Crystal Lake, Illinois – May 14, 2020 The Dole’s Board of Directors has announced the postponement of the 2020 Lakeside Festival to a date in September or early October. This decision was reach after reviewing the Governor’s guidelines. The Festival planning committee receives regular updates and information from local and state authorities for future scenarios to ensure the early and thorough addressing of all health and safety concerns regarding a large-scale public outdoor event.
“We are obviously very disappointed to announce the postponement of the 2020 Lakeside Festival. As much as we were looking forward to this fun family event, we must remain vigilant and focused on the safety and well-being of our community and take measures to reduce the spread of this pandemic,” said Fest
Co-Chair Ron Russell. “I look forward to a time we can come together as a community again and celebrate. Check our website www.thedole.org for updates.”
The annual Lakeside Festival is The Dole’s biggest fundraiser of the year. All proceeds from the festival help support the preservation of the 155-year-old historic Dole Mansion as well as support ongoing community events and programming that influence the way people experience the arts in McHenry County.
“Given the fact that our event gathers nearly 50,000 patrons and we have hundreds of volunteers and production staff, it’s absolutely the right thing to do. Postponing the event is the right thing to do in the interest of public health. We will continue to monitor the situation and hope for an opportunity to host a community-wide event in a few months. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding.” Nancy Merkling and Janet Kay, Co-Executive Directors of The Dole.
The Dole would like to thank the City of Crystal Lake and all our supporters, sponsors, donors, and volunteers. Your continued support is what makes the Lakeside Festival a huge success year after year.
Lakeside Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Our continuing vision is to provide and foster innovative arts education and provide a community destination that enriches the lives of those we serve. Lakeside Legacy Foundation’s year-round programs include: 4th Fridays Art Event, live musical performances in ‘the Listening Room’, LATE NIGHT at the Dole, Community Art Events, youth culinary arts programming, and much more.