Party Like It's 1946: New Lenox Celebrates 75th Anniversary

NEW LENOX, IL — The Village of New Lenox will turn 75 years old Monday, but eager revelers can plan on starting the celebration a couple days early. The Village has announced a free, three-day party to mark the milestone, starting Friday in the Village Commons.

"A lot has happened in 75 years, and the town has really grown and is continuing to grow," said New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann. "We always want to keep that small-town feel. That's why we do the things we do in The Commons area downtown, and this is just an extension of that, just a way for our people to come gather down in The Commons and celebrate together our rich history and our extremely promising future."

Special Events Coordinator Beth Alderson said the Village has been planning the events for the semisesquicentennial — that's this reporter's fancy word for 75th anniversary — celebration since January. And the amount of planning shows with what the Village has in store for celebrants.

The first night of festivities is scheduled to kick off from 5-8 p.m. Friday. Live music from Joey Kar highlights the first day. Food trucks will be set up throughout the Village Commons, and beer will also be available for sale.

Events on Saturday will run considerably longer, from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The day is set to begin with kid-sized carnival rides, carnival games with prizes to be won and a craft fair.

Saturday evening has live music scheduled at the Performing Arts Pavilion. The Ides of March featuring Jim Peterik, are scheduled to take the stage at 4:30 p.m. Then, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas will follow with a performance at 6:30 p.m. To top it off, a fireworks display is scheduled to take place immediately following Starship's performance. Food and beer will be available for sale throughout the day.

"That's a lot of fun and a lot of entertainment packed into one night," Alderson said. "That'll be a highlight, especially since it's free and everyone is welcome to come."

Finally, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, the Village will put residents to the test with pie-eating contests, potato sack races, a Bingo tent and more. A classic car show will be on display throughout the Commons, and food and beer will be available for sale.

"We wanted to have something that would be fun for people of different ages, kind of an old-school celebration," Baldermann said.

Alderson said that she's looking most forward to the Sunday events.

"We're doing so many fun, little contests and games," Alderson said. "For me, that will be a lot of fun to see everyone get in to that."

Alderson also issued a heads up for anyone planning on entering the pie eating contest.

"No utensils," she said. "So you're going to have to get creative."

For more information, visit the Village of New Lenox website.

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