DuPage fests feature ribs, rides and rockin’ entertainment

DuPage County is home to some of the largest and best-known festivals around, drawing crowds for everything from hot-air balloons to big-name entertainment.

Food, fireworks and a lot more await as well. Here are some highlights:

Eyes to the Skies

When: July 1-3

Where: Community Park, Lisle

Info: eyestotheskies.org

A treasured Lisle event that has long given festival goers a reason to look up is back for three days this July.

The annual Eyes to the Skies Festival will run July 1 to 3 (the carnival kicks off June 29) at Community Park, near Route 53 and Short Street. Highlights include two food courts, carnival rides, a children’s area, a crafts fair and musical entertainment.

But Roger Leone, the festival chairman, said the main draw is the hot-air balloons and three nights of fireworks.

“People love fireworks,” Leone said. “And we have it every single night.”

For those who want the full Eyes to the Skies experience, admission is $5. Children 5 and younger enter for free.

Even though visitors must park blocks away and walk or take shuttle buses, they can sit on the grass and enjoy the fireworks and hot-air balloons outside the gates without paying if they like.

Leone said organizers are hoping to top last year’s festival, which drew more than 40,000 people and raised nearly $50,000 for area civic groups.

Blues on the Fox and Downtown Alive! Festival Series

When: Blues on the Fox June 17-18; Fan Favorites July 15; Rock on the Fox Aug. 12

Where: Downtown Aurora

Info: downtownaliveaurora.com or (630) 896-6666

Take any genre of music and imagine one of the most well-known artists coming to the suburbs for a festival along a river.

That’s happening for blues lovers this summer at Blues on the Fox in Aurora, featuring Buddy Guy as the 8:30 p.m. Saturday night headliner.

“He’s a legend in the blues and he’s still performing in the top of his game,” said Tim Rater, executive director of the Paramount Theatre, which runs the festival.

The concerts June 17 and 18 will move to a new location — the corner of River and New York streets — and will charge an admission fee for the first time, Rater said. It will be $5 a day. There will also be a charge for the Downtown Alive! concerts July 15 and Aug. 12: $3 each day, free for kids younger than 12.

But the tunes and the atmosphere should be enough to draw crowds, said Steve Warrenfeltz, a member of the festival’s volunteer board.

“The music is the main focus but it’s also where it’s located,” Warrenfeltz said. “There’s a whole vibe and attitude that takes place at this festival.”

Blues on the Fox and the Downtown Alive! Festival Series are being organized by the private sector for the first time this year after the city of Aurora cut its office of special events.

Naperville Ribfest

When: July 1-4

Where: Knoch Park, Naperville

Info: ribfest.net

Fourteen ribbers will be fighting to stake the claim of best ribs in Naperville this summer.

Naperville Exchange Club’s Ribfest, the annual four-day rib and music festival, runs from noon to 10 p.m. July 1-4.

This year’s music lineup is scheduled to include country duo Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and REO Speedwagon.

Fest spokeswoman Julie Lichter said the layout will be similar to the design that debuted last year with two main stages, family area and carnival.

“We’re making some refinements in the park but not a whole lot,” she said.

The Exchange Club of Naperville was chartered in 1987 and is dedicated to the elimination of child abuse and domestic violence. Through financial contributions to more than 40 local charities, the Exchange Club has raised more than $9 million from its service activities at Ribfest.

Admission at the gates is $12, with children 11 and younger free. Purchase tickets at the Naperville Park District or Jewel and pay $9.

Naperville Jaycees Last Fling

When: Sept. 2-5

Where: Downtown Naperville

Info: www.lastfling.org

Last Fling, the largest fundraiser of the year for Naperville Jaycees, returns for Labor Day weekend.

The festival features a carnival, entertainment, a beer garden, a business expo and more. It kicks off at 5 p.m. Sept. 2 and runs through 6 p.m. Sept. 5.

Already scheduled to perform are country duo Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson, American English and The Neverly Brothers.

“We’ve talked to the people and they really like the way the Fling has been set up,” said new Executive Director Brad Taylor. “So we’re keeping the familiar setup and similar schedule as we plan.”

Organizers estimate that it will bring between 200,000 and 250,000 people to downtown Naperville over the course of the weekend.

The fest is free.