1,000-foot water slide coming to Algonquin this summer
Tickets are on sale for what event coordinators call the "biggest slip 'n slide you could ever imagine," which will take over North Main Street in Algonquin for a weekend this summer.
Slide the City, an event that will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 and 16, features a 1,000-foot water slide made of the same material as a bouncy house. The location for this particular event was chosen because of the hill on Route 31, said Jess Loren, event coordinator and Cary resident.
"Illinois is very flat, but the slide needs a large hill," she said. "That's all it really takes - a hill and a very courageous, forward-thinking village to see the benefits of the event."
The Algonquin event will feature more than just the slide, Loren said. A festival with food, drinks, live music and kid events will also take place that weekend.
The weekend-long festival is organized almost entirely by SocialTechPop, an event planning company, and Slide the City. However, Katie Gock, recreation coordinator for the village, said she has been working behind the scenes on important details, such as securing the location, organizing security and safety measures, handling crowd control and giving Slide the City special event permits.
"I'm really excited that they reached out to us to have the event in Algonquin," Gock said. "Slide the City is a nationally known event. It really puts us on the map."
Slide the City began when a group of friends who lived in Salt Lake City wanted to create a family-friendly form of entertainment. They created a prototype for the giant slip 'n slide and have since brought the event nationwide, Loren said.
SocialTechPop partnered with Slide the City in February to bring the event to eight additional states, including three towns in Illinois, she added.
"We hope to bring a lot of people to the area and help support the local economy," Loren said. "We want people to see how beautiful it is by the river and all the businesses downtown has to offer."
Gock said the slide will be very well received in the village.
"I really think the residents are so excited to have this opportunity to have a national event come to our smaller town," she said. "There's a lot of buzz about it."
Tickets for the Algonquin festival begin at $5 per person; free for kids 12 and younger.
Slide tickets are sold separately and can be purchased for $15 per slide until July 10, $20 per slide from July 11-31 and $25 per slide Aug. 1-14. Slide tickets are $30 on the day of the event. Special family and friend packages and multiple-ride deals are available at socialtechpop.com/events/slide-the-city-algonquin-il/