Lake Zurich Lions Club's Alpine Fest scaled back this year

After being canceled last year because of the pandemic, the Lake Zurich Lions Club's long-running Alpine Fest will be back this July, albeit in a smaller form.

There will be carnival games, rides and food at Lions Park from Friday, July 23, to Sunday, July 25, said head organizer Footloose Frank.

But there will be no parade, entertainment tent or alcohol sales. And there are no events scheduled on Main Street, such as the usual children's entertainment stage or the fire hose contests between area fire departments.

To reflect the changes, Frank said, the club is billing this year's event as the Alpine Carnival.

The 2020 Alpine Fest would have been the 79th anniversary of the event. It was the first time the festival had been canceled, according to Frank, who has been an organizer since 1990.

Usually about two weeks after the festival is over, Frank begins the process of booking entertainment for next year's event.

"We'd even have people reaching out in January asking about applications for the parade," Frank said.

But with the state only recently moving to Phase 5 of its recovery plan and allowing outdoor events such as Alpine Fest, Frank said there was no chance the club would be able to host the event in its usual form.

"We knew last year that if it happened in 2021, it wouldn't be back to normal," Frank said.

Frank said Lions Club volunteers will be soliciting donations at the carnival, and there are plans to sell raffle tickets for a 50/50 drawing.

The Lions Club will donate the proceeds from the event to programs for the blind and deaf.

The Lake Zurich village board unanimously voted Monday to close Main Street near Lions Park for the duration of the carnival. Frank said there won't be any events on Main, but the street will be closed to make it safer for people going to and from the park.

The Alpine Carnival will run from 5 to 11 p.m. on July 23, from 1 to 11 p.m. on July 24, and from noon to 8 p.m. on July 25.

Despite the changes, Frank said he is looking forward to the event, which will be his 30th as an organizer.

"We're still looking forward to seeing our neighbors and the community again," Frank said. "And looking forward to seeing the smiles on the children's faces."