Junior Miss Lake Zurich Alexis Alt hosted a festival Sunday at Paulus Park centered around encouraging people to unplug from their electronic devices and connect with others in the community.
“Unplugged Fest” also featured booths for businesses and local organizations. Attendees were able to take part in or watch some dancing, view a taekwondo performance, and set up shop for a picnic in the park, as well as various other activities and performances.
“It’s amazing, honestly,” Alt said. “Everyone’s coming out here and just unplugging, it’s just amazing.”
Jodi Alt, Alexis’ mother, said the 12-year-old came up with the festival idea almost two years ago after she noticed the amount of time she was spending on her iPad. Alexis Alt went away to an overnight camp a couple summers before, where she was away from her electronic devices. When she returned home, she noticed all the kids were on their devices and not really interacting with one another. It was through this experience she came up with the idea to get people to “unplug.”
“She came home and she was device-free and she’s like, ‘Oh my god, these kids are all on their devices,'” Jodi Alt said. “And I was like, ‘That’s you.'”
This culminated in the Lake Zurich Village Board approving the event at the March 2, 2020 board meeting. Set to be hosted that year in late May, the event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, Alexis Alt found herself at home doing remote learning, meaning even more time spent on her devices. There were no activities and no in-person interaction with any of her friends, the Alts explained.
Once activities were able to be held again, Alexis again got approval from the Village Board. This time, however, the event was set to include businesses as a way to offer free promotion while business owners battled the pandemic. To go along with this, part of the event’s theme became an idea of reconnecting with the community, the Alts said.
“It originated just helping people unplug, and then it turned into helping people connect,” Jodi Alt said.
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Going forward, Jodi Alt said she and her daughter don’t know if they will host it again next year. However, if they do, she said she feels they will be more prepared. Uncertainties surrounding the pandemic delayed their ability to organize this year, she said.
In addition to organizing the event, Alexis was also a participant in the taekwondo performance, which ended with her breaking five wooden boards with her hand.
Connie Nishioka, mother of 2019 Miss Lake County Katrina Nishioka, said she thought the festival was great and thought it was a chance to get out and connect with people, particularly those she hadn’t seen in a while.
Emily Clauser, 36, of Lake Zurich, said this was the first big event of the summer that she attended. Clauser said she “definitely” has a problem with disconnecting from her technology. She said it became worse during the pandemic.
“It is definitely something I’ve struggled with,” she said.
Clauser said she is hopeful she can unplug more.
The Almost Home Foundation, an organization centered around finding homes for dogs and cats, had a booth set up at the event to help collect donations and spread awareness. Bill Clark and Terry Clark, who were helping run the booth, said their 8-year-old granddaughter, Meghan Zaehler, who is also Little Miss Lake Zurich, wanted to set up the booth.
The Clarks suggested pets could help create activities to unplug from devices.
“Getting out and walking your dog is unplugging, right?” Terry Clark said.
Alexis Alt said she also feels the event shows that kids can do “big things” and make a difference. And for those looking to disconnect, she said she recommends looking for community events and activities of interest.
“Through those activities you can make friends and have some new, unforgettable experiences,” she said.
