Eyes fest to lower admission
Lisle's Eyes to the Skies Festival is a family friendly event with nationally known entertainment, hot air balloons, a children's area, craft fair, carnival, circus, fireworks and food.
This year's party spans five days, from July 2 through 6, at Community Park near Route 53 and Short Street.
Lisle resident Wayne Dunham, who has served as chairman of the village's Fourth of July committee for most of its 27-year history, recently spoke with the Daily Herald about this year's celebration and some of the changes in store.
Q. How many people typically visit the festival each year?
A. It varies on weather and the year, but 150,000 is our best estimate.
Q. How many hot air balloons are coming this year?
A. We will have our usual 15 to 20 balloons as well as the popular Energizer Bunny.
Our tether balloon will be there all four nights for $20 for adults and $15 for children. People get a thrill going up that 40 feet in the air. The Serena Song balloon will return to give our disabled patrons a free ride.
Q. Will the festival need to raise its prices this year?
A. We are trying to make the festival affordable. What we have done is slash our admission prices by 50 percent in the afternoon and 30 percent at night.
Instead of last year's $10 admission ticket, we will have a $5 afternoon admission for adults. There also will be discount sale passes at local merchants and online.
Q. Why lower the price?
A. We did a survey through the winter in which people indicated they would prefer to have a lower admission fee and then pay extra to go hear the music on the hill. So we decided to do it.
Q. Will the one ticket allow patrons into all areas of the festival?
A. You'll be able to get into all areas except the new music hill on the north side of the park that will have a separate admission ticket. The carnival area has no admission charge, as always.
Q. How do you plan to increase shade at the festival?
A. There will be a lot of extra canvas up this year. The new "Let's Do Art Tent" will be 100-by-60 feet where there will be hundreds of things to look at, as well as art projects for children.
On the southeast side, Pazzo's Patio will have a large tent to sit under, in addition to its outdoors seating. It's a good spot to eat while enjoying the music, watching fireworks and viewing balloons.
The 50 sets of beanbag boards where people can compete or play for fun will all be under a tent. There is also a good-sized tent in the children's area, along with the picnic grove that offers some shade.
Q. How do you attract enough volunteers to run the festival?
A. That is one of the nicest things about running this festival. There is a real spirit of volunteering in Lisle. There are a lot of people who have fun helping out. The Kiwanis beer tent is a good example, where they ring a bell every time they make a sale and get a tip.
Q. If you need a larger area for the main stage, are you building out into the pond of the island stage?
A. No, we're having a semi-trailer coming that opens to a 40-by-30 foot stage, with modern lighting and floating speakers so it has an unlimited viewing area that is protected from the elements.
We will move the stage to the north side of the hill. This is a gentle grassy slope with a flat area where we will have our handicap area. The north park shelter will be our sponsor tent, almost like a skybox, to watch the shows.
Q. What big-name entertainment can people look forward to seeing?
A. We have country singer Blake Shelton on July 3 and the rock group Kansas on July 4. On July 5, we have the number one young male Drake Bell, the star of the Nickelodeon network and TV's "Drake & Josh." He has a new movie out and has had three albums. On Sunday, we also will have the Colgate Country Showdown that is the regional finals similar to "American Idol."
Q. What's new in the children's area?
A. This area is so special we are calling it "Wonderful." All the favorites will return such as face painting, picnic games and coloring and we are adding Radio Disney for three days, some really good children's entertainers, a gentler petting zoo, a huge art tent, a magician and the Bulls/White Sox inflatable batting cages.
Q. What will the 20-somethings like to hear regarding the festival?
A. I think they will like our main stage music; Kansas is a big draw and Blake Shelton is their age.
The Pazzo's Picnic area is mainly for the 20- and 30-year-old groups where at least 25 popular regional groups will play. Also, Dodge is providing cars so you can test drive the model of your choice on a test track to the side of the high school.
If you go
What: 2008 Eyes to the Skies Festival
When: 5-11 p.m. July 2 (carnival only); noon to 11 p.m. July 3, 4, 5 and 6
Where: Lisle Community Park, Short Street west of Route 53
Admission: $5 for adults before 5 p.m. $7 for adults after 5 p.m.; $2 ages 5 to 12; Mega tickets available.
Main Stage concert tickets: $10 in advance; $12 at gate
Info: Hotline (630) 575-9798; Lisle Convention & Visitors Bureau (630) 769-1000; www.eyestotheskiesfestival.com