Frontier Days Festival Canceled Amid Coronavirus

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Summer won't be the same in Arlington Heights this year. The Frontier Days Festival, the municipality's premier summer event, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic until 2021. Organizers made the announcement Wednesday, April 29, after weighing a number of options.

"This was a difficult decision but the safety and well being of our Red Shirt volunteers, festival attendees, vendors, and suppliers was our first concern," the Board of Directors of Frontier Days, Inc. said in a statement. "With state guidelines in mind, it would not be safe to bring large groups of people together early in July."

The annual event, which centers around the Fourth of July holiday, is put on by the not-for-profit Frontier Days, Inc., an organization of more than 350 volunteers. The lauded festival has been been a recipient of the Governor's Hometown Award on multiple occasions.

“The Frontier Days Festival Committee’s decision to cancel this year’s 45th July 4th festival and parade is sad, but the right thing to do under our current circumstances," Mayor Thomas Hayes said. "On behalf of the City of Good Neighbors, we thank all of the Red Shirt volunteers for their dedication to both fun and safety, and look forward to a real celebration of our great community and country when Frontier Days returns in the summer of 2021.”

The Festival features free entertainment on three stages. Food is prepared and served by volunteers ad assisted by local community groups. It also includes family events, sports activities, carnival rides and one of the largest Fourth of July parades in the northwest suburbs, according to organizers.Another highlight is the Citizens with Disability Day for people with special needs and their immediate families.

Last year's event at 500 E Miner St. included musical performances from Bret Michaels, American English and Scott Stapp, from Creed.

According to organizers, the festival has donated more than $2 million in excess funds to the Village of Arlington Heights, the Arlington Heights Park District and other not-for-profit groups. The Festival funds have also provided capital expenditure requests for the Village of Arlington Heights, Arlington Heights Park District, library, senior center, Scout groups, and many other social service groups

"We feel confident that our scientists, medical personnel and all Americans will all pull together and defeat this virus," organizers said in the statement. "We will survive this and look forward to bringing Frontier Days back in 2021 to celebrate our nation’s birthday as well as all of those who have helped get our nation through this time of crisis."