Yorkville River Fest: Ribs, Live Music, Fireworks And Fun

YORKVILLE, IL — Riverfront Park will soon be filled with family, friends, fireworks, food, fun and so much more during Yorkville River Fest. The two-day fest runs Friday, July 13 to Saturday, July 14 in the park area located at 131 E. Hydraulic Ave. The Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department and the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce invite everyone out for all the fun which kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday. Admission is free.

Make sure to keep you and your loved ones safe from the heat during the weekend fun, as temperatures are expected to reach 90.

Summer Festival Guide 2018: Will And Kendall County

The City of Yorkville details Yorkville River Fest's lineup and all things food, music and more:

Friday, July 13 - 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.:

4th Annual Cardboard Canoe Race: Three races are scheduled - 6 p.m. is the race for boats built off-site ($10), 6:30 p.m. is the race time for boats built on-site at the festival from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. using limited supplies ($15), followed by the Float-Off race for the top three finishers of the first two races. Life vests, helmets, and paddles will be supplied and kids are welcome to participate with parental permission. For more information and to register, visit yorkvillechamber.org.

Homebrew Tasting: 5 p.m. - 2425 Brewing Co. and Reveter Brewing return to showcase some of their newest creations. For $10 a person, get a souvenir tasting glass, 3 homebrew tastes, and a 14 oz pour of your choice from the beer tent. Featured beers include BumbleBee (American Wheat IPA 7.3%), Toes To Da Sun (Belgian Pale Ale 8.1%) and Georgia Peach (Peach Wheat 5.5%). More details on these beers

Family Activities:

• Apple Shots: 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Use a giant slingshot and attempt to aim your apple into the canoe on the river.
• Kids Crafts: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Fox River Academy of Music & Art.
• Face Painting by Sam Brown: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by SB Face Painting.
• Mini Obstacle Course for Kids: 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hosted by Go For it Sports.
• Touch-A-Bus: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Septran.
• Free Kids' Games & Giant Lite Brite: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hosted by Green Connect.

Saturday, July 14 - 12 p.m to 10 p.m.:

Country Band Line-Up:

• County Line Brothers: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Back Country Roads: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Whiskey Romance: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Illinois Whitewater Festival: Marge Cline Whitewater Course - 301 E. Hydraulic Ave. The Illinois Whitewater Association hosts this event, so join them by bringing your boat, paddling skills, family and friends for the Buttercup Slalom Race and Boatercross competition all day on the Marge Cline Whitewater Course. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday with the competition starting at 10 a.m. More information: cwa.wildapricot.org.

Whiskey Acres Distillery Tasting: Whiskey Acres Distilling Company returns for three, 30 minute sessions offered at 3:30 p.m., 4:15 p.m., and 5 p.m. $10 a person gets you three 1/4 oz tastes of Whiskey Acres products as well as one craft cocktail while learning about the history of whiskey production and Whiskey Acres's estate distillery. Sessions are limited to 40 people, so pre registration is encouraged and can be completed online at yorkville.il.us/register. Registration will also be taken the day of the event as spaces remain open.

Family Activities:

• Apple Shots: 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Use a giant slingshot and attempt to aim your apple into the canoe on the river.
• Kids Crafts: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by Fox River Academy of Music & Art.
• Face Painting by Sam Brown: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by SB Face Painting.
• Mini Obstacle Course for Kids: 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hosted by Go For it Sports.
• Touch-A-Bus: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Septran.
• Free Kids' Games & Giant Lite Brite: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hosted by Green Connect.

4th of July Fireworks: Rescheduled for the 14th during River Fest in the downtown area near Riverfront park starting between 9:30 and 10 p.m.

Food:

• River Fest was formerly known as Ribs on the River/River Night, therefore The Knights of Columbus will provide their award-winning ribs all weekend.
• Local food vendors will be serving fan favorites.

Parking and Transportation:

• Parking: Available throughout downtown Yorkville for the festival, as options can be found on this map. If downtown parking is unavailable, festival goers are encouraged to park at the Yorkville Intermediate School -103 E Schoolhouse Rd. - and take the shuttle down to River Fest.
• Shuttles: Available and provided by Morris Hospital on Friday, July 13 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and by Kendall Area Transit on Saturday, July 14 from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. On Saturday, July 14, the Shuttle will pick up at the Yorkville Intermediate School on the hour, every hour, starting at 3 p.m., and pick up at Riverfront Park every half hour, on the half hour, starting at 3:30 p.m.

More information on Yorkville River Fest can be found at yorkville.il.us.

Image via City of Yorkville