Lake Bluff Books Bands for Post Bike Race 'Block Party'

has booked three music acts for its "Block Party" set for June 1 following the inaugural Lake Bluff Twilight Criterium.

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The Criterium, presented by , will begin at 2:30 p.m. featuring high-level amateur racing followed by professional men’s and women’s cycling teams with top pro riders from across the United States and many foreign countries. The bike race is part of the USA Crits Championship Series – a national series of 11 criterium events with live streaming on the Internet.

The "Block Party" will follow headed by three bands:

• , a female alternative pop band comprised of three freshmen from Lake Forest High School plus drummer Nick Christofalos, who is also owner of the Activator Cycles bike shop in Lake Bluff and owner/instructor at Activator Academy, a music school in Lake Forest. GEM will go onstage at 6:15 p.m.

• The Banditos, a rock band comprised of four seniors from Lake Forest High School, will perform starting at 7 p.m.

• Stayin’ Late, which appeared at the Block Party for the last two years, are back and will play from 8-11 p.m.

The "Block Party", which has been part of the village's Fourth of July festivities in the past, was moved to provide a Village event earlier in the summer, according to Deb Dintruff, chair of the "Block Party".

“Even though the Block Party is geared toward families and the Fireman’s Ball is geared to adults, it was still a lot of entertainment over a few days in the middle of the summer,' said Deb Dintruff, "By moving the Block Party to June 1 with the bike race, we are spreading out the fun.”

Dinruff added there will be activities for the whole family – from young kids to older adults, with and the expanding their involvement on the Green and around the bike racecourse.