Northbrook Days Festival Kicks Off

NORTHBROOK, IL — August is here and that means Northbrook Days are here again! The village's iconic five-day annual festival featuring food, live music, rides, games, beverages runs all week at Village Green Park in downtown Northbrook. There is a variety of live music for all tastes, lots of traditional festival food items provided by Civic as well as local restaurants, along with games and carnival rides for all ages. Plus, the annual festival raffle offers a chance to win $20,000 in cash along with over 100 other prizes.

At the main stage:

• Country band Hillbilly Rock Starz will kick off the festivities at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
• Retro band Dick Diamond and the Dusters will be playing dance music at 8 p.m. Thursday.
• Chicago festival favorite Mr. Blotto performs on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. featuring Americana jam music.
• Headliner Tributosaurus will perform as a Talking Heads cover band Saturday night starting at 8:30 p.m.
• A Joe Cocker tribute band is scheduled to perform from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. on Sunday to close out the festivities.

The Grand Prize Raffle is a highlight every year, with the largest prize often being the winner’s choice of a new car or $20,000 cash. Local donors typically contribute other prizes, with 15-20 given away each night of the festival. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Northbrook — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

New for 2017 is a “Dunk a Northbrook Celebrity” dunk tank on Saturday from noon to 5:00 p.m. with a chance to dunk a notable Northbrook personality.

Beer and wine will be available in the area closest to the main stage in the ball field anytime the festival is open. Bocce ball will be located near the tent with a tournament at 2:00 p.m. Sunday.

More information:

• Map, Performance Schedule, Ride promotions
• News and Weather updates
• Northbrook Days Carnival Workers Think Safety

Northbrook Days is an entirely volunteer organization and functions as the is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Northbrook Civic Foundation.

All proceeds from the event are returned to the community in the form of need-based scholarships and grants to non-profit and social organizations. Since 1950, the festival has raised more than $3 million to be given back to the Northbrook community.

Last May, the foundation awarded nine seniors graduating from Glenbrook North High School a combined total of $45,000 in scholarship money to help make college possible for them. (If your organization has a project it believes warrants grant funding, please contact Northbrook Civic Foundation)

» via the Northbrook Civic Foundation

_{Top photo: Preparations for the 2017 Northbrook Days festival at Village Green Park | via YouTube}