Something for everyone at Lindenfest

The Medinah Shriners will ditch conventional cars and speed around in motorized picnic coolers at the Lindenfest parade this weekend.

This is the first time the group, a fraternal organization based in Addison, will perform at Lindenhurst's annual festival parade. The organization promotes Shriners Children's Hospitals, which exist in North and South America and provide orthopedic, burn, cleft lip and palate, and spinal cord care to children, regardless of their ability to pay.

Besides the Shriners' coolers, other unconventional methods of transportation - like a new military tank and a troop of Clydesdale horses - will participate in the parade, which has the theme "Dancing in the Streets."

Each act in the event will celebrate a different decade of dance, such as the '20s Charleston or the '50s Jitterbug.

The parade is set for Saturday, Aug. 15, and is part of the annual four-day Lindenfest, which will celebrate the community with a carnival, pageant, Battle of the Bands competition, live entertainment and more.

"It's a great family festival with something for all ages," parade director Kim Henning said.

The festival, which runs Thursday, Aug. 13, to Sunday, Aug. 16, will kick off with crownings of the Lindenhurst pageant winners.

Games, such as Bingo, will be featured each day of the weekend, Henning said. The Battle of the Bands will also be a highlight, with 11 local bands competing for first-, second- and third-place honors Sunday, Aug. 16.

"We get a huge turnout for the Battle of the Bands," Henning said. "It's growing in popularity."

Other live entertainment for the festival includes the Lounge Puppets, Chasin' Mason, the Big Al Wetzel Band, Gooroos and Project 3:13.

The festival will be at Lindenhurst's Village Hall Center, 2301 E. Sand Lake Road.