Libertyville Days organizers say 'Let's Give It a Shot' this summer
Canceled last year because of the coronavirus, the popular Libertyville Days festival is back on the summer schedule of big events.
With “Let's Give It a Shot!” as the theme and a focus on honoring community heroes, the nonprofit Libertyville Civic Center Foundation's sole fundraiser will proceed.
The village has given the necessary approvals, and everyone is on board with fingers crossed for the 2021 version of the long-running event.
“It has such a positive impact on the community,” said Anne Carlino, executive director of the civic center foundation. The foundation operates the village-owned facility, which houses the Libertyville Senior Center and hosts a variety of events and activities.
In 2019, Libertyville Days raised $25,000 for civic center operations and upkeep.
“Our primary business is room rentals, and we've basically been completely shut down,” Carlino said.
COVID relief in the form of loans and grants has been “very, very helpful,” according to Carlino. But the annual festival, which takes seven months to plan, is the centerpiece.
A carnival, a beer garden, live music and entertainment, an art and crafts fair, food vendors and a parade are planned as main attractions.
As with anything requiring a long lead time in the COVID era, Libertyville Days has an asterisk and ultimately will depend on what restrictions may be in place at the time.
In that regard, the festival has been scheduled for Aug. 12-15 — two months later than usual.
“We started to worry — is June a little too soon? Will people be confident coming out?” Carlino said.
With coronavirus vaccines ramping up, the hope is the situation will be more stable by August. That's the story behind the theme's wordplay.
“We're going to focus on the traditional activities we've had but we're adding a new subcommittee on health and safety,” Carlino said.
Festival-related contracts will be contingent on the state's being at or “acceptably near” Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois recovery program.
Carnival operator North American Midway Entertainment had an opening, and Carlino said civic center officials felt there would be a better chance of having a successful festival if it were delayed until August.
“People need to get together more,” Mayor Terry Weppler said. “There is as much issue with mental separation as there is with the virus.”
Libertyville Days isn't the only activity that has been greenlighted conditionally by the village.
MainStreet Libertyville, a preservation and promotional organization for downtown, also is proceeding with a full roster of events starting in April, including the weekly farmers market and lunch in Cook Park.
Executive Director Jennifer Johnson said MainStreet volunteers plan more than 50 days of retail and community events every year, and she is hopeful many can proceed in 2021.
“Everything we do has to be in step with the current COVID-19 mandates in place, but we will continue to plan and pivot, while keeping the heath and safety of our community and volunteers at the forefront,” Johnson said.
Village officials also granted approvals to the Knights of Columbus for the annual Dog Days of Summer to be held July 8-11 downtown on Church Street and in Cook Park.
And, after a forced hiatus last year, a “safe and modified” version of the 40th annual Festival of the Arts will return to Cook Park Aug. 7-8. Forty visual artists will be presented in the park, but many others will be invited to join a Virtual Festival of the Arts, according to Amy Williams, executive director of the Adler Arts Center.