Those growing up in the Frankfort area don’t look forward to Labor Day just for the long weekend — they look forward to Fall Festival.
The three-day Frankfort Fall Festival has become such a part of the community’s DNA over the last 54 years that it’s become a holiday itself — one that traditionally draws close to 250,000 people to the village.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 3; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 4; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 4. The carnival begins early, running 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 2.
This event has a little bit of everything, including an arts and crafts fair with more than 300 booths. There are carnival rides, a gourmet food area, two stages for live music, and a parade.
“It attracts people from all over the country to exhibit,” said Pauline Modjeski, executive director of the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event. “It’s certainly our biggest event by far — it’s just become part of this community.”
This year’s festival is themed “Fall Fest Through the Decades,” which means that organizers are celebrating the evolution of the festival over the years. The event’s origin predates the first official Frankfort Fall Fest in 1968.
The earliest celebration was held in 1935 to raise money for the volunteer fire department. Other fall festivals were held throughout the years — among them, the Town and Country Jamboree and Sauerkraut and Wiener Day — before the chamber of commerce took over and created the name that finally stuck.
The arts and crafts section of the festival has become nationally recognized for bringing together some of the top artisans in the country — it was recently named in the top 20 of the Sunshine Artists Magazines’ top 200 festivals in the country.
“We’re very proud of that,” Modjeski said. “It shows that the artists enjoy coming here, and that allows us to attract top-notch talent from across the country.”
The juried festival brings in a wide range of artists, from those producing clothing, metal art and fabrics to fine art, crafts and jewelry.
“It’s been my favorite part of the festival, and I’ve been going to it since I was a kid,” Modjeski said. “It’s all really interesting. Everything is handmade, and there’s such a variety of incredibly talented people.”
The festival is held in conjunction with a carnival, which kicks off earlier, starting at 5 p.m. Aug. 31. There’s also a parade at 1 p.m. Sept. 4, which attracts local businesses and community members.
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“It’s a fun part of the festival that brings people together,” Modjeski said.
The entertainment will feature live music on two stages. The main stage on North Oak Street offers free admission to all ages during the daytime fest hours. After 6 p.m., it switches to 21 and older shows with a $10 entrance fee.
The concert series kicks off on Friday at 8 p.m. with Simple Minds & Southern Nights, a Lynyrd Skynyrd and southern rock tribute band. On Saturday, The Macy Brothers perform at 2 p.m., and Rocks Off, a Rolling Stones Tribune, hits the stage at 8 p.m.
Sunday’s shows feature Voices of the Stars at 2 p.m. followed by Brothers Gibb, a Bee Gees tribute, at 8 p.m. Finally on Labor Day, the Frankfort Brass Band will perform at 1 p.m.
The family-friendly stage at Breidert Green Park will host free concerts all weekend, starting Saturday with The Mudsharks at 11 a.m., followed by The Noize at 2 p.m. and Industrial Drive at 4:30 p.m.
On Sunday, the Big Bad Mojo Band begins at 11 a.m., with Strung Out at 2 p.m. and SHiNDiG at 4:30 p.m. Monday’s lineup features the SpotLight Arts Collective at 11 a.m. and Whiskeyfist at 2 p.m.
The festival’s food area features local restaurants as well as civic organizations volunteering to raise money.
“This festival wouldn’t exist without the army of volunteers,” Modjeski said. “There are 11 not-for-profit groups that run the food court and work with various restaurants here in Frankfort. There’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
Frankfort Fall Festival
When: Sept. 3-5
Where: downtown Frankfort
Tickets: Free admission
Information: 815-469-3356; frankfortfallfestival.info
Jeff Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.