Frontier Days hits the big Five-Oh, and it’s as lively as ever
A little more than five decades ago, a group of Arlington Heights residents gathered to create an event they hoped would bring their community together in celebration of the United States’ Bicentennial.
Fifty years later, that special celebration to mark the nation’s 200th birthday lives on as one of the suburbs’ biggest and most beloved festivals — Frontier Days.
This year’s Golden Anniversary edition of Frontier Days runs Wednesday, July 1 to Sunday, July 5 at its longtime home in Recreation Park, 500 E. Miner St.
It promises to bring together all the elements that have made the fest such a hit over the years, from family friendly activities and top-notch main stage performers, to thrilling carnival rides and food from some of the town’s favorite restaurants.
This year’s main stage lineup is highlighted by Grammy-winning alternative rockers Soul Asylum, who will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, July 3. Born of the same Minneapolis music scene that produced iconic bands like The Replacements and Hŭsker Dŭ, Soul Asylum has produced multiple platinum-selling albums and their heir 1993 hit “Runaway Train” won the Grammy for Best Rock Song.
Kicking off the fest at 7:30 p.m. July 1 will be local favorites 7th heaven, with a set of hits from the 1980s hits to today. The band, which mark its 40th anniversary this year, also has written and released more than 1,000 original songs and appeared on the Billboard charts numerous times.
It’ll be Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press taking the main stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 2, a high-energy cover band whose set list ranges from The Beatles to Madonna.
Where better to celebrate the nation’s independence but on the high seas? Or at least feeling like it? That’s why the July 4 main stage headliner will be Los Angeles-based Yachtley Crew, who perform late ’70s and early ’80s “yacht rock.” They’re set to take the stage at 8 p.m.
And it wouldn’t be Frontier Days without everyone’s favorite Beatles tribute band, American English, closing out the festivities. They’ll perform 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 5.
While the main stage shows may bring in thousands of spectators every night, nothing draws crowds like a parade. This year’s Fourth of July parade, which will celebrate Frontier Days’ 50th anniversary, steps off at 10 a.m. from Dunton Avenue and Oakton Street, then marches toward downtown before hanging a left at Miner Street and ending at the festival grounds.
If a march is a little too slow for your tastes, get out from a run the next morning at the Frontier Days Stampede. Featuring a 5K run, 10K run, 5K walk and quarter-mile kids dash, all races start and finish at the intersection of Miner Street and Douglas Avenue. The 5K and 10K start at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, July 5, with the kids dash to follow at 9 a.m.
Other highlights include: pickleball, Baggo, volleyball and 3-on-3 soccer tournaments; a dog Frisbee competition; the arts-and-crafts Marketplace; and the ever-popular water fights, which pits teams of four in a competition to push a barrel into their opposing team’s territory using firefighting hoses.
For more information on those and other Frontier Days happenings, visit frontierdays.org.
None of this would be possible this year — or any of the 49th previous — without the dedicated cadre of volunteers. Affectionately known as “Red Shirts” for the tops they wear on festival grounds, volunteers have always been the backbone of Frontier Days.
If you’d like to know more about joining their ranks, visit frontierdays.org/volunteer.