Dan Wronski of Downers Grove chows down on funnel cake mixed with strawberries against the backdrop of the Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest on Thursday.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
With the help of over 300 volunteers, the Rotary GroveFest held a special edition of the four-day event, which entered its eleventh year despite the COVID-19 hiatus last year.
Downtown Downers Grove was transformed in a playground of food, live entertainment and the sounds of Carolann Fioti, 12, screaming at the top of lungs with excitement as she rode her favorite ride, the Pharaoh's Fury.
On the west side of the event, near the concert stage that would later host headlining band 7th heaven, Alessandro Locascio cooked up burgers, flipping them so they wouldn't burn. Locascio said he and another cook would make about 200 burgers a day at the festival.
"It's hard to put together, but it's well worth it," said Keith Hoffman, said Rotary Club committee member. He expects that around 25,000 people will attend over the four-day event, which is organized by the Rotary Club of Downers Grove.
The event usually makes its mark in June but was pushed to August because of COVID-19. Hoffman wasn't sure if that would now be traditional, as it would discussed at a later meeting.
Alessandro Locascio cooks up burgers at the Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest. He and a partner will cook up 200 burgers a day at the festival, he said.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
The Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest kicked off with the ride Pharaoh's Fury producing hair-raising screams from Brynne Burkhart, Dia Fitzgibbon and Carolann Fioti, all 12 and from Downers Grove in the back row. "It's my favorite ride," Carolann said.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
A Metra train speeds by the Ferris wheel as the Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest kicks off on Thursday.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
Hundreds of people stand in line at the Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest to get tickets for the carnival rides on Thursday. The event was put on hiatus last year and delayed from its usual June date due to the pandemic.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
Downtown Downers Grove starts to fill up as the Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest kicked off on Thursday.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
Pat Rick with his son P. J., 3, of Downers Grove try their luck at ringing the neck of a duck in the ring toss game at the Rotary GroveFest.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com