By Dzenita Mustafi
The small town of Addison is located an hour outside of Chicago’s city limits, and is home to 35,000 residents. The town was founded in 1832, incorporated in 1884, and had been home to many indigenous tribes, namely the Ojibwe and Potawatomi. The town population is diverse and continues to grow, welcoming locals and newcomers alike to share their experiences through the park district and town sponsored events. With the weather beginning to warm up, the town is beginning to announce its annual festivities for the summer, and the variety of events is sure to entice locals and visitors alike!
The town is hosting a variety of events on Memorial day, with options for every resident to honor and celebrate the holiday. Throughout the day there will be a free pancake breakfast, a town wide march, a flag posting, and ceremonies for veterans and their families as well as those who have passed. The schedule for the day can be found on the town’s website calendar tab, with directions to events available as well. Along with this fireworks displays will be visible all weekend, for families to view from parks across the town.
Throughout the summer months, the town hosts a multitude of events and gatherings, with the largest being “Rock ‘N Wheels”. Beginning on June 5th, the town invites citizens and guests to attend outdoor concerts in the town hall plaza. The concerts are paired with car shows, and guests are invited to peruse the contents from either attraction as they are located along the same street. Along with the car shows and concerts, businesses from the area will provide options for food and drink, and there will be attractions for children like face painting or balloons.
The bands featured in the concerts are mainly all based in the state, and a few are even tribute bands to Chicago’s most iconic musical figures, like the Blues Brothers, or other rock icons such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fleetwood Mac, and Kool & The Gang. The schedule for bands and their dates are available on the town’s website as well as a short synopsis of what they will be performing and a photograph of the members. Though the concerts are part of the “Rock ‘N Wheels” series, the bands performing are in the genres of not only rock but country, disco, and reggae so that concert-goers will be able to find a band suited to their taste.
The first band featured is Dire Straits Legacy, on June 5th making them the opening act for the concerts. The bands headlining each Thursday after are: Little Texas, Funky Monks, Hollywood Swinging, Big City Nights, The Wailers, The Blooze Brothers, Soul Asylum, American English, The Buckinghams, Lateralus, Freebyrd, and 7th Heaven. The bands opening each concert are: Deacon Blues, Nashville Electric, Ixnay, Superfly Symphony, Lounge Puppets, Santeria, Bonnie ‘N the Boyz, Stone Type Thing, Mac Attack, and The Michael Webber Show. The town website does assert that the schedule is subject to change, due to the concerts being outdoors and unsuitable weather could cause cancellation or rescheduling.
These events are perfect for those looking to explore the towns surrounding the city as they are free and open to all. They are also a good fit for those looking to acclimate themselves to attending festivals and concerts in the warmer months, as they are a smaller scale of the larger concerts that the city hosts. The diversity of the bands and the additional events and opportunities with each concert, such as the car shows and food stalls, make this summer series perfect for all to attend. If you are looking for events to fill your summer itinerary, “Rock ‘N Wheels” could be the perfect event for families of the Chicago-land area.
All photographs taken from the Addison Town Website, it happens in addison.
