2026 Festival Schedule
78th Annual Kirkland Lions Club Fourth of July Celebration
📍 Franklin Township Park, Kirkland, IL — 1 block south of Illinois Route 72 💵 Cash preferred · 🐾 No pets — service animals only
THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2026
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Open for the Day — Food Stand, Rides & Vendors |
| 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Bingo (West Shelter House) |
| 5:00 pm – 10:30 pm | Beer Tent Open |
| 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm | iPop Band (Large Stage) |
| 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Wristband Night for Carnival Rides ($25) |
| 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Hillbilly Rockstarz (Large Stage) |
Small Stage — Thursday
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Ethan Larson Music |
| 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm | Tug of War by Kirkland Lions: Round #1 |
| 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Chicks with Picks Trio |
FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2026
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 10:00 am – 2:00 pm | Bags Tournament — 32-Team Double Elimination, $20/team. Sign-up 9:00 am. Rain or Shine! In-person only. |
| 10:00 am – 11:00 pm | Beer Tent, Food Stand & Vendors Open |
| 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Carnival and Rides Open |
| 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Bingo (West Shelter House) |
| 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm | Six Pack Band (Large Stage) |
| 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Abbynormal (Large Stage) |
| 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm | Back Country Roads (Large Stage) |
Small Stage — Friday
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Standard Strings |
| 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | Blind Eye Willis |
| 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm | Pie Eating Contest by Kirkland Lions Club |
| 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm | Road to Roam |
| 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Lip Sync Battle by Kirkland Lions Club |
| 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Tug of War by Kirkland Lions: Round #2 |
| 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm | The Knockoffs |
SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2026
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00 am – 10:00 am | Kirkland United Methodist Church Breakfast (Free-will Offering) |
| 11:00 am | PARADE — Pre-registration coming soon! Watch Facebook for updates. |
| 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Open for the Day — Beer Tent, Food Stand, Rides & Vendors |
| 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Bingo (West Shelter House) |
| 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | Back Forward Band (Large Stage) |
| 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm | The Beaux Band (Large Stage) |
| 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Hi Infidelity (Large Stage) |
| Nightfall (~9:15 pm) | 🎆 FIREWORKS — One of Northern Illinois' Best Firework Shows! |
Small Stage — Saturday
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm | Kirkland Rec League Recognitions |
| 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm | Matt Jaye Music |
| 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm | Watermelon Eating Contest by Kirkland Lions |
| 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Dad Bod Pageant by Kirkland Lions Club |
| 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm | Wildwood Country |
| 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm | Tug of War by Kirkland Lions: Finals |
| 7:30 pm – 9:15 pm | Minor Damage |
| Nightfall (~9:15 pm) | 🎆 FIREWORKS! |
50/50 Raffle tickets available from any Lions Club member throughout the festival. Last year's winner received $5,600! All proceeds support community and charitable programs.