Lyons Fest offers five nights of music over holiday weekend
By Steve Metsch
Lyons Fest proved so popular last year, the village has decided to add a day and night.
This year’s Lyons Fest will be spread over five days and nights at Veterans Park, 4100 S. Lawndale Ave., just south of Ogden Avenue.
The event kicks off on Friday, June 30, and runs through the Fourth of July on Tuesday.
The village was “looking for a nice mix of entertainers,” said Ted Tala, parks and recreation director.
“Some of these guys are known entities. The Redmonds, the Jolly Ringwalds. We’ve had Zorila. They impressed us at our parade a few years ago.
“We’ve got some country. We’ve got some Latin. We’ve got ‘80s, ‘90s and to top it all off, one of the bands I’ve seen on multiple occasions is The Boy Band Night,” he said.
The Boy Band Night will perform from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday with fireworks blasting high overhead. It promises to be memorable, he said.
“They put on a production like I’ve never seen before. They’re into it. They get the crowd involved. I’ve seen them at The House of Blues, I’ve seen them at Joe’s Live. They put on a show. They became available and we jumped on them. They’re our headlining act,” Tala said.
Visitors will see a larger stage this year.
“Last year, we had a 20 (foot) by 20 (foot) stage. This year, we’re going 32 by 24. A larger stage. Whole different setup with speakers on risers. Big lights for everyone. It’s going to be big production. It’s going to be awesome,” Tala said.
Here’s the musical lineup:
Friday
Jolly Ringwalds, (pop and rock), 6 to 8 p.m.
The Redmonds, (pop and rock), 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Saturday
Red, White & Blues featuring various blues artists), 4 to 8:30 p.m.
Carolyn Wonderland (blues), 9 to 10:30 p.m.
Sunday
Zorila, (current rock and alternative music), 6 to 8 p.m.
Breakfast Club, (‘80s rock), 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Monday
Fuze, (Latin music), 6 to 8 p.m.
Run Forrest Run, (‘80s and ‘90s rock), 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Fourth of July
Shades of Country, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Stache, (rock), 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Boy Band Night, 8 to 10:30 p.m.
Admission is free. Food and beverages will be sold. It’s a good idea to bring chairs and/or blankets to sit on.
As always, there will be fireworks at dusk on the Fourth of July.
A carnival will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. each evening.
And, the village’s annual Fourth of July Parade will kick off at 1 p.m. heading north on Joliet Avenue from 46th Street.
Local News
Bears, not fans, should buy sports stadium
Spread the love. By Ray Hanania . Sports has really changed over the past few generations. When I was young, going to a baseball or football game was very affordable. That’s because the sports teams weren’t paying the outrageous contracts to get the best sports stars. Sports competition used to be in person. We would…
Johnson shows poor timing in Springfield
Spread the love. By Rich Miller . Much of the Illinois Statehouse appeared to be girding itself for battle with Mayor Brandon Johnson before his Springfield visit last week. After dramatically announcing to Chicago reporters earlier in the week that the city’s families are “owed” $1 billion from state government, particularly education, Gov. JB Pritzker…
Rashid calls college demonstrators ‘student heroes’
Spread the love. Rips Israel over “apartheid’ and ‘genocide’ . From staff reports The crisis in Palestine is taking a terrifying turn as the Israeli military is preparing to invade Rafah where more than one million Palestinians have been forced to after their homes in northern Gaza were destroyed, State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-21st) said…
Titanic memories haunt Worth Library
Spread the loveBy Kelly White This year marks the 112th anniversary of the Titanic’s fateful ship crossing. Bringing the ship back to life was the Worth Public Library on April 15 with a program called, The Haunted Titanic, with local historian Bob Trzeciak, who walked patrons through the history, the lasting impact, and why it…
Spring cleanup day in Bridgeview set for Saturday
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Any Bridgeview resident with clutter to clear will be busy Friday night, May 10. That’s when they will be putting all kinds of things on the parkway as the village prepares for its annual spring cleanup day set for Saturday, May 11. All items must be at the curb by…
Family of man killed in McCook struggling with his absence
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch On what would have been his 37th birthday, the family of Morales Ricardo Lopez gathered at his grave in Evergreen Park Cemetery. Lopez, of Blue Island, was gunned down in McCook early Feb. 17, leaving behind a widow and three children. His family, other relatives and friends gathered at his…
Southwest Symphony presents ‘American Song Book’
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Southwest Symphony Orchestra will perform “The American Song Book” this weekend at Trinity College in Palos Heights. The performance will feature Grammy nominated Helen Welch under the direction of David Crane at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Auditorium. Welch will perform some of America’s best loved classics.…
Shoppers welcome back Evergreen Park Farmers Market
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Rain was forecast for the morning of May 2, but nothing could dampen the spirits of customers who dropped by the Evergreen Park Farmers Market. The large crowd that attended were instead greeted with mostly sunny skies. Beth Novotney, director of the Evergreen Park Office of Citizen Services that oversees…
Evergreen Park recognizes police for valor
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle The Evergreen Park police have been cited for valor after several key arrests that occurred the past couple of months. Police Chief Michael Saunders requested commendations for the officers during the Evergreen Park Village Board meeting Monday night. Mayor Kelly Burke and the board applauded the efforts of the force.…
Hickory Hills police bid adieu and say welcome
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam The Hickory Hills Police Department bid a fond farewell to Lieutenant Glenn Tienstra and welcomed new Officer Daniel Balzhiser. On a memorable Thursday evening, April 25, city hall was filled with the warmth of community family, friends, officers, and council members, all gathered to joyfully celebrate Officer Balzhiser and respectfully…
Neighbors
For Many Illinoisans in Flood-Prone Areas, Buyouts Are the Only Way Out
By Laura Stewart, Illinois Answers Project April 23, 2024 DIETERICH, Ill. – Every day, Berdeena Leturno checks her email for an update on when the state of Illinois will finally pay her $80,000. It’s been over two months since she signed the paperwork to sell her flood-damaged home as part of a buyout program, and…
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…
Stateville may close as early as September under Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Stateville Correctional Center could close as early as September under a plan laid out by Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Friday. Top officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections testified in front of a key panel of state lawmakers. The 12 members on the General Assembly’s…
Labor-backed bill banning ‘captive audience’ meetings awaits House action
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With two weeks left before the General Assembly’s spring session is set to adjourn, negotiations continue on a labor union-backed initiative that would allow Illinoisans to skip religious and political work meetings without reprimand. Dubbed the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act,” Senate Bill 3649 advanced out…
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to call for cuts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com When Gov. JB Pritzker proposed his budget for the upcoming fiscal year in February, he sought authority from lawmakers to raise more than $1 billion in revenue through various changes to the state tax code. Among other things, he sought to raise $526 million through extending an expiring…
State officials offer last goodbye to former Thompson Center as renovations begin
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State officials kicked off the private renovation of the building which once served as the state government’s Chicago headquarters. The James R. Thompson Center, as it was known under state ownership, was sold in 2022 to a development firm that is renovating the building for its…
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…
Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. “The time is now for legislators to act to…
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Rampant sexual abuse occurred unchecked for decades at Illinois’ juvenile detention centers, a new lawsuit filed on behalf of 95 former detainees alleges, citing hundreds of incidents over more than two decades. The plaintiffs were boys between 12 and 17 years old when the alleged abuse occurred and…