Your Guide to New Lenox Proud American Days 2016

NEW LENOX, IL — A local summer favorite returns Thursday, featuring old favorites and new additions to draw thousands of Lincoln-Way area residents to the event.

The annual four-day festival, which began in 1984, kicks off Thursday, July 28 with carnival rides and live musical entertainment.

Crowd favorites returning include the baby contest and the New Lenox Fire Foundation’s Controlled Burn Beef Cook-Off fundraiser both on Saturday, and the annual military tribute at 11 a.m. Sunday morning. New this year is the a craft fair, set for Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Carnival-goers can purchased wristbands for unlimited rides for $30 per wristband per day, which covers five hours of rides. The carnival is open Thursday and Friday from 5:30 to 10:3 p.m., Saturday from 1 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m. There is a special "pee-wee" wristband available for $15 on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. It's geared toward the littler carnival-goers.

Bands set to perform include:

THURSDAY, JULY 28 ($7 cover charge)

• 8 to 11 p.m.: Maggie Speaks

FRIDAY, JULY 29 ($7 cover charge)

• 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: 4Cast
• 9 to midnight: Mike and Joe

SATURDAY, JULY 30 ($7 cover charge)

• 4 to 6 p.m.: Midlife Crisis
• 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Black Cadillac
• 9 to midnight: Hairbangers Ball

SUNDAY, JULY 31 (No cover charge)

• 1 to 3 p.m.: Jerry Armstrong's "Legends of Vegas" 1 Man Show
• 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Makena Hartlin
• 7 to 9 p.m.: HillBilly Rockstarz

Proud American Days will take place from Thursday, July 28 to Sunday, July 31 at 601 E. Lincoln Highway, just east of Wal-Mart. An estimated 30,000 people from the Lincoln-Way area and Will County typically attend the four-day fest.

For more information, visit www.proudamericandays.org.

Photo: ProudAmericanDays.org