RidgeFest Called Off For Safety and Security Concerns

CHICAGO RIDGE, IL — Another community event bites the dust after last weekend’s teen rampage through a Tinley Park carnival. Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar announced Friday during a special board meeting that the 2023 RidgeFest, originally set for July 28 through July 30, is being canceled out of safety and security concerns.

Chicago Ridge Village Board trustees went into executive session Friday to discuss “potential litigation” and RidgeFest contracts. No vote was taken at the village board’s regular meeting earlier this week because whether to drop headliner Ted Nugent from the lineup, “due to Nugent’s vocal support of Donald Trump and vitriol toward Democrats,” according to The Reporter. No vote was taken when Nugent's contract was brought up for a vote, for a lack of a second motion.

>>> Most Holy Redeemer Cancels Parish Carnival Out Of 'Safety Concerns'

Village trustees voted to table approving the remaining contracts related to the festival, after the village board emerged from executive session. Instead, Tokar announced that RidgeFest 2023 was being canceled, citing the Tinley Park incident.

“Tinley Park is not that far away from Chicago Ridge. They know about RidgeFest, I guarantee it,” the mayor said. “The thought of 1,000 or 2,000 kids showing up in a flash mob scares the bejeebers out of me. It scares all of us up here. I think about the safety implications.”

Tokar said no one made the decision to cancel “with a smile on our face.” The mayor said more information would be released next week after the Memorial Day holiday.

Tr. Ed Kowalski said the decision to cancel the popular summer festival wasn’t a question of having enough police resources to secure the festival.

“It’s the fact that we DON'T want to put them in harm’s way,” Kowalski said. “We have to protect our residents, we have to protect our property. This being a fenced-in festival people could get trampled, our workers, our public works people, our police and fire department , we’re putting them at risk of injury or possibly worse.”

“We all know why we’re here,” Kowalski said. “It’s sad we’re in this type of climate.”

Tr. Andrew Siegel said he’s attended every RidgeFest since its inception 33 years ago.

“It’s a shame societal issues are causing this and the lack of justice in [Cook County],” Siegel said. “It’s very sad.”

The cancellation of RidgeFest comes on the heels of Most Holy Redeemer’s decision earlier this week to cancel its parish carnival in Evergreen Park out of similar safety concerns.

Most of the summer festivals and carnivals returned in 2022, after most were blanked out by the pandemic two years prior.

“We don’t hold anybody accountable anymore,” Tr. Bill McFarland said.