Excitement grows as Rotary GroveFest returns in Downers Grove Aug 19-22

Music, rides and plenty to eat are back at the multiday Rotary GroveFest, which returns Aug. 19 to downtown Downers Grove.

Called the special edition, members of the Downers Grove Rotary and volunteers have worked hard to bring the festival back after it was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year marks the 10th anniversary for the service organization managing the festival, which was moved to August instead of its traditional June time frame.

“The community is hungry for this,” said Lisa Rasin, a member of the Downers Grove Rotary and festival co-chairwoman. “We’re expecting a great crowd, a lot of fun and enjoying every minute.”

While the festival was scaled back slightly, it still will offer many of the traditional favorites including carnival rides, live music and local restaurants offering dishes.

Among the local restaurants participating in the festival are Pierce Tavern, Bar Chido, The Foxtail, Cadence Kitchen & Co, Every Day’s A Sundae, Wells Street Popcorn, Gia Mia and Wasabi Restaurant & Bar.

Downers Grove microbrewery Alter Brewing and Skuddlebutts Pizza and Catering will provide food and drinks in the sponsors’ tent. Beer garden admission is $5 a day. Alcoholic beverage tickets are $6 a ticket.

The carnival opens Aug. 19 with unlimited rides for one price. Additionally, unlimited ride wristbands will be offered from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 20 and 21 and all day on Aug. 22. Skip the lines and purchase the wristband for unlimited rides on the festival’s website; if you purchase before Aug. 18, the wristbands are $25. After this date and at the fair. the wristbands are $30.

The Rotary GroveFest website, rotarygrovefest.com, is the best place to find event schedules, and stay tuned to its Facebook page for updates throughout the week, festival committee member Keith Hoffman said.

“This is truly a community event,” Hoffman said.

The festival will include some favorites as well as new live music acts. On opening night, catch local favorite 7th Heaven, and throughout the festival enjoy a mix of rock ’n’ roll and country.

There will be an outdoor worship service at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 22 provided by Community Christian Church of Downers Grove.

The Downers Grove Rotary will put most of the proceeds from the festival back into the community by supporting student scholarships and aiding nonprofits and local programming such as the annual Halloween Window Decorating.

The Rotary also supports international programming, including the Water for Life project that supports building water wells in Africa, Hoffman said.

Organizers such as Hoffman and Rasin hope the festival will encourage others to consider joining Rotary and become part of the service organization.

“Our motto is ‘Service above self’ and we live that every day,” Rasin said. “It’s amazing what a small group of people can accomplish. We’ve all become good friends as we muddled through the storm to make this event happen.”