Summerfest ends in Braidwood

By: 
Marney Simon
Staff writer

It was four days of fun, food, rides, and entertainment, but the annual celebration known as the Braidwood Lions Summerfest has once again come and gone.

The festival wrapped up Sunday night with the annual fireworks display, sponsored by Exelon.

While clouds threatened to bring in some rain at the close of the weekend, Braidwood stayed dry, bringing out hundreds of folks for carnival rides, fair food, flea market finds, bingo, entertainment, and the Hometown Proud parade.

Organizers reported just one disturbance over the weekend, when a man in the beer garden allegedly assaulted a volunteer who was checking ids. That suspect was arrested by the Braidwood Police Department.

This was the 36th year for the Braidwood Lions Summerfest. This year’s theme — a Mardi Gras Extravaganza!

Summerfest is the main fundraiser each year for the Braidwood Lions. The all-volunteer organization’s main mission is to provide residents in need obtain sight and sound humanitarian services in the form of eye exams, glasses, hearing screenings, and hearing aids.

In addition to those services, the Lions use the funds raised to purchase and maintain Christmas street decorations along Main Street, purchase and maintain flags for Main Street, donate to the Community Care Center

Food pantry, to fund a scholarship for a Reed-Custer High School graduate, the annual Halloween Hotdog Giveaway, purchase of equipment for the Lions Kiddie Park, and other local needs and services.

Information on the Lions Club and how it serves the community can be found at their website, www.braidwoodlionsclub.org.