Summer events aim to honor, celebrate

Posted May 16, 2010 11:00 pm

If this is May, it must be that time of year again, when suburban festivals offer entertainment for families with such old fashioned fun as carnival rides, food, music and fireworks, all in one spot.

We've looked through the list and come up with some highlights.

Northwest suburbs

Memorial Day | Streamwood

Streamwood is one of many special places to observe Memorial Day in the Northwest suburbs, and organizers there always hold it the Sunday before the holiday. This year's observation will be at 11 a.m. May 30 and lasts nearly two hours, with its mix of military participation, speeches and patriotic music.

Nearly 20 years ago, village leaders partnered with local veterans' groups to design one of the most comprehensive memorial sites in the region. Veterans' Memorial Park is the result, located at 301 E. Irving Park Road.

This year's observation begins on Saturday night with a 24-hour candlelight vigil by a military honor guard. Sunday's ceremony always includes participants from area veterans' organizations: the VFW, American Legion, Viet Now and Color Guards that line the walk in front of the Conflict Stones.

Guest speakers kick off with Streamwood Village President Billie Roth, and include state and local dignitaries as well as veterans.

Taste of Des Plaines

"Mike and Joe" is one of the most watched cover bands in the Midwest, having taken their popular college act to local clubs and bars. Now, fans can hear them free when they play the opening night of the Taste of Des Plaines.

This is the 10th anniversary for the Taste, which takes place in early June along Ellinwood Street in Library Plaza in downtown Des Plaines.

Families will find plenty of unusual food specialties from Des Plaines' restaurants that go beyond the typical picnic fare, while children can explore crafts, a bungee jump and inflatable moonwalk.

Live music continues throughout the fest, but the main stage acts are big draws, including Hi Infidelity on Saturday and BritBeat, a Beatles tribute, on Sunday.

Frontier Days | Arlington Heights

Frontier Days, which plays out each year over the July 4 weekend in Arlington Heights, celebrates its 35th anniversary this year on the grounds of Recreation Park, 500 E. Miner St. Admission is free.

With three stages of entertainment, carnival rides, expansive food tents and a Marketplace craft show, this festival has its tradition firmly rooted in family entertainment.

The theme of the July 4 parade is "Frontier Days: A Family Adventure, 35 Years of Volunteers."

A closer look into the list of daily activities includes a two-day, 3-on-3 soccer tournament, which draws hundreds of youngsters, and the Stampede Run on Sunday, which attracts nearly 1,000 participants in its 5K and 10K events.

Dogs will catch Frisbees, or just walk in the pet parade. A Baggo tournament draws tweens, while face painting for children is always available.

Two more stages offer continuous live music, from the children's acts and community groups on Stage West, to the rock and bluegrass bands on the Frontier Stage.

Buffalo Grove Fine Arts Fest

Tucked into the middle of summer is the annual Buffalo Grove Fine Arts Fest, taking place July 17 and 18, at 124 McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove. Thousands of patrons pour into the free festival to peruse the wide range of artwork and live demonstrations.

Amdur Productions mounts the show each year. Buffalo Grove is one of its larger fests, last year drawing nearly 32,000 people, Amdur officials say. This year, 150 artists from around the world will be represented to showcase a range of media, from jewelry, pottery, glass and metal, to more traditional displays of oil, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media paintings.

With live music playing in the background, it has all the makings of a pleasing cultural getaway.

Septemberfest | Schaumburg

Septemberfest is middle-aged, but you wouldn't know it by the enthusiasm with which the festival is planned and executed over the Labor Day Weekend.

This year's 40th anniversary version features all the elements that have made it so successful: a parade, main stage entertainment, an expansive food tent, arts and crafts and carnival rides.

The festival plays out on the grounds of the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, located at 101 Schaumburg Court, which are large enough to separate the arts and crafts fair from the carnival.

Patrons walk across bridges to get to an island of sorts where the main stage is set up. Once the music dies, a fireworks show erupts, closing the fest each night of the fair.

Lake County

Alpine Fest | Lake Zurich

The Lions Club-sponsored Alpine Fest, widely considered one of the best fests in the suburbs, returns to Lake Zurich in late July.

Lions Club Advertising Director Bruce Schmidt says the family-oriented event will bring back all the things people love, like well-known bands and events and activities for younger patrons.

"We stay with the bigger names with a local connection in the main tent, while we also have a family tent for the younger patrons to enjoy," he says. "We really try to do something for everyone in the family."

This year's main stage entertainment includes the Neverly Brothers, the Saturday June Band, the Kevin Purcell Band, 7th Heaven and Out of Storage.

In addition to the entertainment, officials say the food at Alpine Fest is some of the best in Lake County.

The Alpine Fest Parade also returns this year at 11:30 a.m. July 25 in downtown Lake Zurich.

The festival runs from 6 p.m. to midnight on July 23, 1 p.m. to midnight on July 24; and 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on July 25.

Libertyville Days

The Libertyville Days festival features live entertainment, carnival rides, beer tents, a craft show, music and more. This year's theme is "Rock This Town."

Anne Carlino, executive director of the Libertyville Civic Center, says the event is a huge draw and adds much-needed money to the civic center's coffers.

"It really is one of the best events of the summer," she says. "We've upgraded the musical acts this year and are also holding a special teen dance for the younger supporters."

She says the band Chasin' Mason is the largest act appearing. They will take the main stage on June 20 at 7 p.m. Aphrodisiac will take the main stage on Saturday night, while teens will be footloose during the "teen tween dance" on Friday night.

"We are really hoping the rain stays away this year," she says, referring to last year's rainout of the teen party. "But, we are bringing the dance back this year, and hope it'll be great weather this time around."

The festival is sponsored by the Libertyville Civic Center Foundation and the Libertyville and Vernon Hills Lions clubs, among other groups.

Events are set for Church Street, the civic center and Sunrise Rotary Park. Hours are 6 to 11 p.m. June 17, noon to 11 p.m. June 18 and June 19, and 1 to 6 p.m. June 20.

Fox Lake Fireman's Festival

The two-day Fox Lake Fireman's Festival is always a highlight of the summer on the Chain O' Lakes.

The event features a street dance on July 17, and water fights on July 18.

Rich Hoehne of the Fox Lake Fire Protection District says proceeds help cover the cost of training and equipment for the volunteer fire department.

"We always have an amazing turnout at the event, both for the dance on Saturday and the water fights on Sunday."

He says the biggest draw is the business water fights, where teams from all over Fox Lake become firefighters for a day.

Two teams line up across from each other and use the water from a fire hose to push an empty beer keg across a line. The team that pushes the keg across the opposite line first wins.

The event is open to both men's and women's teams, Hoehne says. The cost per team is unknown at this time.

"It really is one of the highlights of summer for a lot of people," Hoehne says.

He says the dance will feature the band Modern Day Romeos and will kick off at 6 p.m. Admission is $5.

DuPage County

Ribfest | Naperville

With an added emphasis on musical entertainment this year, Ribfest visitors may find themselves torn between which shows they want to catch at the event's dueling main stages.

Charlie Daniels will headline the south stage July 1, while blues rocker Jonny Lang and pop rock brother-band Los Lonely Boys headline the north stage. Other north stage headliners include "Dancing with the Stars" ingénue and country music performer Julianne Hough on July 2, country music songstress LeAnn Rimes on July 3 and the classic rock band Blue Oyster Cult on July 4. On the south side, other headliners slated to appear include rocker Sammy Hagar July 2 and festival favorite Sister Hazel on July 4. Organizers are working to fill up the remaining headlining slots.

A total of 16 rib vendors will be competing for Ribfest honors this year. Alabama-based Camp 31 is the only new ribber among the competitors.

Ribfest also features carnival rides, a children's area and entertainment throughout each day at its Knoch Park location just south of downtown Naperville. Daily admission is $12, but early purchase $9 admission tickets are available at Jewel grocery stores or the Naperville Park District offices.

Eyes to the Skies in Lisle

Hot-air balloons are the main draw of Eyes to the Skies each year in Lisle. Some years are better than others for the daily attempts to launch the dirigibles, but Lisle festivalgoers also have carnival rides, musical entertainment and scores of craft booths at their disposal if the balloons are grounded.

The event is held at the massive Lisle Community Park off Route 53 at Short Street, south of Ogden Avenue. Attempts to launch balloons occur every morning and every evening, with a "balloon glow" slated each night at 8:30 p.m.

Organizers have reduced admission to $5 this year to make the event affordable to families, they said. Children 5 and under receive free admission.

Taste of Lombard

Taste of Lombard is charging admission for the first time in its history. The decision to implement a $2 price tag for admission to anyone 13 or older was made in an effort to keep the four-day festival afloat.

Vendors from restaurants throughout the city will offer wares, and a carnival and crafters are also draws to the 28-year-old event held at Madison Meadow Park located at Madison Street and Lewis Avenue.

All three festivals include fireworks shows. Both Taste of Lombard and Ribfest offer fireworks shows at approximately 9:30 p.m. on July 4. Eyes to the Skies offers fireworks every evening at sundown between July 2 and July 4.

Fox Valley

Pride of the Fox Riverfest | St. Charles

The famed dragon boats will wow spectators at the Pride of the Fox Riverfest, which will be held downtown and along the Riverwalk in St. Charles.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 11-13.

In addition to the dragon boat races, there will be two entertainment stages, an arts and crafts show, six activity sites, a 40-ton fantasy sand sculpture, a carnival and more.

Midsommar Swedish Days | Geneva

Go Swedish at the annual Midsommar Swedish Days Festival in downtown Geneva.

"We actually have some what we call 'expect the unexpected' new things," says Laura Rush, communications manager for the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, which runs the festival.

The party features concerts, a pet parade, a children's day, a carnival, food and a huge parade.

Algonquin Founders' Days

The Algonquin Founders' Days festival marks a milestone this summer: its 50th year.

The festival's parade, themed "All that glitters is gold," steps off at 11 a.m. July 24 and makes its way across Route 31.

The four-day festival will be held at Towne Park and Riverfront Park along Route 62 and Main Street. It also includes fireworks, a dog and cat show, a carnival, a pageant for little kids and several races.

The festivities span from 4 to 10 p.m. July 22, 9 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. July 23, 11 a.m. to 10:15 July 24 and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 25.

Fireworks will be at 9 p.m. July 25 at Riverfront Park.

Art in Your Eye | Batavia

"It pretty much will have all the same features. We always have new artists," says Becky Hoag, spokeswoman for Batavia's Art In Your Eye art show and festival.

But it is adding an auction of miniature pieces created by artists during last year's festival.

The sixth annual celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 14 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 15, at the Riverwalk, the Depot Museum and the Batavia Government Center, Houston Street between Island Avenue and Water Street.

The interactive festival features an invitational art show, a student art show, demonstrations by artists from Water Street Studios, a children's art creation area, food and musical entertainment.

South Elgin Riverfest Express

South Elgin's Riverfest Express has so much to offer already, it's difficult for organizers to drum up new ideas or attractions.

The fest features a carnival, musical entertainment, craft show, car show, food and more.

"We keep trying to think of different things, but we have just about everything," says Joyce Ware, co-chairwoman of the Riverfest Express committee. "Nearly all of our entertainment is new this year. There's only one band coming back from last year."

The festival is at Panton Mill Park, 10 N. Water St., South Elgin. It runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Aug. 19, 5 to 11 p.m. Aug 20, noon to 11 p.m. Aug. 21 and noon to 10 p.m. Aug. 22.

Carnival riders get their thrills at Schaumburg's Septemberfest. George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Hot town, summer in the city

They're oldies but goodies, and these three major summer events have run for decades and drawn huge crowds for a reason - a winning combo of the lake and great entertainment. Here's a look at this year's major summer festivals.

Taste of Chicago

The free music, juicy turkey legs - even the ridiculous crowds - have become a sentimental Chicago tradition. This 10-day eating extravaganza serves up a couple hundred food items from dozens of Chicago restaurants.

This year, the lakefront festival celebrates its 30th anniversary with 11 new restaurants, including Abundance Bakery, Bobak Sausage Company, Cubby Bear, Iyanze and Summer Noodle and Rice. Old favorites such as Eli's Cheesecake, Robinson's No. 1 Ribs and Billy Goat Tavern and Grill also return.

One thing not returning this year - the traditional July 3 fireworks display that attracted a million people to the lakefront. The main show has been axed because of budget restraints and public safety concerns. Instead, the city will stage three smaller lakefront displays - one at Navy Pier, one on the North Side visible from Foster Avenue to Montrose, and the third on the South Side, with viewing from the 63rd Street Beach to Promontory Point. All fireworks will be at 9 p.m. on July 4.

The free shows at the Petrillo Music Shell feature performers including Salt-N-Pepa, Bell Biv DeVoe, Emily Osment, Gavin Rossdale, Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos, Mat Kearney, Trey Songz, Rob Thomas and the Steve Miller Band. Other attractions include Dominick's Cooking Corner, a teen Battle of the Bands and a Taste of Talent competition for amateurs ages 4-14.

Admission is free, but food and drinks require tickets, which are 12 for $8.

Summerfest | Milwaukee

Summerfest is pretty much musical nirvana - 11 days, 11 stages and more than 800 bands. The event, billed as the World's Largest Music Festival, features many of music's hottest stars, emerging talents and local favorites.

Headliners such as Tim McGraw with Lady Antebellum, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Justin Bieber, Eric Clapton, Santana, Rush and Carrie Underwood will take the stage in the 23,000-seat Marcus Amphitheater. The festival also features 10 additional stages, with performers including Sheryl Crow, Weird Al, Cypress Hill, O.A.R. and Counting Crows.

And it's not just about music. Visitors will enjoy fireworks, an interactive baseball experience, a hole-in-one contest, a sky glider, family activities, interactive exhibits and marketplaces.

Tickets bought at the gate between noon and 4 p.m. on weekdays are $8. Evening and weekend adult gate tickets are $15. Children's and seniors tickets are $3. For complete ticket information, visit the website.

Chicago Air and Water Show

The 52nd annual Chicago Air and Water Show - the largest free show of its kind in the country - returns to the lakefront in August.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights will headline the show. This year, the water and air portions have been combined for one continuous show that begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. both days.

The returning U.S. Navy Blue Angels are an elite group of Navy pilots known for their famous diamond formation and precision flying. Their aerobatic routines have impressed more than 427 million fans. The men and women of the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights jump out of aircraft 12,500 feet above earth and have thrilled spectators for more than half a century.

Spectators can bring blankets, chairs and coolers; alcohol, grills, pets and fireworks are prohibited. The national anthem is played at 10:45 a.m.; headliners will perform last.

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