AUGUST
The Kankakee County Museum’s annual fall mum fundraiser is going on NOW through August 28th. They have 9-inch potted mums available in white, pink, red, yellow, purple and orange. Choose your color and buy one for $10 or two or more for $8 each. Orders must be placed by Thursday, August 28th and the mums may be picked up at the museum on Friday, September 12th between noon and 5pm. You can purchase your favorite fall flowers online today at kankakeecountymuseum.com or in person at 801 South 8th Avenue in Kankakee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kick off the weekend with the Village of Bourbonnais’ next “Fridays at 5” event happening from 5 until 8pm on Friday, August 22nd at The Grove with several food trucks, cold beverages and live dance music from the band “Electro Retro”. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. It’s free to attend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Beecher Lions Club will host their 3rd annual “All American Day” on Saturday, August 23rd featuring a military tribute, car show, barbeque event, farmers market and more. This will take place on Gould Street from 11am to 4pm. There will also be military vehicles on display, an Illinois National Guard artillery display, kids events and a DJ, live music from “Vern & Vern”, food and crafters, a 50/50 raffle and several BBQ vendors on site with a chance for you to vote for your favorite. For more info, find their facebook page or visit beecherlionsclub.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Kankakee County Museum and the Kankakee Valley Theatre Association are teaming up once again for their bi-annual “Voices of the Past” cemetery walk on Sunday, August 24th. This interactive and theatrical walking tour brings local history to life as you stroll through Kankakee’s Mound Grove Cemetery on North Greenwood Avenue. Costumed actors will be portraying some of Kankakee County’s most compelling historical figures and telling you their stories while standing at their final resting places. There will be show times this Sunday at 11am and 2pm. Tickets are $12 for museum members and $15 for non-members. For advance tickets visit kankakeecountymuseum.com. You may also choose to pay your admission at the event.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet golf outing fundraiser, “A Swing and a Prayer” will take place on Tuesday, August 26th at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont. Rain or shine, this will be a day filled with golf, food and drinks, a raffle, silent auction and lots of fun. Registration opens at 7:30am and the shotgun start will be at 9am. A cocktail hour starts at 2pm, followed by dinner. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Funds raised with this event will help the homeless, hungry, lonely, and poverty-stricken among us. More details are available at catholiccharitiesjoliet.org/swing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Manteno Sportsmen’s Club’s next “Cheeseburger Night” will be on Wednesday, August 27th with burgers served from 6 to 8pm. The entertainment will begin at 6pm with live music from “Cosmic Rewind”, featuring Milner Media’s own Bill Dyche on the drums.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join the Bourbonnais Township Park District for its final “Summer Concert Series” show of the year on Wednesday, August 27th with island vibes and the tropical sounds of “Mr. Myers” performing from 7pm until 8:30 at Perry Farm Park. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Pets are welcome too. Come early for the Maker’s Market with local vendors and food trucks beginning at 5pm. These events are free to attend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join the Village of Bourbonnais for “Lunchtime Bites & Beats on Festival Street” from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday, August 27th with live country music from Ryan Craig along with food trucks serving pretzels, tacos and more. This event will take place at The Grove in Bourbonnais.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Project Sun and the Merchant Street Art Gallery of Artists with Autism are inviting parents and caregivers with children of all ages who are receiving mental, emotional and behavioral health services in Kankakee County to attend their “Caregiver Craft Club”. The club meets every 4th Wednesday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30pm in the art gallery at 356 East Merchant Street in Kankakee. The next meeting will be held on the evening of Wednesday, August 27th and dinner will be provided.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 81st annual “National Sweetcorn Festival” will take place Labor Day Weekend at McFerren Park in Hoopeston from August 28th through September 1st, sponsored by their local Jaycees. You’ll find carnival rides, food, games and contests, demo derbies, live entertainment, a beer tent, free hot buttered sweetcorn and much more. For more details, visit hoopestonjaycees.org/festival
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 53rd annual Earl Park Fall Festival will be happening Labor Day Weekend, August 29th through September 1st in Earl Park, Indiana. Visitors can enjoy toe-tapping bluegrass music, delicious food, a flea market, car show, fish fry, Bingo and free, family-friendly entertainment. Milner Media’s own Mike Ruble will emcee the Truck and Tractor Pull at noon on Saturday, August 30th and the Demolition Derby on Sunday the 31st at 3pm. For more info, visit earlparkfestival.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The annual 3-day music and camping festival known as “Shoe Fest” will be held August 29th through the 31st at Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See in Manteno with 3 stages featuring live entertainment with an emphasis on roots music, such as folk, folk rock, bluegrass, and jamband. For tickets and additional information, visit shoe-fest.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The “Ward 5 Kids Fun Fest and Vendor Show” will be happening on Saturday, August 30th from 11am to 6pm at the 5th Avenue Garden in Kankakee. Sponsored by Alderman Victor Nevarez, Carmen Lewis, and Lepra’s 4-H Club Community Garden, this event is open to the public and will feature vendors as well as activities for the kids. There will be an inflatable obstacle course and water slide, painting, food vendors, a lemonade stand, a reptile show and more. The community garden is located at 302 North 5th Avenue in Kankakee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Tri-Creek Education Foundation will sponsor the Lowell Labor Day Weekend 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, August 30th. Parking will be at 195 West Oakley Avenue in Lowell, Indiana. Registration is from 6:30 to 7:30am with the race starting at 8am. They’ll have food, door prizes and cooling towels. Online registration ends August 29th at 4pm. Same-day registration will also be available. Visit runsignup.com. The fee is $30 for ages 15 and up, or $10 for those 14 and under. The money raised will fund grant opportunities for the Tri-Creek School staff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Just Us Motorcycle Club will host “Luke’s 3rd Annual Ride For Autism” on Saturday, August 30th and all vehicles are welcome. The ride starts at City Tavern on South West Avenue in Kankakee with registration beginning at 10:30am and kickstands up at noon. They will be selling T-shirts and holding split-the-pot raffles throughout the day. The cost is $20 per rider and $10 per passenger. Proceeds from this event will benefit the local River Valley Special Recreation Association. Participants are also invited to attend an afterparty. More details can be found on the “Just Us MC Events” Facebook page.
SEPTEMBER
The family and friends of local resident Angie Heagle will host a cancer benefit on Saturday, September 6th from 4 to 7pm at the Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene on North Entrance Avenue. Admission is free and there will be a bounce house for the kids along with food available for purchase, raffle baskets, Bingo, a cake walk and 50/50 split-the-pot raffles. Funds raised will go toward life-saving cancer treatment. All are invited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Chebanse American Legion Post 408 will hold its annual “Pull in the Park” on Sunday, September 7th with a patriotic opening ceremony at noon on West 4th Street at Legion Park in Chebanse. Admission is free. There will be a concession stand with food available for purchase. You’ll also find fun activities for the kids like a petting zoo, face-painting and a bounce house. The Barnyard Farm Stock Tractor Pull will be hosted by Art Downs, and Milner Media’s own Mike Ruble will be your emcee for the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull following the opening ceremony.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good Shepherd Manor’s 34th annual Fall Festival will take place on Saturday, September 13th from 10am to 4pm at 4129 Illinois Route 17 in Momence. Admission and parking are free. They’ll have a bake sale, mums, Bingo, a cash raffle drawing, craft booths, a fun and games area, food, beer and live entertainment. Be there for the “Good Shepherd Manor Resident Revue” on the main stage at 11:30am, followed by live music from “The Back Paiges” at 12:30pm. Proceeds from this event will benefit men with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join the Kankakee County Museum in the Column Garden on Thursday, September 18th for “A Little Night Music with David Lahm. Beginning at 6pm there will be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar available. A soothing jazz performance by renowned pianist David Lahm and special guests will take place from 7 to 8pm, followed by dessert. Tickets are $25 and available now at kankakeecountymuseum.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The local nonprofit organization “Let’s Ketchup” will host their annual Family Fun Fest at Adventure Commons in Bourbonnais from 11am to 3pm on Saturday, September 20th. This event is free to attend and will feature food trucks and bounce houses, face-painting, balloon animals, crafts, raffles, games and more. The funds raised by this group are used to eliminate student lunch debt in our area schools.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Illinois-based nonprofit organization, “Warriors Walk” is dedicated to bringing together a network of VFWs, American Legions, businesses, schools and community members to combat veteran suicide. You can join the fight on Saturday, September 13th when they host their 6th annual “Warriors Walk Ruck” to raise suicide awareness. This will take place at New Lenox Commons on Veterans Parkway in New Lenox with registration opening at 8am. Walk from 1 to 20 miles; the distance is up to you and it’s free to participate. A post-ruck afterparty will take place with military vehicles, activities, raffles and vendors. There will also be live music, a bounce house and food provided. Funds raised will go to veteran suicide prevention and mental health initiatives through the Headstrong Project. Milner Media is a proud sponsor of this event. For more details and to register visit warriorswalk-IL.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They call it “the best last Saturday of Summer”. The 5th annual “Kankakee Estival Festival” will be held at the Don Palzer Bandshell in Bird Park on Saturday, September 20th featuring musical acts of all genres, local artists, and delicious fare from area restaurants, bars and food trucks. This free, all-ages event showcases local talent and is orchestrated by the “Collaborative Initiative to Revive Kankakee Arts”. You can visit CIRKAkankakee.org for additional information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In recognition of September being both Suicide Prevention and National Self-Care Awareness month, Mindful Living Centers and the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization “Racing for Mental Health” will shift mental health awareness into high gear with their “Drive to Thrive” charity event on Wednesday, September 24th. This is a 90-minute karting event where teams compete both on the track and in fundraising to support mental health advocacy, education and outreach. Each team of 4 to 8 drivers ages 16 or older must raise a minimum of $5,000 and there is a $1,000 entry fee to secure their spot. The event will last from 1 to 4pm and will take place at the Kart Circuit Autobahn on Centerpoint Way in Joliet. There will be winners for Top Fundraiser and Race Champion. Get more information and register at: racingformentalhealth.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Kankakee Quiltmakers will host their “Autumn Splendor Quilt Show” at the First Church of the Nazarene on North Entrance Avenue in Kankakee on Friday, September 26th from 9am to 5pm and Saturday, September 27th from 9am to 3pm. The show will feature a quilt display, quiltmakers boutique, a bed turning, raffle baskets and a quilt raffle. There will also be vendors and food available for purchase. Admission is $8 per adult or free for children under 12. For more information, visit: kankakeequiltmakers.com or find them on Facebook
OCTOBER
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention invites you to walk with them to prevent suicide during the “Out of the Darkness Kankakee County Walk” on Saturday, October 4th beginning at 1pm at Kankakee Community College. You can register or donate today at AFSP.org/Kankakee
NOVEMBER
The Reddick Community Fire Protection District will host a Craft and Vendor Show in the fire station at 210 East Main Street on Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, November 16th from 8am to 2pm both days. Proceeds will go toward the Reddick Firefighter’s Association Equipment Fund. They will also hold a Pancake Breakfast that Sunday morning (11/16) from 7am until noon in the Community Room. If you are a crafter or vendor interested in renting a 10×10 space, you can send an email to ryankourtni@gmail.com for a vendor application.
Comments