Written by: Toni Pastorino
Vernon Hills is getting ready to kick off its annual Summer Celebration, which runs Thursday, July 18, through Sunday, July 21, and features tons of activities for people of all ages.
Summer Celebration has long been a symbol that we’ve reached the middle of summer and is notable for having one of the largest beer tents in Lake County, national headlining musical acts, many regional food vendors, and a carnival. In addition, the festival includes many free activities for all ages to enjoy, from a bags tournament for adults, to a petting zoo, a game show, and free crafts for the kids.
We wouldn’t be able to host such a wonderful event without the support of our volunteers and local resources. The volunteer-run Summer Celebration committee works year-round to secure local business sponsors as well as donations from local restaurants to feed our first responders during the event. They also recruit nearly 100 volunteers who help run the event, plan events like kids crafts and bingo, manage food vendors and the beer tent, and book the live entertainment and production crews to entertain Vernon Hills residents and visitors. The committee partners with the Vernon Hills Police Department for security and patrols, the Public Works department for help with setup, teardown, and everything in between, and the Vernon Hills Park District, which maintains the grounds where the event is held.
The event begins Thursday, July 18 and welcomes local act Pelvis Brothers to the stage for the first time. The show will start at 7 p.m. and they’ll be rocking right up until we light up the sky with the annual Fireworks Spectacular. The fireworks show is one of the highlights of the festival and a great way to kick off the weekend.
On Friday, July 19, the grounds open at 6 p.m. and the fun continues with carnival wristband specials, a great selection of food vendors — including some new food trucks — and the adults can enjoy some refreshing beer and wine options in the beer tent. Check out our website and Facebook page for updates and entertainment announcements.
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Saturday, July 20, the main grounds will open at 1 p.m. There will be carnival wristband specials and free crafts for the kids under the big tent, where they can make foam art, sand art and flip flops this year. We’re working on adding a couple of more events during the day on Saturday, so stay tuned.
The evening will feature two amazing acts — Trippin’ Billies, a renowned Dave Matthews Tribute band will open the show at 7 p.m. and the BoDeans will take the stage after as our main headliner. The BoDeans have been touring for 30 years and are known for hits like “Closer to Free”, “Good Things” and “Fadeaway”. After the show, a DJ under the big tent will keep the party going.
Sunday, July 21 is designated as ‘Family Fun Day’. It opens at 1 p.m. for more kids crafts, face painting, as well as a petting zoo and a game show. The day also includes the seventh annual Bags Tournament and wraps up with a karaoke showcase where local talent have the opportunity to bring their voices to the big stage.
Also returning is the Cream-The-Cop Fundraiser, where for a $5 donation, kids and adults can “cream a cop” with a whipped cream pie. The money will be donated to the 100 Club of Chicago, which supports the families of first responders that have lost their lives in the line of duty.
We hope to see you there! Click here for the Summer Cel website and visit Events section!
*This post is sponsored by Vernon Hills Summer Celebration