Tradition, excitement at Arlington Hts. festival

Get out your blankets, Arlington Heights, the festival is back in town.

The tradition of laying out a blanket in front of the main stage the morning before a favorite band will play that evening — and to be reasonably assured it will remain unmolested — is a uniquely Frontier Days thing.

Tonight, Burton Cummings, former lead singer of The Guess Who, will lead off.

Foghat will play Thursday, the Charlie Daniels Band will play Friday, Tonic is onstage Saturday and American English will close out the fest on Sunday, as per usual.

Festival Co-chairwoman Janelle Kulisch said people are happy to have The Charlie Daniels Band again, as least judging by the excitement generated when they passed out fliers at the Memorial Day parade.

“If people are interested, they are going to come,” Kulisch said.

The festival is July 4-8 at Recreation Park, 500 E. Miner St., Arlington Heights. The hours each day are: Noon-11 p.m. July 4; 5-11 p.m. July 5; 5 p.m.-midnight July 6; noon-midnight July 7; and noon-10 p.m. July 8.

There is music on three stages, sports tournaments and the arts and crafts marketplace. The carnival will be open during festival hours, but will offer bargain rides noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and 5 p.m. to close Thursday and Friday. A bracelet for bargain rides can be purchased on site for $22.

Citizens with Disabilities Day is July 7. Rides will be open from 10 to 11:15 a.m. on July 7 for disabled citizens and their ride partners. There is a preregistration this year to help prepare for everyone’s needs.

Plenty of food will be available, with a Dessert Row, wine and beer garden and two pavilions. A new Mexican food booth will sell tacos, taco salads and more, and chicken wings and new desserts can be purchased in other booths. The rib-eating contest that started last year will now have two categories: men’s and women’s.

Kulisch hopes the festival will be “five days of good weather and fun.”