Community Corner

What Will Become of Keepataw Days?

The non-profit organization responsible for Lemont's Keepataw Days Festival has said it can no longer fund the festival, leaving its future unclear.

The future of a 65-year Lemont tradition is unclear, as the non-profit group that runs Keepataw Days has said it can no longer fund the festival.

A drop in attendance in recent years and an overall lack of funding means the Keepataw Days group can no longer put on the festival, as Mayor Reaves announced at a Dec. 16 Village Board meeting.

"It breaks my heart to have to do it," said Wendy Peebles, one of the organizers. 

The festival was typically held over Labor Day weekend. Inclement weather in the most recent years impacted attendance, she said.  Other attempts to supplement funds brought in by the most recent festival—including an Infinity concert Dec. 13 and a family fun festival this summer—fell short. 

"We tried for three years," Peebles said, referring to the time since the Lemont Jaycees handed the festival over to them. "We tried to keep the dream alive, but we just can't do it."
 
Officials from the Village of Lemont, Lemont Park District and Lemont Township will discuss the future of the festival. 

"I know that this year, the first year we shut the doors, we're going to have the most beautiful four-day weekend," Peebles joked.

What do you think of the possible end of Keepataw Days? Tell us in the comments.


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