Get ready to party in the park

The Rolling Meadows Park District makes turning 50 look easy. It's full of energy and ready to celebrate.

Residents of all ages are invited to join the party next weekend.

Park district Director Amy Charlesworth and her staff have been planning the "Party in the Park" since the beginning of the year as a culmination of several other 50th-year events.

She hopes hundreds will gather Aug. 23 to spend a couple of hours or the whole day enjoying the activities. "Rolling Meadows has a nice hometown atmosphere," she said.

Among the attractions are kids games, inflatables, bingo, a climbing wall, airbrush tattooing and a petting zoo. A punt, pass and kick competition will start at noon.

Main stage performances include Od Tabo Imi, Rolling Meadows Idols and the Retrorockets. A small stage will showcase park district dancers and gymnasts as well as a magician at 5 p.m. Fireworks start at 9 p.m.

And, except for the carnival games and concessions, it's all free.

Charlesworth says dozens of volunteers are making the Party in the Park possible, from the district employees donating their time to the teens from Meadows Baptist Church helping with the games.

For history buffs, a special display at the historical museum on Central Road will feature park district photos, press releases and meeting notes over the years.

If the weather gods are smiling, this party won't suffer the same fate as Terry Moran Family Day last month. The two-hour downpour that deluged the city on July 18 caused the annual softball tournament to be canceled for the first time in its 14-year history.

The tents had been set up, bands were hired and teams were ready to play the next day, but the park and fields were too flooded, said organizer Steve Moran, whose family takes most of the financial risk for the event.

Enter Charlesworth. She had worked with the Morans over the years and decided the park district could help them out during Party in the Park. "We invited the Terry Moran softball tournament so they can recoup some of the expenses they lost because of the rain," she said.

So the tournament is back on, as are the raffles that were planned. With most of the teams rescheduling, Moran is hopeful his family's financial losses will be tempered. "We feel relatively confident that we'll cover our out-of-pocket expenses," he said.

But Moran is ever so careful not to overstep his bounds. "What I'm telling everyone is that we're riding on Amy's coattails right now," he said. "It's her party."

If you go

What: Rolling Meadows Park District's Party in the Park, including the rescheduled annual Terry Moran softball tournament

When: Noon-9 p.m. Aug. 23

Where: Kimball Hill Park (behind Jewel)

Info: rmparks.org or (847) 818-3200