Attendance up at 35th Frontier Days in Arlington Heights

The combination of free concerts by Night Ranger one night, and Dennis DeYoung the next, helped boost attendance at the 35th edition of Frontier Days in Arlington Heights.

Organizers estimated the area's largest five-day festival drew between 75,000 and 100,000 people over the July Fourth holiday weekend.

"We're very happy with the run," said LeAnn Lenz of Arlington Heights, who co-chaired the event with David Wiltse, an Arlington Heights resident and attorney for the city of Des Plaines.

"The numbers are pretty consistent with recent years," Lenz said. "We lucked out with just getting about five minutes of rain on Saturday, and the heat actually served as a draw."

DeYoung, former lead singer of the band Styx, was the festival's biggest draw, attracting nearly 15,000 people Saturday night, organizers said.

He headlined the fest two years ago, and turned out to be a real blockbuster. For that reason, the entertainment committee members invited him back.

"It's our 35th anniversary," said Bill Peery, entertainment chairman. "We're trying to make it the 'best of the best.'"

Another big draw, was the annual Stampede Run Sunday morning, which offered participants a 5K and 10K run, a Kids' Dash, and a 5K walk. Craig Carlson, race director, said more than 1,300 people crossed the finish line.

Sunday night was an emotional one for guests attending the concert on the festival's main stage. A patriotic ceremony opened the night, with guests able to recognize Medal of Honor recipient Sammy Davis, as well as World War II veteran Wally Marek of Arlington Heights, and Army National Guard Sgt. Joey White of Batavia, who recently returned from Afghanistan.

"They drew a standing ovation," said Donna Jonas, festival volunteer. "Just seeing veterans from World War II, Vietnam and Afghanistan, standing side by side, brought tears to everyone's eyes."

Volunteers started breaking down the festival early Tuesday morning, long after the carnival rides were gone. Instead, they worked at cleaning the grills and disassembling the electrical devices needed in the food tents, as well as taking down the various stages and going through lost and found items.

Satisfaction with throwing a successful festival for the community helped to drive their work, they said.

"It was exciting to be a part of the 35th anniversary year," said Janelle Kulisch, board chairman. "We drew lots more volunteers, who brought a lot of energy. People just wanted to give back."