The Celebrate Fox Lake Parade Saturday — with a theme of “Red, White and Blue” — was among a number of Lake County events honoring Independence Day a little early.
Offerings also included a downtown car show, festivities at the renovated Lakefront Park and evening fireworks illuminating Nippersink Lake. More than 30 parade entries were featured in the parade.
Jennifer Kuhn, Fox Lake’s program and events manager, said the parade tugs at people’s heartstrings.
“We’ve had a couple of social media posts, people saying it’s their favorite tradition,” she said. “They never miss it. But the exciting part for me is the Lakefront Park development that’s been a long-term priority for the village, and is finally coming to fruition.”
A ribbon-cutting at Lakefront Park took place on May 29, while a couple of its components have yet to be completed. Lakefront Park amenities include two outside pickleball courts, a boardwalk, municipal piers, an amphitheater, a playground, a splash pad and upgraded seating.
“It’s a $12 million investment that was made by the village without raising any taxes,” Kuhn said.
Parade entries staged in the Grant Community High School parking lot, and then moved along Grand Avenue to downtown Fox Lake.
Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit, appeared along with the village’s mascot, Beacon the Pelican.
“It’s what we’re all about,” Schmit said about the parade tradition.
At School Court was the raised, covered stage where emcee Michael Lescher, formerly of Fox Lake, offered color commentary and sang patriotic songs.
Lescher, who has been emceeing the parade for more than 30 years, was joined by parade judges Bob Welninski, DJ Bob, Tina Uselding of the Fox Lake Historical Society/Promote Fox Lake, Janet Solar of Promote Fox Lake and the Fox Lake Volunteer Fire Department.
“The whole community coming out and getting involved like this is beautiful,” said Lescher, who called the annual parade, “one of the highlights of my year.”
The parade stage was set across the street from the Fox Lake Theatre, which had a June 12 grand reopening ribbon-cutting to unveil new auditoriums as Classic Cinemas Fox Lake.
This year’s parade grand marshal was Chris Johnson, CEO of Tivoli Enterprises, Inc., the operator of Classic Cinemas. He said it was an honor.
“We’ve been here since 1995 and we are so excited,” Johnson said. “The community has been so nice to us and we just love movies, so everybody’s coming out.”
Lake County pageant royalty from Fox Lake, Lindenhurst, Grayslake, Winthrop Harbor and Round Lake were included in the parade lineup.
Miss Round Lake Area 2024 Darby Leetch, 16, of Round Lake — a rising junior at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein — said, “I think it’s really important to show that pageants help girls do so much more than just look glamorous on stage.
“We have to interact with community members, she said. “We get to show other little girls why we do pageants, and why they should start doing pageants as well. My platform is called ‘Fostering Confidence.’ It’s all about foster children and helping them gain a little bit more confidence when they’re going from house to house.
“When they’re making their journey and when they’re meeting new families, they have to bring around garbage bags because that’s all they really have,” Leetch continued. “And so a lot of times, (the bags) get mistaken for trash which can be really degrading when they’re trying to make a good impression on families. And so, we make duffle bags with important things like toothbrushes, hygiene kits, along with really fun items like fuzzy socks and coloring books, kind of just to build up their self-esteem.”
Danice Moore, a Fox Lake Lions Club member, said, “It’s important to show your support for the country…also just being part of the community, and creating memories for the kids.
“Like a lot of volunteer organizations, we’re struggling to get members,” Moore said. “So trying to just get our name out that we’re there, and come help us and help serve the community.”
With a right hand over the heart as hats were removed for the national anthem was Jason Sherko of Ingleside, who said he was there, “to celebrate our country, and everything that our service men and women have done.
“This is our fourth year in a row coming with family and friends,” he said. “It’s a community event that we all love.”
