August in the Stateline is the last month to check those items off your summer bucket list before school starts again! Whether your summer has been packed full of fun, or you’re finding some last-minute things to make it memorable, we’ve put together a bunch of fantastic events and exciting news for families in the Stateline.
Exciting News & Business Openings
- New ice cream shop in downtown Rockford! Minni’s Ice Cream Parlor is planning to open by the end of the summer across from BMO Center in downtown Rockford!
National Night Out
National Night Out is a block party hosted by local police departments throughout the country. This year’s National Night Outs are being held on Tuesday, August 1st, with Beloit doing theirs on August 2nd. These events are always free and typically offer food (hot dogs and chips are a popular option), bounce houses, giveaways, live music, and car shows. Find out about the one in your Stateline city or town here.
Family-Friendly Live Shows & Concerts
There are some fantastic family-friendly shows happening in the Stateline in August! Here’s a list of what you can go see!
- August 2-6: Cinderella at RVC Starlight Theatre
- August 3-6: Beauty and the Beast Jr. at Janesville Performing Arts Center
- August 26: *FREE* Kids Cinema Saturday: Turning Red at Coronado Performing Arts Center
Beloit Street Dance
Every year, the Downtown Beloit Association throws a massive fundraiser that allows people to dance in the streets to some fantastic local bands. This year, the party is happening on Friday, August 4th from 5:30 pm – 11 pm. The bands playing will be That Gurl and Mister Pink. Admission is $10 per person, kids 13 and under get in free. There will also be food vendors on site.
Women’s Baseball at Historic Beyer Field
For the first time ever, the USA Women’s National Baseball team will play a game at the historic Beyer Field (245 15th Ave.), home of the Rockford Peaches. The game will happen on Thursday, August 3rd at 5 pm. There is a block party happening at the field from 3 pm – 7 pm with food trucks, music, and games. This event is totally FREE! If you want to make a whole day of it, you can head to downtown Rockford from 12 pm – 4 pm to get a live Rockford Peaches print at Rockford Art Deli (402 E. State) and a peaches themed drink at Inzombia Coffee (306 E. State).
Festa Italiana
Everyone’s Italian for one weekend each summer! Festa Italiana is back from August 4-6 at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford. The festival offers entertainment, games, rides, and of course, tons of delicious food. Consider purchasing a family four pack which gives you admission for four, unlimited rides for two, and $20 worth of food tickets for only $90.
Pool Closings
August is the last month that area public pools are open! If you haven’t had a chance to go swimming this summer, make plans to do so before August 14-21. That’s when most of the area pools will be wrapping it up for the year.
815 Day (Rockford Day)
Rockford Day is an annual celebration of all things Rockford that takes place on August 15th each year. 8/15 for Rockford’s largest, and oldest, area code 815. This year, there are more events than usual happening in downtown Rockford throughout the day. We’ve also put together some bonus activities that you can do in Rockford to celebrate the city.
Fairs and Festivals
August is the month for fairs and festivals in the area including a couple of the biggest ones. McHenry County Fair is happening from August 1-6 in Woodstock, Illinois. The Ogle County Fair is happening from August 2-6 in Oregon, Illinois. Boone County Fair is happening from August 8-13 in Belvidere. The Winnebago County Fair wraps up the summer from August 16-20 in Pecatonica. More about these festivals and fairs here.
Beloit Dirty Dash
Let those kids get muddy! Beloit Dirty Dash is an annual kids mud run that takes place at Big Hill Park in Beloit, Wisconsin. This year, the event will be held on Saturday, August 19th at 9 am. Kids ages 4-18 are welcome to participate. You can sign up your kids here.
Rock River Anything That Floats Race
This event is back after a three year hiatus, and there’s still time to register a homemade raft to compete in the event. You must register your craft by August 14th here. If spectating is more your thing, you can watch the race on the Auburn Street Bridge, or along the river, on August 20th at 12 pm. There will also be a Release the Quackin’ event from 12 pm – 3 pm on the dock at Prairie Street Brewing Co. You can use a giant slingshot to fire rubber ducks at a floating target in the middle of the Rock River. If you hit the target, you win a prize. Ducks are $5 each or $20 for 5.
Free Garden Days
There are free and donation days happening at some of our local gardens this month.
August 17: Anderson Japanese Gardens
There are more donation days coming up this fall. You can check out a list here.
Get Outside and Play
Spend a sunny summer day at one of the Stateline’s local playgrounds. You can see a list of Playground Profiles organized by city here.
Have an awesome August!
