Kick Off to Summer Festival Brings Rides & Food This Weekend

Plainfield’s festival season begins Saturday with an old favorite with a new name and new location.

Kick Off to Summer Festival, previously known as Strawberry Fest then Spring Fest, will bring carnival and kiddie rides, craft and business booths and food vendors to , 24120 W. Fort Beggs Drive, Saturday and Sunday.

The festival was held in downtown Plainfield in past years, but the village wanted to avoid road closures this year. And because spring weather can be tricky, the festival was delayed a bit in the calendar.

“May seemed unstable for weather so we thought June would be better,” hence the festival name change as well, Executive Director Susan Erickson said. “At the high school there will be plenty of room and parking. We hope people will come out and support MainStreet Plainfield and enjoy the festival.”

Kick Off to Summer Festival will have six large carnival rides, including the Sizzler, Starship Gravitron and giant slide, along with six kiddie rides. Visitors can enjoy unlimited rides on Sunday with a $20 wristband.

How about a pork chop on a stick, sausage sandwich, fruit smoothie or funnel cake?

Six food vendors and more than 30 craft and business booths also will be featured at the festival, which will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is free.

Due to a lack of volunteers, the festival will no longer have a beer tent or music, Erickson said. “But it could turn into something like that next year if we have more people,” she said.

For other details, call MainStreet Plainfield at (815) 609-6130.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to note that the $20 unlimited-ride wristbands are available for Sunday only.