Beat the heat with Christmas in July at the Waukegan Harbor.
A $10 donation will go toward the purchase of toys for children during the 2021 holidays at the July 24 event. Patrons can watch arm-wrestling and motorcycle stunts, listen to live bands, participate in a K-9 demonstration and browse shiny, old cars displayed by the Mis-Shifts Car Club.
“With the lakefront being as beautiful as it is and with our new tenant Green Town on the Rocks, we thought it would be a great opportunity to bring the community together to help secure Toys for local children for Christmas,” said Robert Allan Kutzler, director of marketing and special events for the Waukegan Harbor and Marina.
“What a great backdrop for this event at the outdoor marina,” he said.
Green Town Tavern in Waukegan, opened its outdoor venue Green Town on the Rocks this summer, and will sell beer and food during the event, which runs from noon to 11 p.m.
Christmas in July was scheduled on July 25 in 2020, but had to be canceled due to the pandemic, Kutzler said.
Brothers Rising Motorcycle Club, which has been hosting a Toys for Tots event for 40 years around Christmastime, is also hosting this Christmas in July event.
Christmas in July will feature seven bands playing from noon to 10 p.m.
Between 5 and 6 p.m., an arm-wrestling exhibition will pit Kent Damore, an arm wrestler ranked No. 8 in the nation in 2017, against Jeff Dabe, who is said to have world’s largest hands, Kutzler said.
“It’s something that’s really cool,” Kutzler said. “It’s something you don’t see every day. These big guys will explain all the rules and regulations. It’s pretty intensive and pretty exciting.”
Kutzler is rooting for Damore, because they’re friends. “I’m always on the side of my boy Kent. I’ve met Jeff and he’s a great guy but I like my Kent a little bit better,” Kutzler said.
A car show featuring vehicles from the 1950s through the 1980s will be presented by the Mis-Shifts Car Club. Awards and trophies will be given. The show will be in the yacht club parking lot from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A police dog trainer will also have a demonstration in which members of the audience, if they sign a waiver, can participate.
The motorcycle club also will perform on and off throughout the afternoon. “They will do goofy stuff,” Kutzler said.
He added, “I don’t want people to get scared of the bikers. It’s not Hells Angels or Born to Be Wild with Marlon Brando. They’re not like that. Yes, they’re burly. They have mustaches and beards, but they’re warm fuzzy guys. They are a 501c3 charity,” he said.
The motorcycle club has secured performing bands to donate their time for the cause. Performing at noon will be Red Line 700, with a 3 p.m. performance by Curtis Lowe & The Reverb Kings.
Bounty Hunter performs at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Bobby Miller Band at 6 p.m., Angry Squirrels at 7:30 p.m. and Boys N Toys at 9 p.m.
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“This is a big warm fuzzy for the entire community,” Kutzler said. “We want to make this an annual thing.”
He added that many events have been held at the Waukegan Harbor this spring and summer. “The place has been hopping,” he said.
Christmas in July
When: Noon-11 p.m. July 24
Where: Green Town on the Rocks, 175 N. Harbor Place, Waukegan
Tickets: $10
Information: 847-244-3133, facebook.com/events and search for Waukegan Harbor
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.