5 things to do in DeKalb County: Cruise Night, Turning Back Time Car Show, folk fest and more

1. 21st Annual Fizz Ehrler Memorial Turning Back Time Car Show and Cruise Night Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25 in downtown Sycamore.

Cruise Night kicks off the annual car exhibition weekend, which draws hundreds of cars, spectators to downtown Sycamore.

The 13th Annual Cruise Night will be hosted by Discover Sycamore from 3 to 10 p.m. Visit to experience the nostalgia of the 1950s with food from Slow Smoke BBQ and Hicks BBQ; a beer garden; music and car introductions by DJ Dave; live entertainment by the Vinyl Destination from 7 to 10 p.m.; and hundreds of classic cars on display. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded. Registration is open from 2 to 6 p.m. and a cruise parade through downtown Sycamore starts at 6:30 p.m.

Cruise Night is sponsored by DeKalb Sycamore Chevrolet Cadillac GMC, Waste Management, Rondo Enterprises Truck and Trailor Sales, and Accurate Towing & Recovery.

Also, if you are up for a full day of classics, be sure to check out DeKalb Sycamore Chevrolet Buick GMC, 1925 Mercantile Drive in Sycamore. The dealership will host its seventh annual Pre-Party Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 24. No pre-registration is required, and all makes and models are welcome.

This family-friendly event features food trucks, free ice cream, a Dyno Machine, Mr. D’s Magic Show, live music by DJ Dave, and giveaways, including Cubs tickets. No purchase necessary to win. Butch Patrick, aka Eddie Munster, along with the Munster Coach will also be on site. Classic cars will be on display, including The Grumpy’s Toy Pro Stock Vega.

Turning Back Time Weekend will wrap up with the 21st annual Fizz Ehrler Memorial Car Show from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 25 in downtown Sycamore.

A wide variety of automobiles will be on display during this year’s show, including street rods, street machines, rat rods, custom trucks, race cars, antiques, classics and more.

The automobiles come from hundreds of miles to compete for show trophies and to share their insights and knowledge with spectators.

The event’s primary goal is to raise funds for local non-profit entities and organizations, including: Kishwaukee Cancer Center, TransVAC, Sycamore Food Pantry, EAA Young Eagles, Salvation Army, The Barn on Baseline, Fizz Ehrler Memorial Scholarships, Sycamore Park District, Sycamore Police Auxiliary, Family Service Agency and more.

2. 21st Annual Gurler House Folk Fest at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 24.

The free event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 24, at the Gurler House, 205 Pine St. in DeKalb. In case of rain, the event will be canceled.

The festival is hosted by the Friends of Gurler House NFP, supported by a grant from the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture Fund.

Three artists will be featured: Tom Spielman, Dave Balika & Friends and Jim Kanas.

The public is encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, lawn chairs or blankets. Food will not be sold during this year’s event. There is free street parking available, as well as free overflow parking at the First Lutheran Church parking lot east of the Gurler House.

For more information, visit the Gurler House Facebook page or email gurlerhousedekalb@gmail.com.

3. Railroad program and open house at Glidden Homestead at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 25

Get “all aboard” at the Glidden Homestead to learn more about railroads and how they function.

Bill Cummings will present a program on railroads at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 25. From noon to 4 p.m. that day, visitors can tour Joseph Glidden’s Home and Homestead where barbed wire was invented, see a working blacksmith shop, and visit the 1870s brick barn.

Cummings is a retired Northern Illinois University professor of accounting and has convened a class about WWI and Christmas Traditions in the NIU Lifelong Learning Institute.

This year’s theme at the Homestead is “A Treasure at 160,” since 2021 marks the 160th anniversary of Joseph Glidden’s home. A National Register of Historic Place site, the home was extensively remodeled in 1910 by a prominent architect, and continued as a Glidden family residence until it became a museum in 1998.

A tentative program listing for the 2021 season can be found at www.gliddenhomestead.org/events.html. Programs at Glidden Homestead are made possible in part by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture Fund.

The Glidden Homestead, located at 921 W. Lincoln Highway, is taking reservations for tours. Admission costs $4 per adult, and is free for children younger than 14.

For more information, visit www.gliddenhomestead.org, email info@gliddenhomestead.org or call 815-756-7904.

4. Midsummer Showdown Cruise Night at Sandwich Fairgrounds benefiting Somonauk Education Foundation at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 24

Activities will include food, a beer garden, live music, dash plaques and truck pulls at 5 p.m.

All special interest cars, trucks, tractors and motorcycles are welcome.

Admission is $5 per carload. Proceeds benefit the Somonauk Education Foundation.

No outside alcohol is allowed at the fairgrounds.

For more information, call Kevin Zollars at 815-712-8398.

5. Ellwood Explorers kids program “Birds of a Feather” from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25

July’s program, “Birds of a Feather,” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25. Children will learn about the feathered friends they’re likely to encounter at Ellwood Park, go on a guided bird watching tour, and complete a craft to take home. Guests are encouraged to bring binoculars, though some will be available on-site.

Entirely outdoors, each Ellwood Explorers event is planned with social distancing in mind, and all activities can be completed solo or in small groups.

Crafts and activities are geared toward elementary-aged children. Registration is required. For more information and to see the full Ellwood Explorers schedule, visit ellwoodhouse.org/youthprograms or call 815-756-4609.

Ellwood Explorers is supported by the Cy Miller Foundation. The Ellwood House Museum is located at 420 Linden Place in DeKalb.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Daily Chronicle’s community calendar at https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature. Submissions to the community calendar are also printed in the Thursday edition of the Daily Chronicle.