Activities
Buffalo Grove Days isn't just music and carnival rides. We have plenty of fun activities planned for the weekend!
Rotary Bingo
Thursday
6:30 pm
Join the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove for their annual Bingo night at Buffalo Grove Days. This event will take place under the brand-new pavilion at the center of the festival grounds. Doors will open at 5:30 pm; the first game will begin at 6:30 p.m. There will be a total of 10 games, with a prize purse of $1,600. Bingo books at the door are $5 or 5 for $20. For more information, contact Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove Bingo Chair Jason Davis.
Community Blood Drive
Saturday
Sunday
8 am - 1 pm
12 pm - 4 pm
Give blood to those in need at the Community Blood Drive, sponsored by Vitalant, on Saturday, August 31 from 8 am until 1 pm at the Alcott Center, located at 530 Bernard Drive and Sunday, September 1 at Mike Rylko Community Park near the Fitness Center.
Your blood donation can help not only those experiencing trauma situations, but also cancer treatments and burn victims. The entire blood donation process is very safe and very fast. You can walk away knowing that your blood may help save lives!
Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended. Make an appointment to donate here. If you cannot make the blood drive event, you still have the option of donating another time at a blood donation center.
Meet Me On Main Street
Business & Craft Fair
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
While you're here, visit with a variety of local businesses and crafters, that will be selling a variety of fun and interesting items. This part of the festival is being presented by the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce. For information on being a vendor, please click on this link.
11 am - 7 pm
11 am - 7 pm
12 - 4 pm
Dog Show
Saturday
10:45 am
Dogs and their owners are invited to join us and have the best dog gone fun you can imagine at the Park District's annual Dog Show for all Buffalo Grove dogs. All amateur dogs can enter events such as best costume, biggest or smallest dog, best groomed, best trick, best treat-catcher, best tunnel-run, and waggiest tail. Prizes and raffles are included. No advanced registration is needed. Free for all dogs and owners. This event will take place at Mike Rylko Community Park near the pickleball courts. For more information, contact Debbie Fandrei at 847.850.2148 or dfandrei@bgparks.org.
Children's Entertainment
Saturday
12 - 3 pm
We have a wide variety of children's entertainment planned for Buffalo Grove Days. Below is a schedule of the different activities and performances.
Buffalo Grove Police Department K9 Demo
12 - 12:30 pm​
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Magic Show
12:30 - 1 pm​​
Big Deal Highlights Show
1 - 1:45 pm
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Face Painting
1 - 3 pm
Animal Petting Zoo
2 - 3 pm
Live Screen Printing
Saturday 2 - 8 pm (or until supplies last)
BG’s new community brand is making its way into BG Days with a Live Screen Printing activity on Saturday. You can bring your own shirt or tote bag to have it stamped in one of four Buffalo Grove Smart. With Heart. designs (one stamp per person). The prints will be single-color white ink, so any color or darker shade garment will really make it pop!
Don’t have your own item to stamp? No problem – we will have t-shirts and totes for sale on site, with proceeds going to support the Buffalo Grove Community Foundation: $10 a shirt or $5 a tote.
These items are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event starts at 2 pm and will run until 8 pm or until the maximum number of garments are stamped (up to 360 items printed). Why is there a maximum? There is one screen printing machine, and it can only print so many items per hour. We will keep it printing as quickly as possible! Find this activity next to the information booth.
Buddy Baseball All-Star Game
Saturday
4:30 - 7 pm
The Buddy Baseball All-Star Game is a Rick Kahen Commission for Residents with Disabilities event that includes 50 - 60 players and buddies. It will take place on Kendrigan Field at Rick Drazner Park, located at 401 Aptakisic Road on Saturday from 4:30 - 7 pm. The game will begin at 5 pm (players and buddies should arrive at 4:30 pm).
If we get rained out, the game will be rescheduled to the following day, Sunday, at 5 pm.
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If you would like to participate as a buddy or player, submit an online application. For more information, contact Tyler Ankney at tankney@vbg.org.
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Parking Information
The parking lot at Rick Drazner Park will be for players and those with handicapped parking placards only. Parking for all buddies and spectators will be on Bordeaux Court East and Bordeaux Court West, which is the first street on Brandywyn Lane (heading south) located West of the park. There will be signage directing people to Bordeaux Court East and West, and a clearly marked walking path to the field.
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Thank you to our in-kind sponsors: Lou Malnati's, Walgreens (Lake Cook & Buffalo Grove Road), Jimmy John's (Lake Cook Road), Jacobs & Newmark, CPAs and Brad Robinson of Beardley Design.
Parade
Sunday
12 pm
The Buffalo Grove Days Parade is set to return Sunday, September 1 at noon. This year's route will head south on Buffalo Grove Road (from Thompson), west on Deerfield Parkway, ending at Mike Rylko Community Park where the rest of the BG Days activities are held. Come out and see your favorite local businesses, organizations and groups plus plenty of entertainment!
Puzzle Palooza
Sunday
3:30 - 5 pm
Come join us for our BG Days Puzzle Palooza Tournament! Teams of up to 3 people will compete to finish a 300 piece puzzle. Each team will have 90 minutes to complete the puzzle, and the team that finishes the fastest wins a prize. All teams will get to keep their puzzle. Don't miss out on the fun! The fee is $30 per team; one member registers and gives the names of their teammates. This program will take place under the new pavilion near the amphitheater. Join the teen group (ages 13-17) or the adult group (18 years and up). Register at bgparks.org.
Bags Tournament
Sunday
3:30 - 5 pm
Come join us for our BG Days Bags Tournament! This one-day event guarantees you 2 friendly games, followed by a randomly-seeded single elimination tournament where one team will be crowned champions! Each team will receive 2 drink tickets with their registration. Don't miss out on the fun! For more information contact Jimmy Mix at 847.353.7529 or jmix@bgparks.org.
Rotary Duck Race
Sunday
5:15 pm
Join the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove for their annual Duck Race fundraiser at Buffalo Grove Days. This year's race will be broadcast live on the Buffalo Grove Rotary Facebook Page on Sunday evening, with race results posted on the Buffalo Grove Rotary website on Monday, September 2.
Fun & Food
Monday
10 am - 12 pm
Every year, the Rick Kahen Commission for Residents with Disabilities team up with other BG Days volunteers to present this special program for people with disabilities and their immediate families (living in the same household) to enjoy the fun of the festival. The event takes place in the carnival area. This year, we will be providing a complimentary sack lunch, with the option for people to stay and eat in the tent or surrounding picnic tables. Carnival food and food truck food will also be available for purchase, if desired. Registration is limited to the first 400 who sign up. Pre-registration is highly encouraged; space and food is not guaranteed to walk-ins.
​Thank you to our in-kind sponsors - Keynote Consulting, Inc, Kona Ice, North American Midway Entertainment, McDonalds (Route 83 & Arlington Heights Road), Walgreens (Northeast Corner of Lake Cook Road & Buffalo Grove Road).
Festival Map
Location
Get to know your way around the fest!
Mike Rylko Community Park
951 McHenry Road
Buffalo Grove