‘Tis the season for outdoor festivals! Summertime is fest time in the city of Chicago and its many surrounding suburbs. Open air musical and culinary events of all kinds can be found in and around Chicagoland from May through October.
One of my all-time favorite festivals is the Heritage Fest of Downers Grove, Illinois. It’s no big surprise that this event has been voted “the best festival in the midwest.” Heritage Fest encompasses all of downtown Downers Grove and meanders through numerous neighborhood side streets. And it seems a live musical venue can be discovered around each and every corner.
In fact, Heritage Fest is home to four separate stages and features something for everyone when it comes to live entertainment. Over 25 musical acts will be performing this year at Heritage Fest in Downers Grove. Options include: beloved 80s hair band, Night Ranger, Garage Band Palooza, Tom Chapin and the Chapin Sisters, The Obstacles, Judas Beast, Tropical Breeze and local favs ARRA and Infinity who pay great tribute to Journey, Kansas and Boston. For the kids, Nickelodeon Live will make an appearance and a Downers Grove Idol contest is also scheduled. Other musical genres include: folk, Latin, country, big band and more.
When it comes to food, Heritage Fest has it all! Aurelio’s will be serving its famed pizzas while Ballydoyle Irish Pub will feature delectable corned beef. Try fresh homemade pastas from Capri and zesty Italian beef and sausage from Gatto’s Restaurant and Bar. Crowd pleasers like Famous Dave’s and Culvers will also be in attendance. Specialty food booths can be found off the beaten path down several side streets, however, most of the vendors are located right on the main road.
This year the town of Downers Grove is expecting close to 100,000 people to attend Heritage Fest. This could make parking tricky. Fortunately, there are several parking decks in town and also four shuttle bus locations which provide round trip transportation for just one dollar. We have been lucky enough to sometimes find parking right along the side streets just blocks from festival grounds.
The only real disadvantage about this particular fest is that alcohol is only served in a designated area. In other words, the drinkers are basically locked in a giant cage. (I guess this could be a good thing, depending on how you look at it!) No worries, though, there’s usually live entertainment performing daily in the beer garden. Be aware that depending on the band, there may be a slight cover charge to enter the cage.
Heritage Fest of Downers Grove also offers the following fun-filled activities: carnival rides, bingo, free matinees at the Tivoli theatre, pony rides, arts and crafts and a car show. The 28th annual Heritage Fest runs from Thursday June 25th through Sunday June 28th. For more information on this fest and many others, log onto www.festing.com.
