Come show your support for Red Barn on Thursday, May 7 @ 3pm @ the DeKalb County Admin Building

The hearing will be at the DeKalb County Legislative Center, Gathertorium, 200 North Main Street, Sycamore, IL, 60178.

If you cannot attend the hearing you may submit testimony, comments,  and questions via email at the following address: Communitydevelopment@dekalbcounty.org. 

Any such electronic submissions must be received by noon of the day of the public hearing to be included in the public record.

You can also call 815-895-7188

We'd really appreciate having a copy or record if you submit  anything or contact the county. You can copy us at kathisell@redbarnpro.org. THANK YOU!

In October 2025, we received a notice from DeKalb County stating that we were operating an event venue on our private property, it is a violation of county code and we must cease and desist. We quickly met with county staff to determine what code was being violated, after 5 years of running Red Barn on the property. Basically, we are using an agricultural building for a non-agricultural use and that is not allowed without a special permit to do so. There is also a big concern about safety. The county needs to be sure the public is safe on the property.

After our meeting in October, the county graciously allowed us to finish our performances of Annie Jr but afterwards Red Barn was not allowed to "operate" audition, rehearse, or perform on the farm. While we were working with the county to determine what permits needed to be filed, Red Barn rented a local facility to rehearse and perform because developing Christlike character on and off stage can happen anywhere, not just in a barn. 

On March 26, we filed all the necessary paperwork and fees to obtain the proper permit to allow Red Barn to "operate" back "home" in the Red Barn at 27872 Moose Range Rd. Below is the timeline to get approval from the county.