Carnival, cars and more at Wood Dale Prairie Fest
Since the Ford Model T first hit the factory assembly line a little more than 100 years ago, cars have been redesigned, reconfigured and re-imagined, sparking curiosity and endless comparisons.
Car enthusiasts and history buffs alike should find a few conversation starters at the car show coming to Prairie Fest in Wood Dale this Friday, July 26.
The show is the newest addition to the four-day festival that opens Thursday and features music, family fun, food, rides and carnival games in Community Park, Mittel Drive and Wood Dale Road.
The car show starts at 5 p.m. Friday - an hour before the rest of the fest. It's called a “cruise-in,” which means it's open to all makes, models and years, said Grant Paplauskas, the city's head of marketing and special events.
Cars will be on display on the south side of the festival grounds, he said.
The fest featured a car show years ago, he said, and “we've brought it back at the request of the community.”
Presented by the city, the festival is in its 19th year and will include an expanded menu of family entertainment. Visitors will find jugglers, puppeteers, a magician, face painters and balloon artists. Bingo games are scheduled for 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Wood Dale residents get a special deal Thursday, also known as Resident Appreciation Night. Anyone who can show proof of residency will receive a voucher good for $5 redeemable at the festival's food vendor booths and food trucks.
“That's every resident, not just every household. It's probably our second busiest night,” Paplauskas said.
Available dishes will include pizza, noodles, barbecued ribs and chicken, tacos, ice cream and cake.
The largest crowds tend to come out on Saturday, when the evening will be capped with a 9:15 p.m. fireworks show, he said.
Mega-passes for rides are priced at $65 and are good for unlimited rides throughout the four festival days. Carnival hours are 6 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Petty Kings, a Tom Petty tribute band, gets the music started at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by R-Gang, a Motown-inspired band at 8 p.m.
“On Friday we've got 16 Candles. They're one of the more popular bands in the Chicago area,” Paplauskas said. That show starts at 9 p.m.
Saturday's live music features a 3:45 p.m. set with Everett Dean and the Lonesome Hearts; a 5:45 p.m. set by The Gingers; and finishes with a 7:45 p.m. classic rock show by Rhythm Method and a 9:45 p.m. performance by Light Up, a Styx tribute band.
Sunday's music lineup includes Eliminator, a ZZ Top tribute band; Heart to Heartbreaker, a band that specializes in hits from female rock stars; and a 7:30 p.m. show featuring Heartache Tonight, an Eagles tribute band.
The event draws a large crowd each summer, Paplaukas said.
“We've had up to 20,000 come throughout the weekend,” he said. “We love to see the community spirit.”