Summerfest 2024

Now that the Fourth of July is but a distant memory, prepare yourself for even more fun at the 43rd Annual Braidwood Lions Club Summerfest. The festival kicks off at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 18, and ends with a spectacular fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, at Old Smokey City Park, 245 W. First Street.
The theme of this year’s Summerfest celebration is “Stars and Stripes Forever - A Patriotic Celebration.”
“One thing we pride ourselves on is the entertainment,” Josh Bolatto, coordinator of the festival, said. “Thanks to the generosity of our business sponsors, we are able to keep the entertainment free. It takes a lot of money to put on a festival of our size and still turn a profit, so we couldn’t do it without their financial support.”
Thursday
Food courts, the beer garden and concession stands open at 5 p.m. on Thursday. At 6 p.m. the carnival opens for the adventurous, and bingo kicks off for the less daring. No smoking under the bingo pavilion.
From 5 to 7 p.m., rock to the sounds of WCSJ radio. “Bad Choices” will entertain with pure rock favorites from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Friday
On Friday, move to the sounds of country radio, 98.3 and 102.3 live broadcasts and giveaways. Classic rock band, “Anthem,” from 8 to 11:30 p.m.
Saturday
On Saturday, enjoy DJ Jeff Saltzman in the car show area from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. From noon to 4 p.m. it's DJ George with Chi City Enterprises. From 6 to 11 p.m. 101.7 FM River Country live remote broadcast. From 8 to 11:30 p.m., country band “Nashville Electric Company” will be on stage.
From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, beautiful babies will compete in the baby contest will be held at the city park pavilion. Age categories include 0 to 3 months, 4 to 7 months, 8 to 11 months, 12 to 15 months, 16 to 19 months, and 20 to 24 months. Children are judged on personality, appearance, and general disposition. Deadline for entries is July 12 and entry fee is $10. For information, call (815) 390-5024.
The Summerfest Car Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Braidwood City Park, 273 W. Third St., with registration beginning at 9 a.m. The registration fee is $20. Participants may register the day of the show, and eligible to win first through third place.
For sedentary types who enjoy sweets, don't miss the pie eating contest starting at 1 p.m., Saturday. Age categories are: Six and younger, seven to 10, 11 to 14, and age 15 and older. Call (815) 791-8093 to register.
Balloon twisting and face painting runs from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, and again on Sunday, and “Those Funny Little People” entertain from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Circus Boy Bobby Hunt is on from 5 to 6 p.m.
Sunday
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the south end of the city park, enjoy the arts and craft show and flea market.
The annual Hometown Proud Parade kicks off at Main and Mitchell streets on Sunday at 1 p.m., with Ken Hopf as Grand Marshall. For information call Angie Hutton at (815) 353-3053.
On Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. join DJ Roy Gregory's Summerfest Country rock and blues dance party, with oldies rock “Wicked Vic” entertaining from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy clowning around with “The Normal One” from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and visit Dave DiNaso’s Traveling World of Reptiles from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m.
Each day of the festival, enjoy the carnival and bingo, but be sure to visit the Braidwood Fire Dept. Fire Prevention Booth, the state treasurer’s office booth,
Vendors include arts and crafts, jewelry, gourmet food and beverages, face painting, specialty clothing.
Carnival wrist bands
Pre-sale carnival wristbands bought from July 5 through 4 p.m. on July 18, are $25, a mega pass, good for the duration of the festival are $70 if bought before the festival. Daily wrist bands are $28 and mega passes are $80 once the festival begins.
From now until 4 p.m. on July 18, you may buy carnival wrist bands at Berkot’s, Braidwood City Hall, Whitmore Ace Hardware, Fossil Ridge Public Library, Hairagain Salon, rockin Robin’s Salon and Midland State Bank of Diamond.
No face coverings
or pets
This year, there will be no face coverings permitted on festival grounds during Summerfest. Anyone found wearing a face covering that obscures their identity, other than standard PPE medical masks, will be asked to leave.
“This policy has been established out of an abundance of safety and after consulting with Braidwood Police Department,” Bolatto said. “Many other fairs and festivals have instituted similar policies out of an abundance of caution.”
Also for safety reasons, no pets will be allowed on festival grounds. Please leave Bowser in the comfort of air conditioning.
Thanks to sponsors
This year’s sponsors include Casey's General Store, Polk-A-Dot Drive In, J&C Travel Inc., Anderson Tax Service, D. Construction, Inc., Arnie Bauer, Busey Bank, Braidwood Dairy Queen, Berkot's Super Foods, Elite Rehabilitation, R&R Septic and Sewer, Sun Motel, Top Fuel Saloon, Northern Illinois Steel Supply, Broadway Auto Salvage, MJS Communications, West Flooring, Stewart Spreading, Morris Hospital, Titan Construction, Shadow Lakes II Association, R.W. Patterson Funeral Home, Financial Plus Credit Union, Midland States Bank, Playhouse Academy, Jensen Electric, M. Gingerich, Gereaux & Associates and the Village of Godley.
Summerfest is the Braidwood Lions Club’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising funds to provide services for blind and deaf persons, as well as various community events and activities.