5 things to do in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties: Summer fests kick into full swing

There’s plenty of family activities to go around this weekend in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties.

1) Check out the water fights. A highlight of Spring Valley Summer Fest is the kids water fights 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Kirby Park, but that’s only the start of the activities planned for the day. The Steve Sharp Band is scheduled to perform 7 to 11 p.m. The beer garden will open at noon and there will be food vendors. There will be a bags tournament at 1 p.m. and the city’s swimming pool will be free admission for the day. There also will be a petting zoo, train rides for children and a bounce house, all capped off with a fireworks show at dusk.

2) Have some fun at the carnival. Oglesby Summer Fun Fest runs June 17-20 at the Oglesby pool grounds. The four-day festival includes a carnival, craft and food vendors, kid-friendly activities, live entertainment and closes with a fireworks display Sunday.

3) Honor those who gave all. You don’t have to ride a motorcycle to honor the fallen soldiers or their Gold Star families at the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles at roughly 11 a.m. Saturday, during the Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run. The names of those who died in Middle East Conflicts will be read aloud during the ceremony. Following the ceremony, Freedom Fest will kick off at about 12:30 p.m. with live entertainment on Main Street.

4) Catch an outdoor performance. “Back in the Act,” a Community Players of Streator children’s theater production, will be staged 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 18 and 19, at Plumb Pavilion in Streator City Park. Admission will be free. The show will feature three original skits as well as music ranging from source material such as “Les Miserables,” “Newsies” and “Dear Evan Hansen.”

5) Go where the action is Friday night. The La Salle County Cruisers are hosting the 23rd annual Ottawa Cruise Night at 6 p.m. Friday, June 18, in downtown Ottawa — the same time there will be a carnival in the lower lots near the north side of the Veterans Memorial Bridge presented by the Lions Club and Third Friday featuring art vendors, music, food and live events.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to The Times, NewsTribune or Bureau County Republican’s community calendar at starvedrockcountry.com/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature.