Frontier Days Festival Canceled Again In Arlington Heights

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Another year, another cancellation of one of the premier summer events in Arlington Heights. The board of directors announced Wednesday that the Frontier Days Festival will not be returning in 2021.

Saying it was a "difficult decision," the Frontier Days board opted to postpone the festival as it had in 2020 for the safety of its Red Shirts volunteers, attendees and vendors. The annual event, which centers around the Fourth of July holiday, is put on by the not-for-profit Frontier Days, Inc., an organization of more than 350 volunteers. The lauded festival has been a recipient of the Governor's Hometown Award on multiple occasions.

Last year, organizers pulled the plug on Frontier Days in April. The festival typically features free entertainment on three stages. Food is prepared and served by volunteers ad assisted by local community groups. It also includes family events, sports activities, carnival rides and one of the largest Fourth of July parades in the northwest suburbs, according to organizers.

According to organizers, the festival has donated more than $2 million in excess funds to the Village of Arlington Heights, the Arlington Heights Park District and other not-for-profit groups. The Festival funds have also provided capital expenditure requests for the Village of Arlington Heights, Arlington Heights Park District, library, senior center, Scout groups, and many other social service groups.

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