Halal Fest in Naperville blends culture, food and community

Chicagoland Halal Fest 2025: A wonderful blend of culture, food and community, over 20 thousand people attended

The third annual Chicagoland Halal Fest was held at Frontier Park in Naperville with more than 20,000 people attending over the two-day festival on Aug. 2-3. It is being called the largest halal festival in the United States.

The two-day event was organized by the Illinois Muslim Chamber of Commerce, which included stalls from artisans and vendors from the Midwest and other states, a festival of international halal foods, and exciting cultural activities, such as camel rides, traditional dances such as Dabka and Zaffa.

The event is not just about food and drink, said Shafiq Abubakar, president of the Illinois Muslim Chamber, which is about identity, solidarity and providing a platform where Muslim and non-Muslim communities come together to celebrate diversity and shared values.

The opening ceremony was attended by several federal, state and local elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, state Sen. Laura Claymore Elman, College of DuPage President Muddassir Siddiqi, Consul General of Pakistan Tariq Karim and Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli.

Attendees enjoyed unique flavors such as Mediterranean cuisine from El Bawadi Grill, halal Mexican dishes and gourmet halal burgers.

For entertainment, Bandwada, a first-generation American qawwali known as WADA from Virginia, offered a special performance.

Considering the fest’s growing popularity, organizers are considering moving it to a larger venue in 2026. Despite additional security measures this year, such as metal detectors and a clear bag policy, the event went smoothly, which was credited to the support of the city of Naperville.