Boat festival returns to Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in Joliet

JOLIET – The turnout at River Fest might not have been as high as hosts expected, but those who showed up were happy to be there.

River Fest on Saturday was the second of the events returned to Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in what it is a comeback year for the park as the city and staff try to restore the festive atmosphere from before the recession.

“It’s cozy, and it’s nice,” Brian Niedermeyer of Joliet said.

He was tending to about a dozen children who liked seeing the boats, and he looked forward to the fireworks show later.

Boats were decorated with lights, adding to the atmosphere at the park along the Des Plaines River across from downtown Joliet.

“We used to go to Venetian Night all the time,” said Niedermeyer, who moved from Cicero to Joliet five years ago.

River Fest is a smaller version of Venetian Night, the annual boat festival at Navy Pier in Chicago.

It also is similar to Waterway Daze, the three-day Joliet boat festival that used to run until 2007 because of recession budget cuts.

River Fest is the first return to a boat festival at Bicentennial Park. On July 2, the park brought back an Independence Day holiday fireworks show.

Ernie Kathen of Crest Hill had his boat at the last Waterway Daze, when his boat was knocked by a barge while he was sleeping.

Kathen remembers boats lined up along the park two, three or four wide at times.

“We’d have over 100 boats here,” he said.

“We used to come down on Sundays and spend the whole week here,” Kathen said.

Some boat parties at Bicentennial Park date back to the early 1980s, he said. He said he was happy to see the event brought back.

Even Stevnique Curry of Joliet, who said she had no interest in boarding any of the boats because of a fear of water, liked the event.

“I think it’s a really great time – nice food, everybody’s together, no drama,” Curry said. “My sister went on one of the boats. They actually let her get on. It was like a house inside.”

About 35 boats were at River Fest on Saturday.

“ ... Which is pretty good considering it’s the first year of bringing it back,” said Ericka Phillips, vice commodore of the Illinois Cruisers Yacht Club based at the Big Basin Marina in Channahon.

Her club was one of three that helped to organize River Fest and bring boats.

The others are the Joliet Yachting Club and Three Rivers Yacht Club.

Many of the boaters at River Fest had never been to Waterway Daze, Phillips said.

“If tonight’s a success, I think we’ll get a little better turnout for next year, and we’ll bring it back,” she said.

The turnout Saturday was not likely to motivate a return to the three-day festivities of Waterway Daze, which had included a boat parade and even boat races in some years.

Jerry Johandes, commodore of the Joliet Yachting Club, said that Waterway Daze “was a little long. I think shorter is a little better.”

Hot, sticky weather blanketed much of the afternoon, and a severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for most of the event.

A storm eventually rumbled into town as the night drew closer.

Park Manager Lori Carmine said that the event will be reviewed later to determine if it will return next year. "

A lot of people are really happy that it’s back,” Carmine said. “The boaters are especially happy.”

Karen and Donnie McElrath of Joliet both said they were happy to relax in lawn chairs along the river walk while talking with passersby.

“It’s much better than having to drive to Chicago,” Karen said. “You have something in your own town that you can enjoy.”