Savor summer's sweetness at annual Strawberry Festival
The annual Strawberry Festival in historic Long Grove is just around the corner.
The popular festival runs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 21-23, in historic downtown Long Grove, 308 Old McHenry Road.
Admission is $5 per person, with children younger than 12 admitted free. Well-behaved dogs on a leash are also welcome. There's also a three-day pass for $10 available online.
“Strawberry Fest mixes old school summertime fun with summertime eats,” said Kendra Perri, an event organizer with the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association. “It's got vintage, small-town charm fused with big city energy.”
Some of the area's most popular restaurants, chefs and vendors set up shop to serve up unique strawberry-centric foods and drinks. Featured items this year include: strawberry barbecue sandwiches, deep fried strawberries on a stick, chocolate strawberry popcorn, strawberry kebabs, strawberry jams, strawberry fudge, strawberry blintz, strawberry banana Nutella crepes, chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry doughnuts, strawberry ice cream, chocolate strawberry sundaes, and more.
In respect to non-strawberry foods, a variety of vendors will be on-hand dishing out other delights.
Next is the live music, with bands playing on two stages. Main stage headliners this year include some of Chicago's top cover and tribute bands, including Infinity, Hi Infidelity and Modern Day Romeos. The full music lineup can be found at longgrove.org/festivals/strawberry-festival.
Kid Zone activities will include Medieval Times Jr. Knight training, bags, spin art coloring, face painting, performances from local children's groups and strawberry pie-eating competitions on Saturday and Sunday for children and adults.
To cap it off, a full carnival with classic carnival rides and games from Fantasy Amusements will be held near the Archer parking lot (no additional admission fee required; see website for unlimited ride specials).
Getting there
Parking is complimentary in all public lots — Archer Lot at 343 Old McHenry Road and Kildeer Countryside Elementary School, 3100 Old McHenry Road. Street parking on Old McHenry Road and on residential streets is prohibited and vehicles may be towed. Strawberry Fest organizers recommend using a ride-share service.
Adults will receive 2 for 1 admission at the Archer Gate (Archer and Robert Parker Coffin roads) when they get dropped off there and can show a receipt (maximum two free entries per receipt).
Complimentary remote parking (with shuttle to fest) on all three days is available at Chase Plaza, 1180 W. Lake-Cook Road, Buffalo Grove.