First-Ever Sober Fest Coming To Downtown Crystal Lake Next Month

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — A new festival, which will follow Crystal Lake's popular Johnny Appleseed Fest, is coming to Crystal Lake this fall.

Hosted by The Other Side, a sober bar in Crystal Lake, there will be no alcohol sold, promoted or allowed at Zero Fest, which will be held from 4 to 10 p.m. on Beardsley Street on Sept. 30. Earlier this month, the Crystal Lake City Council approved a special event request to allow organizers to block off Beardsley Street from Ellsworth Street to Main Street on the evening of the fest, according to village documents.

The festival will include non-profit vendors, local artists, food trucks, a bags tournament and a raffle. There will also be live music and a stage set up on the street in downtown Crystal Lake.

"This is going to be a street festival with vendors, food, ice cream, really good bands up until 10 p.m.," Bobby Gattone, executive director for New Direction Addiction Recovery Services, said during the Aug. 1 city council meeting. "(There will be) No alcohol, so its to promote The Other Side, which is our sober bar in Crystal Lake and to fundraise for the rest of our non-profit, which operates the Mchenry County Way Out program and multiple halfway houses in Crystal Lake and Woodstock. So it's a really positive community friendly event."

Paul's Dead and Mungion will be performing at the fest.

Gattone thanked city officials for their support of the festival and for allowing them to block off the downtown streets on Sept. 30 to make the fest possible.

"There's a big stigma out there about substance use disorders, so to have the support is much appreciated," Gattone said.

City officials said Zero Fest could not happen at the same time as Johnny Appleseed Fest, which will also be held on Sept. 30. The popular Johnny Appleseed Fest, which is celebrating its 30th year, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the corner of Williams and Brink streets before Zero Fest kicks off at 4 p.m.

The fest will include a apple pancake breakfast and its popular great ball race in the afternoon.

There will be 1,000 raffle tickets sold for the popular ball race and each ball will have a number that corresponds with the raffle ticket sold. The brightly-colored balls will be released and rolled down Brink Street and the fastest balls will win prizes for their owners, according to the Downtown Crystal Lake website.

The top prize is $1,000 and runners up will win merchandise or gift certificates donated by local businesses.

Other fun events happening at the Johnny Appleseed Festival include wagon rides, a petting zoo, pony rids, children's games, a craft fair, pie-baking contest, pumpkin bowling, storytelling, scarecrows, clowns, face painting, dancing, live music and food.

A full schedule of events for the Johnny Appleseed Festival can be found here.

So it's to promote the other side and to fundraise for the rest of our nonprofit which pays for