Sweet sounds of Strawberry Jazz Fest returned Sunday

Singing, shopping and strawberries were plentiful on the grounds of Northfield Square mall Sunday during the annual Strawberry Jazz Festival.

A variety of strawberry treats accompanied 15 live performances across three stages by local artists and groups, and more than 90 crafters and vendors were set up in and around the mall.

Organized by the Community Arts Council of Kankakee County on the first Sunday in June, the event focuses on celebrating local art.

Attendees could admire the Windows in Bloom exhibit, featuring store windows designed and painted by local artists and vote for their favorite display. The exhibit continues through June 30 with voting slips available near the Arts Center on the south end of the mall.

Joining the fresh and chocolate-covered strawberry sales by the Council was the bidding for three hand-painted benches created by artists at the Merchant Street Art Gallery of Artists with Autism for their respective fundraising efforts.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Ironclad Robotics team offered live demos and hands-on experiences as magic acts, balloon twisting, face painting, barrel rides and craft activities from the Kankakee Arts CoLab offered fun for kids.

Collaborating at the festival, the Friends of the Kankakee Public Library held their annual book sale, the Kankakee Garden Club hosted a plant sale, the Kankakee Art League offered painting pointers and the Kankakee Camera Club offered advice on camera angles.

The annual festival, originally hosted at the Kankakee County Museum in the wake of the Rhubarb Festival, moved to the mall grounds several years ago to accommodate increasing attendance and a need for more space.

Visit communityartscouncil.org for more information.