What's New at PrairieFest

It’s been a tradition for more than two decades. As summer starts to get into full swing, the streets of Oswego come alive for PrairieFest. But with the festival now entering its 24th year, how do you keep it fresh?

If you’re the Oswegoland Park District, you add something new and interesting to the lineup every day. You’ll still get the food, games and music you’ve come to expect – including a performance by the Gin Blossoms this year – but every day from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 17 at PrairieFest Park at 91 Plank Drive will bring something PrairieFest audiences haven’t seen before, according to Kristie Vest, special events supervisor with the park district.

For example, Vest said, on Thursday, June 14, the Illinois Amateur Rocket Society will kick off the festival in style, with something called a “Barbie Chucker.” Essentially, the team will launch a limited-edition astronaut Barbie doll into the sky, and outfit it with a parachute, so it can safely land. That’s at 6:30 p.m. at the main stage.

On Friday at 6 p.m., be on the lookout for a flash mob happening somewhere on the festival grounds. A group of volunteers, fresh from Park District dance classes, will convene at an undisclosed location and just start dancing, Vest said.

On Saturday at 5:30 p.m., in a grassy area by the main stage, 21-year-old Colin Sullivan of Montgomery will attempt to set a world record by balancing an eight-foot ladder on his chin for a full minute. (You’re not hallucinating. Go back and read that sentence again. We’ll wait.) Sullivan has featured his chin-balancing talents on WGN’s Morning News and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and won $20,000 in a talent search on Live with Regis and Kelly.

Vest said the Park District has a two-inch-thick stack of paperwork to complete to verify the record. And while on paper one minute isn't very long, Vest said Sullivan will likely feel every second.

“It doesn’t seem like a long time to anyone but Colin,” she said.

And then on Sunday at 3:30 p.m., the fest will launch what organizers hope will be an annual event: the PrairieFest Bed Races. Teams will build their own “hot rod slumber system,” and race them down Theodore Drive, opposite the festival grounds.

Vest explained that this event grew from a desire to help out with more charitable causes. There will be three categories of bed racers – high school and college students, adults, and businesses – and each team will race for a charity. The winners will get the purse divided up between the three causes they selected. And, Vest said, there will be a spot where people can donate to those causes as well

The purse is already off to a good start – the Frankino family has donated $500. The rest will come from $50 entry fees for racers, Vest said.

Of course, PrairieFest will sport all the usual attractions this year as well, from the Windy City Amusements carnival to Miller’s Petting Zoo to the traditional parade (with 65 entries) and 5K and one-mile races on Sunday. (While registration for the races closes Tuesday, Vest said, it will open again on Sunday at 7:15 a.m.)

One event has changed location, though – the will bring their Bucket Brigade to the festival grounds. The Brigade, a nod to the history of firefighting in which kids pass water in buckets up into a tank, trying to beat the best time, is usually held on Main Street, and the old location made it into the festival brochure, Vest said.

And the main stage will once again have a solid lineup of music, with bands playing each day. On Thursday, check out Wedding Banned, an outfit with a touch of the theatrical. Friday, hear two local bands, Back Country Roads and 7th Heaven. On Saturday, the Gin Blossoms take the stage, playing hits like “Found Out About You” and “Hey Jealousy," as well as material from their latest, No Chocolate Cake.

PrairieFest, Vest said, is a strong reflection of the community the Oswegoland Park District serves. Most of the events are created and run by volunteers from the area, and the fest is funded mainly by donations, Vest said. The festival is self-supporting, and any profit goes back into next year’s event.

“It is by far the biggest and most visible thing we do as the Park District,” she said. “It is a community festival in the true sense of the definition.”

Patch will post the PrairieFest schedule day by day as the festival approaches. Parking is free, and festival volunteers will guide you to the best spots. For more information, log onto the Park District site here.

This story has been edited to add the location of PrairieFest Park.