Photo and Video: Bolingbrook Village Picnic

From pony rides and a petting zoo to funnel cakes and free hot dogs,  attracted crowds of visitors for an enjoyable community event.

Held on Sunday behind the , the picnic offered fun and entertainment for all ages. A tent set up near the entrance was for seniors only, and families with children could participate in a variety of fair games and take advantage of activities such as paddle boating and rock climbing.

Tammy Parker, a Bolingbrook resident who brought her family to the picnic, said she comes every year because it's fun for the whole family. 

"We like the rock climbing for the children, we like the music they have, and just the community being out together," she said.

"There's a lot of things for families to do," said Kimberly Linger, a resident who brought her granddaughter to the picnic. "I'm here with my granddaughter so it's nice."

Linger took her granddaughter to Miller's Petting Zoo, a main attraction for many, with a large tent housing an array of animals, including a baby calf, Flemish rabbits, lambs and goats.

"We like to bring a nice variety and most of them are farm animals," said Dennis Rushing, a staff member of the petting zoo. "We love it here. It's a lot of fun, the people are nice."

Besides the tents set up around the fountain behind the Village Center, the amphitheater featured plenty of performers, including an Irish riverdance group and other dance companies, such asKinetic Dance Company.

Jennifer Stocks visited Bolingbrook to see her niece perform with the Kinetic Dance Company.

"This is such a nice facility and the dance company performs at a lot of Bolingbrook events," she said. "It's just a great location with just a community feel. We're proud that her dance company can come and be a part of this event."

With businesses and community organizations set up for the picnic, including the English Learning Center, Boy Scout Troop 35 and several religious centers, residents flocked to the picnic to receive free items.

Bolingbrook resident Theresa Grzenia said the picnic appeared to have attracted more people.

"It's good, there's a lot of different businesses out," Grzenia said. "There's a lot of community people here to find out what's going on."

Featuring contests for hot dog eating, cookie baking and art, the Village Picnic brought the community together to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.

Following the event, Kathy Barri, the Organizations Chair for the picnic, said she was pleased with the turnout, the warm weather and the picnic's overall success.

"I think it went well," she said. "The organizations seemed very happy. We had a wonderful day."

Did you go to the picnic? Add your photos now or send them to brianf@patch.com.

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