Bagpipes & Bonfire returns September 27, 2026, for an evening of Scottish tradition and community!

Lake Forest Open Lands Association (LFOLA) will host Bagpipes & Bonfire on Sunday, September 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve in Lake Forest.

LFOLA’s annual fundraiser draws more than 1,700 attendees for an evening featuring Scottish bagpipes, Highland athletes and dancers, fly casting, live music, and an Amazing Grace bagpipe performance at dusk, followed by the lighting of the bonfire. LFOLA board member, Amy Falls and her husband, Hartley Rogers are the event chairs. “It’s such a special evening and it really brings the community together.” Amy especially loves the way the event draws children outdoors. “There’s something about that carnival atmosphere and then that bonfire, it’s so special.” Northern Trust is proud to continue as the Presenting Sponsor.

Set against the 50-acre pastoral landscape of Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve, the rain-or-shine event supports LFOLA’s environmental programming and land conservation efforts across more than 1,100 acres. LFOLA’s education and community outreach programs have reached more than 80,000 children to date.

Along with Northern Trust, additional corporate support includes PCA, Hey & Associates, Lake Forest Bank & Trust, Mariani Landscape, Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, Bartlett Tree Experts, Chalet, JMR Landscaping, Kinnucan, Knauz, Pasquesi Sheppard, LLC and Price Insurance. JWC Media and Forest & Bluff Magazine serve as exclusive media sponsors. To purchase tickets or inquire about corporate opportunities, visit lfola.org.

About Lake Forest Open Lands Association

Established in 1967, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, the first accredited land trust in Illinois, stewards more than 1,100 acres of protected open lands and conservation easements across the region. Its mission is to steward ecologically healthy open lands in perpetuity, preserving them as accessible places for all, and to inspire and engage people and partners to explore, understand, protect, and celebrate the natural world. For more information about Lake Forest Open Lands, please visit LFOLA.org.