The Carpentersville area is set to kick off the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations this weekend. The festivities will include a blues festival, parade, fireworks, and car show.
Weekend Festivities
The celebration begins Friday with the opening of Duke’s Blues N’ BBQ Festival at Carpenter Park. Since 2016, Terrance “Duke” Seward, an East Dundee restaurateur, and his nonprofit, Taste The Love, have hosted this event, only pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Headlining the festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, will be Carlisle Guy and the NuBlu Band, performing Saturday night. Seward expressed gratitude for the support of his wife, Rhiannon, who leads the six-member board for the event.
Over three days, 16 bands are slated to perform. Friday’s performances run from 5 to 10 p.m., with a full day of music from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. The festival concludes on Sunday with an auto show, music, and activities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Parade and Fireworks
The Independence Day parade steps off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 27. The parade will navigate a route around Carpenter Park due to nearby construction, allowing it to highlight local residential areas. Jen Hyde, Carpentersville’s marketing and special event coordinator, notes that the parade will showcase about 50 entries, including local performance groups and the River City Rhythm Drum Line, which will debut at this year’s event.
Saturday’s events align with the Dundee Township Park District’s celebration, which takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. at Meadowdale Park and Shopping Center. The evening’s activities include entertainment and vendors, with fireworks scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Changes in traffic flow due to road construction along Besinger Drive will affect vehicle access, and visitors are encouraged to park at Meadowdale Shopping Center and follow pedestrian paths to the event.
Sunday Highlights
The weekend winds down with a car show and more music from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at Carpenter Park. One of the acts features a Dundee Middle School band. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the festival will offer a special souvenir T-shirt.
Leave a Reply