Between Elgin and Sleepy Hollow, Fourth of July fun goes all weekend

Chicago Tribune

17 hours ago

There can be no complaints that there's nothing to do this Fourth of July weekend given the full slate of activities planned by the city of Elgin and the Sleepy Hollow Service Club.
Elgin's celebration gets underway at 9 a.m. Friday with the city's traditional parade, featuring 90 floats, marching bands, dance troupes and other participants working their way through the streets of downtown. This year's parade grand marshal is the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
The two-hour procession steps off at Douglas and Slade avenues, and follows a route south down North Grove Avenue to its end at Grove and Division Street, near the Elgin City Hall.
Simultaneously, Elgin's pet parade will be stepping off from the NorthEast Neighborhood Association's Butterfly Garden near the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Ann Street. Participants will end up on the same route as the main parade, officials said.
Following the pageant, festivities resume in the afternoon at Festival Park, 132 S. Grove Ave., where there will be food trucks, children's activities, games and live music.
The onstage concert lineup starts at 5 p.m. with old school R&B act The Moods taking the stage, followed by Ritchie Valens tribute act The LaBamba Show at 6:30 p.m. and Shawn Klush's 'The Ultimate Elvis Experience' at 8 p.m.
Between 7:30 and 8 p.m., there will be a pie-eating contest.
Elgin's big fireworks show is scheduled to begin about 9:20 p.m. and will last 15 to 20 minutes.
'Each year there are between 8,000 and 10,000 people watching the Fourth of July parade,' said Amanda Harris, the city's director of arts and cultural events. 'The Fourth of July celebration in the park brings between 12,000 to 15,000 people, with a few thousand more watching the fireworks across the Fox River on the west side.'
While the park activities are free, there's also an option to pay for a $25 ticket to get access to a VIP Lounge Area set up in Festival Park. It includes a bar, lawn seating, restrooms and an elevated viewing deck with umbrellas, ambient lighting, and great views of the stage and fireworks.
Tickets are required for anyone 12 or older. Each paying adult can bring in two children under the age of 12 for free. Chairs are not provided, so guests will need to bring their own seating.
The VIP area will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/cityofelgindcase/1740041.
Both events will require street closures and some parking restrictions so attendees are encourage to leave extra time to get around. There will be plenty of places to park; a map of downtown parking is available at elginil.gov/1852/Parking-in-Elgin.
The fun is not limited to just Elgin. The Sleepy Hollow Service Club will be holding its annual Fourth of July fest from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday in Sabatino Park, 1 Thorobred Lane.
Club Vice President John Florance said they've been hosting Independence Day events and fireworks pretty much from its inception back in 1973.
This year things get underway at 8 a.m. with a 1-mile fun run starting at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School, followed at 9 a.m. by the Bob Zdenek Memorial Fishing Derby at Lake Sharon, according to the village's website.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a free car show. People who want to enter a vehicle will pay a $15 fee, with proceeds going to the Illinois Special Olympics.
Food and beverage stands open at 10:30 a.m., just before the Bill Ritchie Memorial Parade steps off at 11:30. A fire truck from the Sleepy Hollow Fire Department leads the show, followed by floats, tractors, children on bikes and skateboards, and other participants.
Entertainment is available from noon to 4 p.m., with live music from pop and rock cover band The Lennys and kid-friendly games open from 1 to 3 p.m.
The club also stages a pie-eating contest, a tradition that started one year when there were a lot of pies left over from a bake sale, Florance said. The competition begins at 2:30 p.m.
'It's like watching World Wrestling (Entertainment),' Florance said. 'I shouldn't like it, but I do.'
The day will wind down with the pulling of winning raffle tickets, he said.
Sunday night is when the service club stages the village's fireworks display at Sabatino Park. Parking costs $20 and opens at 7 p.m. for a lower-to-the-ground display that starts about 9:30 p.m. and lasts 22 to 25 minutes. The per-car fee helps offset the cost of the fireworks, Florance said.
Holding the show on a Sunday night is more affordable and easier to schedule given that most towns are wanting to hold their displays on July 4 or 5, he said.
Plus, they won't be competing with bigger shows in other towns, Florance said. The timing also helps because club members are working all day on the Friday events and this provides a break in between activities, he said.
The club holds fundraisers to make sure they have enough money for the Fourth of July fest and fireworks and its annual Halloween in the Hallow event, which always culminates with a ride by the village's 'Headless Horseman,' he said.
For more information, go to www.sleepyhollowil.org/community/page/july-4th-festivities-hollow.