Lake County Flavor Festival serves up success

GURNEE – Lake County’s delectable culinary and beverage scene took center stage at the highly successful Lake County February Flavor Festival.

The Visit Lake County monthlong promotion celebrated the region’s diverse restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wineries, drawing enthusiastic crowds and generating significant economic impact. The Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau initiative boasted 100+ eateries, brewpubs and spirit stops.

The festival highlighted the rich tapestry of flavors found throughout Lake County, with participating restaurants offering delectable samples and showcasing their unique culinary creations.

The Lake County Libation Trail also was a major attraction, featuring local breweries, distilleries and wineries that poured their award-winning beverages, delighting attendees with the region’s craft beverage scene.

The event also featured the culmination of the Flavor Festival Check-In Challenge, which saw impressive check-ins tallying almost 2,000 visitors throughout the promotional period. Participants enthusiastically explored restaurants and the trail, supporting local businesses and vying for exciting prizes.

“The Lake County Flavor Festival was a tremendous success, demonstrating the power of collaboration and the exceptional quality of our local food and beverage scene,” Visit Lake County President Maureen Riedy said in a news release. “This event not only provided a platform for our businesses to showcase their offerings but also supported the economy during a softer period of time. The overwhelming support from the community is a testament to the thriving culinary and libation scene in Lake County.”

The festival’s social media engagement was exceptional, generating almost 2 million impressions with 313K+ engagements across Facebook and Instagram. The campaign’s online presence was further amplified by engaging takeovers from county resident and Chicago meteorologist Mike Caplan, Alpha Media radio hosts and prominent local influencers.

Caplan’s Facebook Live and Instagram Reels takeovers provided attendees with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the festival, showcasing the delicious food and drinks, lively atmosphere and participating vendors. His engaging content reached a wide audience, generating significant buzz and excitement. Alpha Media also played a crucial role in promoting the event, reaching a vast audience through its radio platforms and digital channels. Influencers shared their experiences, highlighting their favorite food and beverage offerings and encouraging their followers to attend the festival.

Attendees had the opportunity to win prizes, including gift certificates to participating restaurants and libation trail locations, as well as exclusive Lake County merchandise. Winners received an overnight stay at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort and theater package, a family suite experience at Great Wolf Lodge Illinois in Gurnee, a cooking class at The Joyful Gourmet in Libertyville and gift cards from participating eateries.

This iteration of Flavor Festival is the second year of the countywide dining activation campaign after running successful restaurant weeks since 2017.