New late summer festival being planned

A celebration of food, entertainment and family fun will come to life Aug. 29 and 30 with the first Celetastity at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road in Aurora.

Celetastity: A Festival at the Farm will bring together all the elements of a summer festival with a bit of celebration, a bit of taste and a bit of community.

"This is an event meant to bring people together to celebrate the uniqueness of our communities," said Laurie Hoffman, director of Recreation and Communications for the Fox Valley Park District.

The park district has partnered with the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce to stage the festival.

"We're looking to make this a nice, long-term event to celebrate the end of summer each year," said Joseph Henning, chief executive officer of the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce.

Planning is nearly finalized, with the venue to feature an adult theme on the evening Aug. 29, with wine tasting, appetizers and live band.

A full day of family activities, performers and entertainment is planned for Aug. 30. Among the attractions are specialty food and beverage tents, arts and crafts, children's contests and games, hay rides, train rides, pony rides and carousel rides.

A trio of bands will provide live music beginning midafternoon with August, a horn-driven band, performing its eclectic mix of rock and roll, soul and rhythm and blues.

Leslie Hunt of American Idol takes the stage around 5 p.m. Legendary band The Ides of March, known for their song "Vehicle," will cap the festivities Saturday night.

Hours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. More details to come soon at www.celetastity.com.