Summer Sunset Festival: 13th Annual Celebration is This Weekend

The area's last festival of the summer is scheduled for this weekend in Lake in the Hills.

The 13th Annual Summer Sunset Festival is Friday, Aug. 30, through Sunday, Sept. 1, at Sunset Park, 5200 Miller Rd., Lake in the Hills.

Like many community festivals, the Summer Sunset Festival is packed with food vendors, a craft show with 30 exhibitors, carnival rides and live entertainment. 


But the Summer Sunset Festival also has a few unique offerings such as the Mellon Propellin' competition (2 p.m. Saturday) where contestants use home-built catapults and compete to send a watermelon soaring through the air the farthest.

There's also a 5K evening run on Friday, along with an evening car show at the festival grounds. And, new this year, the inaugural Summer Sunset Festival Wine Tasting event from 5 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday. 

The annual parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, when the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry will serve as the grand marshal. Food pantry volunteers will push shopping carts along the parade route to collect food donations. The parade starts at Grafton Farm Road and travels along Miller Road to Albrecht Road. 

Admission into the Summer Sunset Festival is free, which allows guests to enjoy the music for free, as well. Fees apply for food and carnival rides. The fireworks show on Sunday evening will serve as the final farewell to the summer of 2013. 

More information is available at www.summersunsetfest.com. Here's the Summer Sunset Festival schedule of events: 

Friday

Carnival 3 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Carnival Wristbands 3 p.m.- 7 p.m.
Inaugural Wine Tasting event 5 to 10:30 p.m.
Car Show 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. 
Sunset 5K 7 p.m.
Main Stage - "Petty Cash" 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Main Stage - "Libido Funk" 9 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Saturday

Parade 10 a.m.
Arts & Craft Show 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Kids' Korner 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Horseshoe Tournament 12:30 p.m.
Carnival: noon - 10:30 p.m.
Carnival Wristbands: noon - 4 p.m. 
Melon Propellin' Competition 2 p.m.
Main Stage - "28 Days" 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Main Stage - "7th Heaven" 9 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Sunday

Carnival noon - 10:30 p.m.
Carnival Wristbands noon - 4 p.m.
Bags Tournament Check-in at 11 a.m., noon start
Business Expo noon - 5 p.m.
Kids' Korner 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Got Talent? 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Main Stage - "No Left Turn" 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Main Stage - "Modern Day Romeos" 8:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

*Fireworks Finale 9:30 p.m.