it’s been a while since I’ve been on here but I just wanted to give a bit of an update on what’s been going on lately for us.
This past May, I went back to work full-time at the Children’s Hospital in Peoria. I’m so glad I jumped back in after over eight or nine years of being away from Monday through Friday 9 to 5 hustle.
I needed more in my life something that was going to give me purpose. As I walk the halls of this hospital I am most comfortable. I really love what I’m doing. I always joke and say a paycheck and benefits are also a plus! Sadly in this day and age, they are a necessity.
Having a family full of entrepreneurs, we realize that we’re not the ones that are making big bucks and the option of having an employer benefit program . We work so hard to keep our businesses running and we constantly worry about finances along with medical needs that can come up in the family. So for that, I am grateful I know I can go to the doctor if my husband or I get sick .

I never meant for the Bakery to take a backseat to my life as I thought I could balance both.
Now, please understand that we aren’t going anywhere, but our business model may change a bit.
Downtown is looking sharp. I feel like a change could do us all some good!  Please bear with us while we figure out exactly how to make this work with Frankie at the helm!
We miss our people and we miss our group visits, but that’s not something that has to end here. We will find a way to make this work as we put too many years of effort into creating Frankie‘s safe and special place that he likes to share with his friends.
We meet with the health department next week and we’ll discuss some ideas.
We’ll keep you posted. 

08/29/2026

Just wanted to apologize but I won’t be able to open today. I woke up with a killer sinus headache and went back to bed.

I hope your day goes well and we’ll do our best to get ourselves ready for next weekend.

08/23/2026

The Bakery was a busy and became an important meeting place on Saturday. Normally the Duffy round table has a few of the regulars from here in town including Cecil and Mary Duffy, Bad Betty, Sue and sometimes Kathy!
This weekend, we had Antonio from Normal and he is working to get Frankie appointed by the governor to be on a workforce council for those with disabilities. 😊❤️
Next rolls in Karen and Dave from Jacksonville. Karen had been Frankie’s therapist starting when Frankie was 18 months old. 🤩😊❤️
Next is Carmen from Erie who is a speech pathologist and has a couple of kids with Autism. She was looking for ideas for their future work/school plans.
What a perfect day for networking and also meeting someone new, who fit right in to the Duffy round table.
Join us next week for sweet treats, important discussions, Galva updates and also plenty of shenanigans!

08/15/2026

Come one come all! Guaranteed a great time!

🎶 THE SHOW MUST GO ON! 🎶

*we will update this post with the most up to date information*

We’re doing everything we can to keep things moving forward and make sure YOU have an incredible festival experience!

⏰ IMPORTANT UPDATE: GATES WILL NOW OPEN AT 4:00 PM.
We are pushing back gates to allow additional time to prepare the grounds. Thank you for your patience and understanding! This means the side stage will start with Kaiden Leezer at 6:15PM. Wh***ey Ridge will no longer be performing this year. All other times remain the same at this time.

Things may look a little different than in years past, but whether the ☀️ sun is shining or the 🌧️ rain is falling, there will be plenty of ways to find your vibe and enjoy the music!

📲 STAY IN THE KNOW!
Please follow this page — any important festival updates will be posted here first.

📱 GET EMERGENCY & WEATHER ALERTS DIRECTLY TO YOUR PHONE!
Text BACKROADS26 to 38276 to sign up for festival Emergency & Weather Alerts. 🚨🌩️

🚨 IMPORTANT PARKING UPDATE 🚨
Due to the continued inclement weather, parking on the festival grounds will be LIMITED.
📍Parking is $20 this year
❌ NO BASEBALL FIELD PARKING
🚗 Please carpool whenever possible and help us respect our neighbors and our city.

⬇️ DROP-OFFS ARE ALLOWED AT:
📍 WEST GATE — Off Route 17
📍 PARK ENTRANCE — SE 6th Street

We appreciate your patience, flexibility, and understanding! We’re working hard behind the scenes to make tomorrow a great one.

Rain or shine… WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE FESTIVAL! 🎸🤠🔥

08/15/2026

Rain Rain Go Away! 🌧️☔️
We’ve got plans today!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Hey today we are planning to be at The Backroad Music Fest so we are not opening the bakery.

I hope you’re at the gig tonight so we can visit! Frankie is so excited to meet Chris Young! Thank you Tyler!
🤩❤️
And if you’re not going to the gig in Galva, you should check out 3 Mile High at Psycho Silo Saloon

08/12/2026

This entire area is so proud of Anderson and all his accomplishments! Such a great kid! Way to go kid!

Four years after Anderson Taylor began collecting specimens, he opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum in Cambridge, Illinois, offering school tours and attracting visitors from across the region