Mundelein Community Days brings beer-brewing to table

In the mix of live music performances, pet costume contests, Boy Scout demonstrations and a fireworks show, the 2010 Mundelein Community Days brings a new facet to the weekend festival: a home beer-brewing competition.

The BABBLE Brew Off will pit about 120 home brew entries from across the country against each other before awarding the 2010 Mundelein American Cup.

The competition is being held by the BABBLE home brewing club of Lake County, which will be holding a home brewing demonstration and tasting on Saturday, July 3, from 1 to 5 p.m. For $5, patrons can purchase an American Cup pint glass to use to taste the various beers.

The festival, which is held at the fairgrounds at Seymour Avenue and Courtland Street, will also be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America throughout the weekend with a number of demonstrations and events.

There will be a demonstration on how to build a rope bridge, a rain gutter regatta and a Pine Wood Derby wooden car race.

The four-day festival, which begins on Friday, July 2, hopes to attract about 5,000 visitors a day.

"I think the Boy Scouts stuff will have a number of great things to see and participate in," said Village Administrator Mike Flynn, "The real favorites are the watermelon-eating contest, pony rides and the carnival."

The first day of the festival is packed with music and will include four local youth bands who will each take the stage for a 30-minute set. They will be followed by a performance from Mundelein Sound and Lights show choirs.

"We have a good lineup of music over the weekend," Flynn said. "I think the bands we have are very good and very fun."

On Sunday, July 4, the festival will end with a fireworks display starting at 9:30 p.m.

The final day of the festival will feature the annual parade, which will run down Hawley Street starting at Prospect and finishing at Mundelein High School.