A busy carnival ride company has forced Willow Springs to combine Willow Fest and Blues Fest in what will now be a four-day festival.
The festivals will be teamed together, with one day dedicated to blues music. The combined festival will now run July 24 to 27.
Blues Fest typically had the village to itself for one day each summer, usually before Willow Fest was held in August.
But changes were needed because “there was an issue with the carnival rides vendor, All Around Amusement,” Village Administrator Ryan Grace said of the Lockport-based company
“He had a conflict, so the best solution was to combine the two (festivals) and make (Willow Fest) happen a little earlier,” Grace said before the July 10 village board meeting.
“I think it’s good. The feedback we’ve received has been positive. We started advertising early in the year. This week, we did a direct mailing to Willow Springs residents only,” Grace said.
He especially likes the lineup for Blues Fest. The Windy City Blues Society is in charge of finding the talent, as in previous blues fests.
“Every year, the blues lineup has gotten a lot of compliments. I think that’s why it’s so successful,” Grace said.
Christina Michalek, who will mark 10 years as a resident in September, said blending the two festivals “is not a problem.”
“It’s another summer weekend, right?” she said before the board meeting.
She is glad the village is keeping both events.
“It’s a great thing for the community. I love it. It brings the community together. It brings families together, Michalek said.
She already knows her 7-year-old daughter will keep her busy with carnival rides.
Village Trustees Robert Sprinkle and Terrance Carr look forward to Willow Fest with a taste of the blues.
“I think it’s a great idea. I think it enhances the attendance,” Sprinkle said.
He noted that blues fans are “very loyal” to the music, which has resulted in big turnouts at blues fest.
Sprinkle and Carr both indicated that village festivals aren’t just about making money.
“It’s for the community,” Carr said, “for the residents to have a good time.”
Mayor Melissa Neddermeyer is “looking forward to having both events rolled into one. They were both successful in the past. We’ll see how it goes.”
As in past years, carnival rides will be found south of the village hall on the newly renovated Market Street, Grace said.
Newly renovated Willow Boulevard in front of the village hall will host the Willow Fest Car Show from 4 to 9 p.m. July 24. Cars will also be parked in the lot east of the village hall, Grace said.
A craft show is planned from noon to 7 p.m. July 26 and 27. The carnival is reserved for friends with disabilities from 10 a.m. to noon on July 26.
And, as Neddermeyer noted, bingo fans will be happy again. Bingo will be played from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 26 and from noon to 3 p.m. July 27.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new streets will be held at 2 p.m. July 24, Neddermeyer said.
Asked about the revamped streets and the walkway outside the village hall on July 10, 37-year resident Debbie Andersen smiled.
“I really like it. It adds a little class. I like the color,” Andersen said of the rusty red permeable paving bricks.
During the festival, musical acts will be on the stage on the west edge of the parking lot that sits west of the village hall.
The blues begin at 1 p.m. July 26 with the Paolo Apuli Band as the first of six scheduled performers.
Dave Weld and The Imperial Flames, nominated for a Grammy in 2023 for traditional blues album, will be performing from 6:25 to 7:55 p.m.
The blues fest headliners are the Cinelli Brothers who will be on stage from 8:20 to 10 p.m. They were named the 2024 Blues Band of the year in England, according to the web site.
For a full lineup, visit https://windycityblues.org and click on Willow Springs Blues Fest. Videos of each band are on the site.
If you are more into rock ‘n’ roll, there’s plenty to hear at Willow Fest.
American English, considered one of the best Beatles cover bands around, is set for 7 to 9 p.m. July 24.
On July 25, Billy Gray opens from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. followed by Infinity, a popular cover band for decades in the Chicago area – from 9 to 11 p.m.
On July 27, Free Byrd covers the hits of Lynyrd Skynyrd from 3 to 5 p.m., Reckless performs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and the power chords of classic rock cover band Arra will be heard from 8 to 10 p.m.
And it would not be Willow Fest without fireworks. The usually stunning display begins at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Willow Fest hours are 4 to 10 p.m. July 24, 4 to 11 p.m. July 25, 1 to 11 p.m. July 26 and noon to 10 p.m. July 27.