22 local food and drink fests to check out before summer ends

Have a favorite summer food — or drink? There’s probably a suburban or city fest devoted to it.

Highlights include a rib fest in Vernon Hills, a halal food fest in Naperville, a wine celebration in Geneva, craft beer events in Elgin and Elmhurst, and an entire evening dedicated to garlic in Highwood.

Here’s a look at 22 coming up before summer ends:

Taste of Highwood: 5-10 p.m. Friday, July 18; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 19; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 20, in the Downtown Highwood Metra Station Parking Lot. Features fare from local restaurants, booze tents and voting for the People’s Choice Awards. Free. celebratehighwood.org.

Sugar Grove Corn Boil: 5-10 p.m. Thursday, July 24; 5-11 p.m. Friday, July 25; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 26; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Volunteer Park, Sugar Grove. Opening parade at 5 p.m. Friday down Bastian Drive into the park. Carnival, live music, corn hole tournament, food, drinks, bingo and lots of sweet corn. Free shuttle service at the library and municipal center. sugargrovecornboil.org.

Lombard Brew Fest: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 19, on Parkside Avenue, between Lilacia Park and the Metra station, Lombard. Samples from local breweries, cideries and meaderies. Each ticket includes 20, 3-ounce samples and a souvenir tasting glass. $65 for general admission, $85 for VIP early entry and $25 for designated driver (limited to one nonalcoholic beer and water and soft drinks). lombardbrewfest.com.

Taco & Art Fest: 3-7 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Shell at Reed-Keppler Park, 832 Arbor Ave., West Chicago. Taco Wars feature local food vendors competing for the title of best taco. Food trucks, music, craft and art vendors, artist demos, art stations, a petting zoo, inflatables, a face painter and a henna artist. we-goparks.org.

Taste of Roselle: 6-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, on Main Street, Roselle. 43rd annual block party featuring food from Roselle restaurants, craft beer and wine, entertainment on three stages, an arts and crafts show, bingo and a kids’ carnival. Free. facebook.com/TasteofRoselle/.

Dessert Walk: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, starting in Cook Park, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Stroll around downtown Libertyville to sample desserts and shop. mainstreetlibertyville.org.

Chicagoland Halal Fest: 3-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2-3, at Frontier Park, 3380 Cedar Glade Drive, Naperville. This family-friendly event showcases global halal cuisine, arts and traditions through performances, activities and more. ilmchamber.org.

Garlic Fest: 4:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at Everts Park, 111 North Ave., Highwood. Sample sweet and savory garlic creations, including garlic-infused chocolate, cookies, ice cream, cupcakes, cocktails, pastas, sandwiches, sauces, spreads and more. Also features music and family-friendly activities. Free. celebratehighwood.org/garlic-fest.

Taste of Glen Ellyn: 5-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 14-15, and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, in the College of DuPage parking lot No. 6, on the southwest corner of Lambert and College Road in Glen Ellyn. Live entertainment, carnival rides, food, beverages, business expo and more. Free. glenellynchamber.com.

Little Bear Ribfest: 6-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, and 4-11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, in Century Park, 1001 Lakeview Parkway, Vernon Hills. Local rib vendors, beer, wine and bourbon tasting. $5. vhparkdistrict.org/little-bear-ribfest.

Taste the Maze: 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at Abbey Farms, 2855 Hart Road, Aurora. An evening of craft beer, cider and seltzer tastings inside Abbey Farms’ 8-acre corn maze. Tickets are $65; designated driver $45, with discounts available for tickets bought by July 31. 21 and older only. abbeyfarms.org.

Bloody Mary Fest: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, at Everts Park, 111 North Ave., Highwood. Mixologists and vendors will compete for the Proud Mary Award for the best Bloody Mary. Free. celebratehighwood.org/bloody-mary-fest.

Honey Fest: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Heritage Farm at Spring Valley, 201 S. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg. Honey tastings, historic demonstrations, interactive displays and bee-inspired crafts. Treats, beeswax crafts and beverages for purchase. Free. parkfun.com.

Woodstock Truck ‘N Food Show: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at the McHenry County Fairgrounds, 11900 Country Club Road, Woodstock. All-in-one big-rig truck show and food truck event with live music and 21-and-older beverage selection. mchenrycountyfair.com/truck-food-show/.

Zoo Uncorked: Wines & Vines: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Sip fine wines and cocktails during the grand opening of the zoo’s Tropical Forests habitat. 21 and older. Tickets start at $70. brookfieldzoo.org/winesandvines.

WingOut Chicago 2025: 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, and 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St., Chicago. Taste the offerings from Chicago’s top wing makers, plus live music and drinks. Tickets start at $20. wingout.greencurtainevents.com.

’Cue for a Cause: Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at York and Vallette streets, Elmhurst. Fundraising barbecue contest for Elmhurst Walk-in Assistance Network featuring food, drinks, music, raffles and entertainment. Tickets start at $20. elmhurstwalkin.org/cue.

Batavia Block Party & Taste of Batavia: 3-8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at Peg Bond Center, 151 N. Island Ave., Batavia. Live music, car show, pie bake-off and a free kids’ area. Tickets purchased on-site the day of the event are $5 for ages 21 or older; free for kids. downtownbatavia.com.

Festival of the Vine: Noon to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6; and noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, on James Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, Geneva. The Flavor Fare in the outdoor tent features food, wine and live music. Arts and crafts show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Third and Campbell streets. Merchant wine events, business booths, kids’ activities and free horse-drawn carriage rides. genevachamber.com/events/festival-of-the-vine.

Illinois Brews: 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Bowes Creek Country Club, 1250 Bowes Creek Blvd., Elgin. Fundraiser featuring local craft beer, food and live music. Proceeds provide at-risk Elgin youth with access to recreational programs and services. VIP Sneak Peek Admission at 3 p.m. Tickets start at $55. Register: elginparksfoundation.org/ilbrewsatbowes.

Elmhurst Craft Beer Fest: 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, on the grounds of the Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst. Craft brews, meads, ciders, seltzers and food at the 10th annual fundraiser for the museum and Churchville one-room schoolhouse. General admission is $45; $20 for designated drivers. Early entry at 1 p.m. for $55. elmhurstcraftbeerfest.com.

Pints By the Pond: 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Peg Bond Center, 151 N. Island Ave., Batavia. Craft beer fest with food trucks. Tickets include 20, 3-ounce samples and a commemorative beer glass. General admission is $49.87; designated driver $12.51. VIP entry at 1 p.m. for an additional fee. bataviaparks.org/pints-by-the-pond.