34th Lakeside Festival - A Success!
The 34th annual Lakeside Festival at Lakeside Legacy Arts Park in Crystal Lake, IL started on Wednesday, July 3rd and took place over five fun-filled days, and concluded on Sunday, July 7th. The Lakeside Fest is the largest fundraiser for Lakeside Legacy Arts Park at the Historic Dole Mansion and it was a huge success! Lakeside Fest once again proved to provide great financial support to Lakeside's mission and vision of creating an innovative community art center committed to preserving local history, cultivating the arts and providing community programs and events. Lakeside is proud to host this annual tradition and great festival for the community to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who attended and for voting Lakeside Fest the Best Festival three-years running by Shaw Media.
Lakeside Festival, above all, is an incredible opportunity for people to gather and enjoy an event truly for the community. From children finally being tall enough to go on the Zipper, to family reuniting for a meal and a great concert, Lakeside brings together people and initiates joy that only a summer festival can provide.
Kids of all ages attended and enjoyed all that Lakeside Fest had to offer. The schedule of events included carnival rides, the Taste by the Lake food court, live music and kids activities. The live entertainment opened on Wednesday, July 3rd with performances by the Sinful Saints and Pirates Over 40, while Fuel made Thursday night's entertainment a rocking time. Friday, Hi Infidelity rocked the stage, along with Tru Blu. Saturday, July 6th, had many family friendly events included appearances from the Chicago Sports Mascots including the Bears, Blackhawks, White Sox and Bulls; a Kaleidoscopes Ice Cream Eating Contest, and a Children's bike parade. Saturday also included entertainment from Common Ground; Jori Parys, Kimberly Wolff, Friction, What About This, and concluded with the popular local headliner, Modern Day Romeos. To top off Saturday's entertainment and kid's programming, the Annual Baggo Tournament gathered 32 teams for a fun, and sometimes competitive game of bags. The top teams won cash prizes! Sunday held the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Independence Day Parade. The parade route ends at Lakeside Legacy Arts Park. Fest goers enjoyed an impromptu performance by the amazing Crystal Lake Strikers drumline group featuring the honorable Mayor Aaron Shepley of Crystal Lake. Lakeside Fest concluded with fireworks and performances by Gregory B, CoverGurl, 16 Candles .
Lakeside would like to thank the numerous volunteers and community groups for their dedication to its success.Overall, it was another fantastic event that will benefit the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park mission of cultivating the arts and fostering an innovative arts destination that enriches the quality of life in the community. Lakeside Fest is an amazing event because of the great volunteers who give their time and talents. Volunteers are an intregal part to running Lakeside Fest, it is fun and the foundatioin always is recruiting great people to join in on the fun while lending a helping hand. Lakeside Legacy Arts Park welcomes the community to step inside and explore all the foundation has to offer, and volunteering is a gerat way to give back while learning more about what Lakeside is all about!
Lakeside Fest is a great community event and long-standing tradition. The foundation offers many other events, and the community is welcome at the monthly art shows called First Friday, Hip Hop Explosion dance events, and our concerts and events in ‘the Listening Room'. Hip Hop Explosion is on July 19th for tweens ages 7 and up. Tickets are $6 a person and the event offers a safe and fun environment to learn freestyle moves and mini-routines. Please join us on August 2nd at the First Friday art show, Art Behind the Ink: Skin as Canvas, from 5:00pm – 8:00pm. Bring your family out for a free opportunity to engage their artistic senses. A full schedule of events in ‘the Listening Room' can be found on our website. Purchase tickets now for great musical events in this state-of-the-art venue.
For more information on Lakeside Legacy Foundation visit www.LakesideLegacy.org or contact Lakeside at 815-455-8000. Lakeside Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.