The 31st annual Montgomery Festival is set to begin at 5 p.m. Friday along the Fox River in the village.
The largest new addition to this year’s festival is the Goose Island Craft Beer Tent, with proceeds benefiting the Montgomery Foundation, a group dedicated to literacy and scholastic needs in the village.
The new Montgomery Rotary Club will hold a 50/50 raffle during the festival and have a free giveaway at a new community booth.
On Friday, from 6 to 10 p.m., $20 wristbands will be available for unlimited carnival rides. An emergency vehicle parade is scheduled to travel down Mill Street from 6:30 to 7 p.m., with the country band Back Country Roads scheduled to take to the stage at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday morning activities include carnival rides, downtown walking tours, pony rides, a petting zoo and the 96.9 The River’s Road Crew Booth.
Cloggers will perform at noon while Montgomery’s Got Talent performances are scheduled on the main stage at 1 p.m. The annual Montgomery Fire Department Water Fights will begin at 1:30 p.m. in front of Village Hall. Also, the “Drive a Bot” area will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the back lot of Village Hall.
Woody James, a local country artist, performs on the main stage at 3 p.m. Music continues with the Brothers of Absolution at 5 p.m. and Evolution at 8 p.m.
Sunday is an early day with the annual Carp Derby beginning at 6 a.m., followed by the lining up of entrants for the annual car show in Austin Park. Community Christian Church will conduct an outdoor worship service in the park at 10 a.m., followed by the Christian band ASAPH at 11:30 a.m., on the main stage. Ronald McDonald will perform a magic show in front of Village Hall beginning at noon. The Community Parade kicks off at 1 p.m., featuring the 65-member Proviso West High School Band, Grand Marshal and long serving Trustee Pete Heinz, the BMX bike stunt team and more. A food drive will be conducted during the parade as volunteers push shopping carts down the street collecting donations.
After the parade, special performances from the BMX Stunt team will be held at 3 and 5 p.m. in front of Village Hall. Mr. Freeze from Fermilab will entertain in front of village hall as well.
Over in the park the main stage will feature Dabylon and Next Tuesday Band, concluding with the Nygel Ajax Band and their mix of classic rock.
The community fireworks show will signal the end of the festival at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Judy Pochel is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News