5 minute read
SUMMER SOUNDS
SUMMER SOUNDS
The Lake Forest Music Festival returns on August 19 featuring barbecue, bourbon, beer and, of course, live music.
BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
The Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation once again presents its music festival on August 19 for an event that brings together the community for an evening of live music, great food, and drinks. This year’s theme is a nod toward the American South, featuring four chefs cooking up barbecue that will be accompanied by bourbon and craft beer.
Featured bands on two stages include the official Steely Dan tribute band Deacon Blues, Beyond the Blonde, one of Chicago’s premier cover bands, and ’70s and ‘80s cover band Hi Infidelity. There will also be a raffle for a signed guitar that belonged to Jon Bon Jovi, Keith Urban, or Jimmy Buffet.
The event is one of four fundraisers the Friends sponsor each year to raise funds for programs and special projects for the park district. Others include an annual golf outing, a 4th of July celebration, and a Christmas tree lighting at the outset of the holiday season.
Rick Amos sits on the Friends board and is involved in planning the Lake Forest events. He says the Lake Forest Music Festival is designed to bring the community together and its timing in mid-August is deliberate. He’s keeping his fingers crossed for good weather.
“This is our fifth year. We've had the bad fortune of poor weather and been rained out two of the four years that we've done it, and had to shut down because of thunderstorms,” Amos says. “Last year was a good year for us. It's a good way to end the summer. We do it the weekend before school starts up here in town, and everybody should be back from vacation.”
The purpose is to provide an opportunity for people to come to downtown Lake Forest and be with their friends, enjoy some food and music, and contribute to park district activities. Between 2,000 and 4,000 people have attended in past years, and up to $70,000 has been raised. The Friends hope to raise between $80,000 and $100,000 per year between all of the events it sponsors.
“It's just a good way to get out and enjoy the end of the summer and raise some money that goes towards Parks and Rec programs,” Amos says. “It could be scholarships or other need-based requests in town. Part of our mission is to raise money to help kids attend programs in the Parks and Rec department. There's this perception of Lake Forest that everybody's very wealthy and it's just not true.”
The Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation has been around since 2001 and includes 15 volunteer members. One hundred percent of the funds it raises goes to the Parks and Rec to augment its budget. In addition to scholarships, over the course of the year there are a variety of issues that pop up for which there is no budget. Unlike other park districts in the region, Lake Forest Parks and Rec maintains its own authority to raise outside money for its programs and activities.
“We are also a pass-through entity, which means if you're in town and you want to give to a charitable cause in our community, but you don't necessarily want to go through the process of creating a 501(c)(3) and all the paperwork and administrative work there, you can make a donation for a specific public project in our community,” Amos says. “We'll take the funds on your behalf and direct them in the way in which you intend.”
The organization also helps the Parks and Rec Department with its planning by funding feasibility studies and other types of surveys, which helps the department spend its budget more wisely. It relies heavily on interactions with the community, and input from residents plays a big role in setting its agenda. It’s not just sports. It’s also protecting and expanding Lake Forest’s public assets for residents to enjoy.
“Our newest project in east Lake Forest is helping raise money to create a path from Forest Park down to the beach,” says Amos. “We're out talking to donors and corporations and people in the community that may want to be a part of that project. It’s adding a new feature to our beach, which is one of our best assets.”
The Lake Forest Music Festival takes place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on August 19 in the parking lot behind City Hall. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for youth (ages 6-20) and can be purchased at lfparksandrec.com. Kids ages 5 and younger receive free admission. VIP packages that include food and drink are also available.
