Palatine's Hometown Fest Has Been Cancelled

PALATINE, IL — This year's Hometown Fest has been cancelled. The event, which is run by the Palatine Jaycees, was planned to run from July 2 to 5 at Community Park but event organizers decided to call it off due to "the uncertain future of mass gatherings," according to a post on the Palatine Jaycees Hometown Fest Facebook page.

The fireworks, carnival, parade and arts and crafts expo, which happen during the festival, have also been cancelled.

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"A committee of volunteers have been working hard on planning this since October of last year and we did not come to this decision lightly ," organizers wrote in a Facebook post. The event has been a tradition in Palatine for the past 64 years.

Money brought in from Hometown Fest helps to fund scholarships for high school students, holiday shopping sprees for needy families, community grants to local organizations, and funds to help support the Palatine Township with some of their events. The Jaycees plan to host several alternative fund-raising events to support these projects.

"The fact that we are unable to raise money for these projects at Hometown Fest weighs heavily on us," according to the Facebook post. Organizers added that they hope residents will consider participating in upcoming fundraisers and use the money they may have spent at Hometown Fest at those events instead.

More information will be shared on the Palatine Jaycees website or Facebook page in the coming weeks. Donations can also be made online to the Palatine Jaycees.