Friendship Fest, one of the most popular festivals in Palos Hills drew massive crowds over the weekend, largely due to having something for everyone.
Children and parents were drawn Saturday to the carnival with rides, junk food and games galore. But the festival also offered bingo and a beer tent with bands for adults, a crafts fair, classic car show and a capstone of fireworks.
One attendee, Mike Stone, arrived in a bright red and yellow Hawaiian print shirt Saturday to see the Ron Burgundys, a yacht-rock band (basically soft rock of the ’70s). He said he rearranged his schedule to see the band and attend the whole festival, every day, although he had to miss Thursday.
“My favorite thing is the music, the people and the beer,” he said. “I come here every year and I have a great time. It really is the one festival I always go to.”
He said this year he was most excited to see the Burgundys.
“I love the Burgandys, especially when the play Toto,” he said.
His wife though, with a Beatles shirt, had come to see the next act, American English, a Beatles Tribute band.
Palos Hills Ald. Michael Price said the people are as important as anything to the event’s success.
“It brings together neighbors who haven’t seen each other, plus the music is great and the bands are great,” Price said. “We’re just hoping the weather holds up.”
On the midway, children rode fan favorites Pharaoh’s Fury bumper cars, wended their way through the fun house and played games for prizes and in between. Crowds lined up for pizza, hot dogs, funnel cakes, lemonades and all other manner of carnival fast food.
Angela Maira, however, wasn’t quite feeling the excitement. She was at the darts game, hurling the little daggers at a balloon covered board and it wasn’t going her way. She’d only just started on the midway.
“I guess this is my favorite game so far, but I’m not very good at it,” she admitted.
Could it be rigged?
“That’s what she said at the last booth,” Maira said, gesturing toward her friend. ‘And they don’t have a Tilt-a-Whirl this year.”
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.