Clear sunset skies with Saturday evening temperatures in the 80-degree range launched the 10th Rock the Block in Lake Zurich on Sept. 14.
The event included music, food and fun at a rain or shine street block party. Food trucks lined Main Street, and many of the event’s approximately 75 volunteers staffed a long beverage bar.
Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton estimated an expected 8,000 people attended Rock The Block.
Poynton launched Rock the Block when he was first elected mayor in 2013 and plans to run again for mayor.
“It was me and a couple of other people,” Poynton recalled of the origins of Rock the Block, but, “I started it.”
Of the pride of creating a Rock the Block tradition of a decade that keeps growing, “It’s like your kid, right?” Poynton said. “You want to see your kid do well and this is my kid, this is my baby, you know?
“And I want to see this succeed and we fine-tune it to the point where we help it succeed every year.
“Not a single taxpayer dollar goes into paying for this,” Poynton added. “We account for every single penny from donors and sponsorships.
“Everything that you see is paid for, it (Rock the Block) pays for itself, absolutely,” Poynton said proudly.
Poynton said that Rock the Block is an example of why Lake Zurich is a great place to live, visit, and do business.
“We’ve created here in Lake Zurich a way more desirable place for people to come and live, our school district is top-notch, we have people that are looking to come here, businesses that are looking to come here, and we’ve created an environment for all these people to come here and survive and thrive,” Poynton said.
“And that includes this event,” Poynton said about Rock the Block which attracts visitors from Wisconsin, the North Shore, and Lake County towns such as Mundelein and Vernon Hills.
“This event gets bigger and better every year.”
To Rock the Block volunteers, “I want to thank every one of those volunteers for coming out here and spending a couple hours of their free time to help us out and make this a big community event.”
Illinois State Senator Dan McConchie (District 26) of Hawthorn Woods attended and said about Rock the Block, “This now attracts people from all over the region and it is one of the biggest events that we have here in the northwest suburbs each year.
“I know I always look forward to being able to come,” McConchie said.
The Lake Zurich Lions Club roasted about 500 ears of corn on the cob. If customers wanted butter, the corn was served hand-dipped in butter melted in a wide slow cooker.
Tom Lubarsky of Palatine took a bite of corn and said the taste was, “so good.”
Three bands took the large stage including Heart2Heartbreaker, Hello Weekend and 7th Heaven.
Lisa LaManna of Wauconda performed on guitar with Heart2Heartbreaker and was pleased to appear at a Lake County event.
“There’s so much great music in Lake County, there are so many amazing musicians,” LaManna said. “It’s an amazing amount of music in this area.
“You can’t go anywhere else and get this kind of music,” LaManna said.
Brian Blume of Lake Zurich, of the Lake Zurich High School Class of 1982, carried granddaughter Ava Cordes, 2, of Vernon Hills on the shoulders as grandparents do.
About Rock the Block, “It’s a blast,” Blume said. “It’s fun to get the whole community back together and everybody comes out and has a good time.”
North Barrington siblings Maya Barnes, 6, a first-grader, Eddie Barnes, 2, and Luca Barnes, 2 spent time with Lake Zurich friends Rio Pullano, 3, and Sloane Pullano, 6, a first-grader.
“We moved from the Chicago downtown two years ago and we came last year,” said parent Britta Pullano about Rock the Block, “and it’s just so much fun.”
Parent Sarita Barnes said about Rock the Block, “This is the best last hurrah of summer for sure.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
