Festival Info
Everything you need to know before you go
The Basics
📍 Location: Franklin Township Park, Kirkland, IL 60146 — 1 block south of Illinois Route 72 📅 Dates: Thursday, July 2 – Saturday, July 4, 2026 🎟 General Admission: Free 💵 Cash preferred throughout the festival 🐾 No pets allowed — service animals only
The Parade
The annual Independence Day Parade steps off at 11:00 am on Saturday, July 4.
Pre-registration information coming soon! Check back here or follow us on Facebook for updates.
Festival History
The Kirkland Lions Club 4th of July Celebration has been a cornerstone of Northern Illinois community life since 1948 — making 2026 the 78th Annual celebration. What began as a small-town summer tradition has grown into one of the region's most beloved Independence Day festivals, drawing families and visitors from across the area each year.
The fireworks show has earned regional recognition, ranking #4 in the state of Illinois in 2018 and #7 in 2015. Today it remains one of Northern Illinois' best and biggest.
The festival is the Lions Club's primary annual fundraiser, supporting dozens of local and regional causes year-round.
Queen Contest History
The Kirkland 4th of July Queen Contest began in 1952, when one Lions Club served Kirkland, Fairdale, and Monroe Center. What started as a ticket-fundraiser vote evolved over the decades into a community panel judging process, selecting queens based on personality, poise, and community participation.
Past Queens
| Year | Queen |
|---|---|
| 1952 | Ruth Silvanus Peterson |
| 1953 | Pat Berg & Joan Kirschner (Co-Queens) |
| 1954 | Bea Dundore Glawe |
| 1955 | Joan Hildeband Love |
| 1956 | Nancy Swanson Conro |
| 1957 | Mona Austin Beckstrom |
| 1958 | Sharon Luxton Molstad |
| 1959 | Bonnie Weeks Luxton |
| 1960 | Joy Ludwig Gullotta |
| 1961 | Mary Dickey Shott |
| 1962 | Nan Menz Saroff |
| 1963 | Noreen Holmes Prindiville |
| 1964 | Alice Montgomery Powell |
| 1965 | Loren Hoffman Roser |
| 1966 | Teresa (Punky) Bloom Moore |
| 1967 | Diana Poff Crawford |
| 1968 | Janet Tindall Peabody |
| 1969 | Carol Olson Williams |
| 1970 | Nancy Heggemeier VanPelt |
| 1971 | Valerie Koehler Norris |
| 1972 | Jane Park Vance |
| 1973 | Luan Huftalin Munch |
| 1974 | Vicky Rich Smith |
| 1975 | Sherl Thomas Decker |
| 1976 | Mary Molstad Fink |
| 1977 | Wendy Warren Lantz |
| 1978 | Judy Berg Zitkus |
| 1979 | Mary Rich Keilman Taylor |
| 1980 | Kerry Bunger Stott |
| 1981 | Allison Gallagher Rose |
| 1982 | Paula Plote Clark |
| 1983 | Jackie Willit McDowall |
| 1984 | Diana Colbert |
| 1985 | Jennifer Brennan |
| 1986 | Belinda Santos Fruit |
| 1987 | Shannon Johnson Ross |
| 1988 | Barb Smith Koehnke |
| 1989 | Tracy Thomas Stevens |
| 1990 | Julie Kitch Lehman |
| 1991 | Melissa Ellis Oblander |
| 1992 | Kara Kitch Stengren |
| 1993 | Dawn Worden Hainline |
| 1994 | Kathy Schreier Koester |
| 1995 | Julie Worden Lynch |
| 1996 | Natalie Needham |
| 1997 | Amee Winterrowd |
| 1998 | Julie Kaalaas |
| 1999 | Sarah Rehn |
| 2000 | Jayne Crosby |
| 2001 | Laura Lacefield Block |
| 2002 | Beth Prindiville Urso |
| 2003 | Chrissy Suhr |
| 2004 | Lauren Vicari |
| 2005 | Brittany Driscoll |
| 2006 | Stacey Dreska Weaver |
| 2007 | Britta Gissler Viterisi |
| 2008 | Grace Trujillo |
| 2009 | Abigail Ascencio |
| 2010 | Kendra Steinhorst |
| 2011 | Carlene Bachar |
| 2012 | Lauren Keneway |
| 2013 | Dani Clark |
| 2014 | Bianca Garcia |
| 2015 | Casey Martinez |
| 2016 | Katie Carlson |
| 2017 | Megan Exner |
| 2018 | Hana Warren |
| 2019 | Emma Carlson |
| 2020 | No Queen (COVID) |
| 2021 | Perla Gonzalez |
Are you a past contestant? We'd love to hear from you! Email: kirklandlionsclub@gmail.com
Volunteer with Us
Every year it takes hundreds of hours of planning and hands-on work to pull off the festival. We welcome individuals, teams, companies, and organizations who want to give their time in support of the community.