Music, food and hot-air balloons return to Lisle for Eyes to the Skies
Somewhere within the rainbow of color is where you’ll find thousands of festival goers this holiday weekend.
Lisle is playing host to its 30th annual Eyes to the Skies festival Friday, June 29, to Sunday, July 1, — a weekend of hot-air balloons, entertainment, food, crafts and children’s activities.
Fests abound throughout summer, but with Lisle Community Park’s exceptionally large footprint of 110 acres, or roughly 4.7-million-square feet, visitors aren’t confined to a food or beer tent, said Roger Leone, the fest’s logistics chairman.
“You can do an old-time picnic there. We have tables under shade trees. There’s ponds,” he said. “The setting is so pretty. It’s a real nice, natural setting.”
Organizers expect as many as 150,000 patrons throughout the three-day fest that takes place west of Route 53, east of Yackley Avenue and south of Ogden Avenue, with more than 300 volunteers helping everything go smoothly.
Hot-air balloon launches will take place at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with balloon glows at 8 p.m. and fireworks at 9:45 p.m. each night.
“When you have 20 or 30 balloons, it’s an absolute kaleidoscope of colors. It’s absolutely fantastic,” Leone said.
Balloons include a range of designs, some with sponsorships and some with a variety of shapes such as Humpty Dumpty.
Fest experts recommend arriving a half-hour or more prior to flight times to see the balloons. Spectators are allowed out on the balloon field to talk to pilots and check out the balloons up close.
Morning flights do not require the $5 admission.
Serena’s Song, the nation’s first wheelchair accessible balloon, will give tethered balloon rides to children and adults with disabilities from 6 to 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. to dusk Friday through Sunday.
Balloon launches, as well as glows, where pilots fill the balloons and the flame causes the balloon to glow against the darkening sky, and the fireworks are all subject to weather.
Tethered rides are $25 and last about 10 to 15 minutes on a first-come, first-served basis. They take place east of the bridge on Short Street outside the festival entrance.
Fireworks are launched north of the hot-air balloon field. On Sunday, the fireworks will be timed with a musical score.
The Wilson Family Show carnival takes place from 5 to 11 p.m. today, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All-fest MegaPasses can be purchased at the gate for $50 and are good for all days of the carnival.
The fest’s price of admission — $5 for ages 6 and older — includes all of the day’s stage entertainment.
The Van Kampen Mainstage lineup for Friday begins at 6 p.m. with the Pat Smillie Band, a blues and soul group, and follows at 8 p.m. with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.
On Saturday, the rock-pop band The Fold takes the stage at 6 p.m., followed at 8 p.m. by Daryl Stuermer of Genesis and Phil Collins. Sunday’s entertainment begins at 6 p.m. with ARRA, a classic rock cover band, and at 8 p.m. Think Floyd USA, a Pink Floyd cover band.
On the Cabaret stage in the food court, the lineup Friday begins at 3 p.m. with Audio Anarchy; 5 p.m. with Karen Hart Band; and 9 p.m. with Sixteen Candles.
Saturday entertainment begins at 1 p.m. with Tomorrow’s Alliance; 3 p.m. with Reely Dan; 5 p.m. with Strong Enough; 7 p.m. with Fender Benders; and 9 p.m. with 7th Heaven.
Sunday tunes begin at 1 p.m. with Kashmir, a Led Zeppelin cover band; followed at 3 p.m. with Hot Rocks; 5 p.m. with The Hat Guys; 7 p.m. with Rock Candy; and 9 p.m. with Wedding Banned
More than 30 vendors at two separate food courts will offer up mouthwatering treats such as gyros, tacos, shish-ka-bobs, jumbo turkey legs, mac and cheese, smoothies, steak sandwiches, fried Snickers bars, elephant ears and fajitas, boneless rib sandwiches, alcoholic beverages and more.
A craft fair featuring artwork, jewelry, clothing and more runs from 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on Short Street, west of the bridge and east of the carnival and main festival entrance.
A children’s area offers activities and stage entertainment from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Activities include inflatables, arts and crafts, a video game tent, robot shows and workshops,
Children’s area stage entertainment includes the popular All American Lumberjack Show, which features chain saw carving, sawing contests and lumberjack water sports.
Other children’s stage entertainment includes various athletic presentations, including dance, yoga, gymnastics, martial arts and soccer, as well as preteen and teen rock performances, Hawaiian dancers, magic shows, butterfly and reptile shows, an ice cream-eating contest and more.
Entertainment in the children’s area includes a mobile gaming unit, girls’ makeovers, build-a-bracelet activities, and interactive areas put on by the Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, the DuPage Forest Preserve District and Legoland.
For a full list of main stage and children’s activities and entertainment, visit eyestotheskies.org.
Admission each day is $5 for adults and free for ages 5 and younger. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, admission is free to Lisle residents with a valid ID. Admission is free all day Sunday for military members with a valid ID.
A free shuttle runs from two remote parking lots at Walker Athletics on Burlington Avenue and at Benet Academy at the northwest corner of Route 53 and Maple Avenue.
Some businesses also may sell parking spots closer to the festival for a fee that is not related to the fest’s admission.
Despite economic hardships and people’s changing tastes, Eyes to the Skies has grown and thrived in the past three decades.
“The fact that we’ve been around for 30 years with the ebb and flow of economics, it’s a real credit to organizers and the community,” Leone said.
If you go
What: Eyes to the Skies festival
When: Friday, June 29, to Sunday, July 1
Where: Lisle Community Park, Short Street off Route 53, Lisle
Cost: $5 adults, free for ages 5 and younger
Info: eyestotheskies.org or (630) 541-6096