Crossroads Fest Set for This Weekend

Shorewood Crossroads Festival will be held from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to 1 a.m. Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday at Four Season Park in Shorewood.

“This year’s theme is WELCOME HOME, a salute to our returning hometown heroes. All local post 9/11 veterans will be the focus of our efforts and serve as our parade grand marshals,” said Denise Schmidt, chairwoman of the Shorewood Chamber of Commerce Board and the Crossroads Fest.

”We would love the participation of every local veteran through out the weekend, regardless of the years in which they served, but we are putting special emphasis on the Post 9/11 veterans during the parade as a way to say to our recently deployed troops that the area is welcoming them home!”

Children and family activities have been the core of Crossroads Fest and this year is no different. In addition to a 3 day carnival, Saturday’s events include free Children’s Activities and Home Depot workshops on building a birdhouse and toolbox. On Sunday after the parade, kids can plant an actual garden — wear old clothes, it’s going to get messy.

Old fashioned Carnival fun will include a Dunk Tank, Bean Bag Tournament, Pie and Hot Dog Eating Contests and Fireworks on Saturday night provided by the Village of Shorewood. The highlight of the festival is the 1 p.m. parade on Sunday. With the addition of a patriotic concert on Sunday afternoon to close the weekend, its “The best weekend of the year in Shorewood!” said Schmidt.

The fest kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday, with a grand opening party at 4:30 p.m. The carnival runs from 4 to 11 p.m., with $20 wristband specials each day that allow for unlimited rides during a specified 4 hour period. The Entertainment Tent opens at 4 p.m. From 5:15 to 8:15 p.m. the band The Hat Guys play, and headliners Libido Funk Circus take the stage from 9 p.m. to midnight. Libido Funk Circus covers popular music from the days of Motown to last week’s Billboard charts. Friday’s Entertainment Sponsor, First Midwest Bank , will be on hand to introduce the band and welcome the revellers to this years Fest.

Saturday’s opener is Kashmir, a Led Zepplin tribute band followed by the headline act, ARRA, the Journey-plus cover band that headlined last year’s fest as well. Back popular demand, ARRA remains one of the most popular draws to the Fest. Saturday’s Entertainment Sponsor, Bill Jacobs Auto Group, will bring ARRA to the stage and light up the night with Fireworks.

A new addition to the Fest’s Entertainment Tent will be a Designated Driver program sponsored by Kozol Brothers Distributors, The Shorewood Police Department and the Debbie Dudek American Family Insurance Agency. ” Enjoying the Fest responsibly is a big part of the fun of Crossroads Fest” said longtime Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce member Debbie Dudek. “Making sure our friends and neighbors get home safe and celebrate with us next year is a priority and a committment from everyone at the Chamber”. Entertainment Tent participants signing the Designated Driver Pledge will receive a wristband identifying them as a Sober Driver and 2 free tickets for non-alcoholic beverages such as Sharps , Soft Drinks or Bottle Water.

“Last year, we had over 2,000 people in the entertainment tent on Saturday.” said Fest Entertainment Chairperson, Andrea DiVecchio of Postnet Shorewood. ” We can’t wait to see the fun this year!”

Other activities Saturday include the Newsome 5K race at 8 a.m., bags tournament, dunk tank, carnival from noon to 11 p.m. (with wristband hours from 1 to 5 p.m.), and a collection of food vendors known as Eat Street.

There will be plenty to nosh on at Eat Street. Fest-goers will find treats like corn dogs, Italian beef, Dippin’ Dots, pizza, hamburgers, deep-fried hot dogs, pork chops, breaded steak sandwiches, smoothies, walking tacos and Cajun sausage. (Your cardiologist will be thrilled.)

Speaking of food, strap on the feedbag for Babe’s Jumbo Hot Dog eating contest at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Faber Dental Arts Pie eating contest at 3:30 p.m. Everyone who enters the hot dog eating contest gets a $5 gift card to Babe’s, and the winner gets a $50 Babe’s card. (Although it will probably be some time before they want to look at a hot dog.)

Children can enter the pie eating contest – there are age divisions for 5 and under, 6 to 10, 11 to 16, and 17 and over.

The fireworks show is at 9 p.m. sponsored by the Village of Shorewood. “ Putting on the Fest is a major undertaking” said Schmidt “ The Chamber could never put it together without the help of the Village and its staff. The fact that they then sponsor the fireworks every year shows how dedicated the Village is the Chamber and the community !”

Sunday, the parade is at noon, and the carnival opens at noon also. Wristband specials are from 1 to 5 p.m. The finale of the weekend is a concert line-up beginning at 4:00 that includes USO Show entertainment from the Legacy Girls and a stirring patriotic concert performance provided by The Bicentennial Pops Concert Band to close the Fest. “All veteran service members will be recognized in the audience” Schmidt said. “This year, our Hometown Heroes need to know that the community welcomes them home with open arms.”