18 suburban music, food and drink fests to check out before summer ends

Have a favorite summer food — or drink? There’s probably a suburban or city fest devoted to it.

Highlights include a halal food fest in Naperville, a wine celebration in Geneva, craft beer events in Lombard, Elgin and Elmhurst and an old fashioned block party in Batavia.

Here’s a look at 18 suburban festivals to mark on your end-of-summer calendar:

Sugar Grove Corn Boil: 5-10 p.m. Thursday, July 24; 5-11 p.m. Friday, July 25; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 26; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at Volunteer Park, Sugar Grove. Opening parade at 5 p.m. Friday down Bastian Drive into the park. Carnival, live music, corn hole tournament, food, drinks, bingo and lots of sweet corn. Free shuttle service at the library and municipal center. sugargrovecornboil.org.

Lombard Brew Fest: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 19, on Parkside Avenue, between Lilacia Park and the Metra station, Lombard. Samples from local breweries, cideries and meaderies. Each ticket includes 20, 3-ounce samples and a souvenir tasting glass. $65 for general admission, $85 for VIP early entry and $25 for designated driver (limited to one nonalcoholic beer and water and soft drinks). lombardbrewfest.com.

Taco & Art Fest: 3-7 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Shell at Reed-Keppler Park, 832 Arbor Ave., West Chicago. Taco Wars feature local food vendors competing for the title of best taco. Food trucks, music, craft and art vendors, artist demos, art stations, a petting zoo, inflatables, a face painter and a henna artist. we-goparks.org.

Dessert Walk: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, starting in Cook Park, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Stroll around downtown Libertyville to sample desserts and shop. mainstreetlibertyville.org.

Chicagoland Halal Fest: 3-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2-3, at Frontier Park, 3380 Cedar Glade Drive, Naperville. This family-friendly event showcases global halal cuisine, arts and traditions through performances, activities and more. ilmchamber.org.

RomeoFest: Aug. 7-10 at Deer Crossing Park/Village Park, Romeoville. Headliner Uncle Kracker, known for the hits “Smile” and “Follow Me” will perform Thursday, Aug. 7. The event also incldues many other musicians and bands, food, car show, fireworks, laser show, carnival and more. New this year is Romeoville’s first color run. romeoville.org/741/RomeoFest

Taste of Glen Ellyn: 5-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 14-15, and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, in the College of DuPage parking lot No. 6, on the southwest corner of Lambert and College Road in Glen Ellyn. Live entertainment, carnival rides, food, beverages, business expo and more. Free. glenellynchamber.com.

New Orleans North: 5-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15 at Joliet Slammer Stadium, Joliet. This festival is an outdoor Mardi Gras-style music event, featuring bands, beer tents, food and street entertainment. There will be plenty of Hurricane drinks, street performers, a hookah alley, local art and more. jolietchamber.com/new-orleans-north/

Taste the Maze: 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at Abbey Farms, 2855 Hart Road, Aurora. An evening of craft beer, cider and seltzer tastings inside Abbey Farms’ 8-acre corn maze. Tickets are $65; designated driver $45, with discounts available for tickets bought by July 31. 21 and older only. abbeyfarms.org.

Honey Fest: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Heritage Farm at Spring Valley, 201 S. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg. Honey tastings, historic demonstrations, interactive displays and bee-inspired crafts. Treats, beeswax crafts and beverages for purchase. Free. parkfun.com.

Woodstock Truck ‘N Food Show: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at the McHenry County Fairgrounds, 11900 Country Club Road, Woodstock. All-in-one big-rig truck show and food truck event with live music and 21-and-older beverage selection. mchenrycountyfair.com/truck-food-show/.

DeKalb Corn Fest: 3-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 in downtown DeKalb. DeKalb County’s biggest annual summer event, Cornfest features a carnival, Sound Stage with live music, vendors, craft fest and the famous corn boil. cornfest.com

Zoo Uncorked: Wines & Vines: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Sip fine wines and cocktails during the grand opening of the zoo’s Tropical Forests habitat. 21 and older. Tickets start at $70. brookfieldzoo.org/winesandvines.

Yorkville Hometown Days: Aug. 28-31, Beecher Community Park, 901 Game Farm Road, Yorkville. The event will feature a baby contest, adult date night, Big Band & BBQ, car show, live music, Ultimate Air Dogs competition and much more. yorkville.il.us/459/Hometown-Days-Festival

’Cue for a Cause: Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at York and Vallette streets, Elmhurst. Fundraising barbecue contest for Elmhurst Walk-in Assistance Network featuring food, drinks, music, raffles and entertainment. Tickets start at $20. elmhurstwalkin.org/cue.

Batavia Block Party & Taste of Batavia: 3-8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at Peg Bond Center, 151 N. Island Ave., Batavia. Live music, car show, pie bake-off and a free kids’ area. Tickets purchased on-site the day of the event are $5 for ages 21 or older; free for kids. downtownbatavia.com.

The Last Fling: Aug. 31-Sept. 1, downtown Naperville. Say farewell to summer at the Naperville Jaycees’ annual Labor Day weekend event. The Last Fling has a carnival, parade, food and plenty of family-friendly events. lastfling.org

Festival of the Vine: Noon to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6; and noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, on James Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, Geneva. The Flavor Fare in the outdoor tent features food, wine and live music. Arts and crafts show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Third and Campbell streets. Merchant wine events, business booths, kids’ activities and free horse-drawn carriage rides. genevachamber.com/events/festival-of-the-vine.

Shaw Local’s Entertainment Editor Aimee Barrows contributed to this list.