Things to do in the Sauk Valley: Sick the Magazine Car Show in Rock Falls on June 10

Here is a list of five upcoming things to do in the Sauk Valley:

1. The Dixon Municipal Band: will open its Summer Sounds 2024 series of Thursday evening concerts on Thursday, June 6, at the Page Park Band Shell under the direction of Jon James. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will open with “The Klaxon March and Overture For Winds.” Other selections on the program will be “Esprit March,” “Joy Revisited,” “Concerto For Madison Avenue And Band” and “Winds On The Run.” GG’s Ice Cream will be scooping up treats.

2. Bellson Music Festival in Rock Falls: The third annual Bellson Music Fest on Saturday, June 8, will commemorate the life of Rock Falls native Louie Bellson, who went on to become a nationally known jazz drummer. From 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., several bands, as well as former Journey drummer Steve Smith, will perform in RB&W District Park in Rock Falls. The event is free. The event will begin with a drum clinic hosted by Smith from 11 a.m. to noon at the McCormick Event Center in Rock Falls. Bands performing include The Jerry Criss Band, Yorkville Big Band, Rock River Jazz Band, Josh Duffee & His Orchestra and Steve Smith and Vital Information.

3. Sick the Magazine car show and block party in Rock Falls: Motion Raceworks’ Sick the Magazine is coming through Rock Falls on Monday, June 10, and Rock Falls is having a block party to welcome it. These are some of the world’s quickest street-legal cars, racing and cruising their way through the Midwest. These are drag-and-drive vehicles that will be racing at the Byron Dragway on Sunday, June 9, and Monday, June 10. After they are finished Monday in Byron, they will make their way to Rock Falls, where there will be a Sick Summer Rock Falls Block Party. According to event promotor Sick the Magazine, about 350 race vehicles and 200 “Sick Ward” cruisers will arrive in Rock Falls throughout the afternoon Monday, June 10, and stick around until 8 to 9 p.m. downtown. The community is invited to view the cars and talk with the drivers. The plan is for these cars to be parked in various parking lots around the downtown area. Visitors can watch Sick Summer entrants have some burnout fun in the parking lot across from the RB&W District off Avenue A. This will begin at 5 p.m. Note that the burnout fun is only for cars officially entered into the Sick Summer event. For information, call 815-622-1106 or email director@visitrockfalls.com.

4. Dixon Pride Fest: Organizers of the third annual Dixon Pride are preparing to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with thousands of people in a couple of weeks. Dixon Pride is scheduled for Saturday, June 15, at Page Park, at 1 Page Park Drive, Dixon. The festival starts at 2 p.m. and activities will go on until 10 p.m. Dixon Pride is organized by Sauk Valley Pride, a nonprofit organization formed in 2022 after the city’s inaugural event. Activities scheduled at Dixon Pride include music by DJ Wayne from 2 to 3 p.m. and by the rock band Invisible Cartoons from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There will be two drag shows – one from 3 to 5 p.m., another from 8 to 10 p.m. The later show will feature a special guest from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” About 100 vendors, including 13 food vendors, will be around the event space. Vendors include merchants and nonprofits. Admission to Dixon Pride is $5; children 12 and younger get in free.

5. The 60th annual Dixon Petunia Festival will be July 3 to 7 and will feature many family-friendly events. A cruise-in style car show, sponsored by Ken Nelson Auto Group, will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 5, in John Dixon Park. Early registration entry fee is $25. Early-bird registration ends June 30. The entry fee will be $30 the day of show. Capacity is limited to 120 entries. Cars and motorcycles will be allowed. To sign up for the show, go to petuniafestival.org/2020/05/05/cruise-in-style-car-show. A bags tournament will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 6, and bingo play begins at noon Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 4, 5 and 6, at the Dixon Elks Lodge, which will open its doors at 10 a.m. each day. The carnival will be set up on Lincoln Statue Drive between Dixon High School and the riverfront. Carnival wristbands will cost $35 and are available each day from open to close. The cost for individual ride tickets will be one for $1, 21 for $20 and 44 for $40. Vouchers for daily wristbands will be available at a discount before the festival for $30 at the Petunia Festival headquarters office during its hours of operation in June. There is no cost to walk through the carnival. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 7, at St. Mary’s Catholic School, proceed north on Peoria Avenue and end at Dixon High School. Fireworks will start at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 7, over the Rock River.