Wood Dale's Prairie Fest grows to four days

Wood Dale's ninth annual Prairie Fest promises to be anything but a "Slow Ride" even if headliner Foghat tries to rock the crowd with that tune.

Foghat tops a four-day festival bill that includes a range of styles, from pop metal to a Beatles tribute.

"I always enjoy American English, the Beatles music," Mayor Ken Johnson said. "That's the highlight of the event for me."

No matter what your musical taste, organizers say there's something for you at the festival that opens 6 p.m. today in the Town Square and runs through Sunday, Aug. 15.

In a time when budgets are tight and town festivals are going by the wayside in some communities, Wood Dale leaders have managed to grow the festival with more than 10,000 people attending last year.

"It is a big fest for a smaller town," Assistant City Manager Jeff Mermuys said. "The council wanted to do fun things for its residents, and we had a lot of sponsors."

Increased sponsorship allowed the village to stay within its fest budget while quadrupling the size of the party from the past two festivals.

Sponsorship money pumped up the entertainment budget, organizers said. This year's fest features two bands on Friday, five bands on Saturday and three on Sunday.

"The music, I think, is why everyone comes," Mermuys said. "We've got more bands than we've ever had before."

Kashmir and 7th Heaven take the stage Friday. Saturday's lineup features Audio Anarchy, Walk-Ins, Heartache Tonight, Foghat and Infinity. Sunday's finale showcases In Session, Reely Dan Band and American English.

Thirteen different vendors will serve a varied menu of food, from corn on the cob served by the American Legion to wraps and sandwiches by Chicago Prime Meats to gelato from the Ice Lolly Café.

A carnival runs throughout the four-day fest. All-weekend passes are $50 on site, or single-day passes are $20 on site.

Additionally, there are several opportunities for free fun for the kiddos that include hay rides, a magic show, face painting and balloon animals.

The event will retain its community homecoming feel, it's just been ramped up a bit, organizers say.

"It's become an event for people who have moved out of town to come back once a year and meet up with old friends," Johnson said. "It's almost like a family reunion."

Fest leaders will be out there enjoying the fun along with everyone else. But the laughter and music will have barely faded before they begin thinking about next year.

"There's time to relax," Mermuys said. "But three weeks after the fest, we've got to start planning again."

Admission to Prairie Fest is free, but there are fees for food and some activities.

For information, call (630) 766-4900. For a full festival schedule, visit wooddale.com.

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>

<p class="News"><b>What:</b> Wood Dale Prairie Fest</p>

<p class="News"><b>When:</b> 6 to 11 p.m. today and Friday, Aug. 12 and 13; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15</p>

<p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Town Square, Commercial Street and Wood Dale Road</p>

<p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> Free admission</p>

<p class="News"><b>Info: </b>(630) 766-4900 or <a href="http://wooddale.com" target="new">wooddale.com</a></p>