Summer Sunset Festival in Lake in the Hills locks in contract for rides as costs ‘drastically’ increase

After some back-and-forth with St. Charles-based carnival vendor Windy City Amusements over the terms of a new contract, Lake in the Hills approved a contract with the company for carnival rides at this year’s Summer Sunset Festival.

Lake in the Hills Village President Ray Bogdanowski said last week that the vendor has been loyal to the village, and the village had never had issues with Windy City.

Much of the negotiations was over the revenue-sharing split, but the Village Board approved the one-year contract this month.

Lake in the Hills documents indicate that the revenue-sharing split for the village in 2022 was 38.5% of gross revenue up to $72,500 and 45.5% of anything more than $72,500.

That changed in 2023 to 38% of ride grosses up to $100,000 and 40% of anything more than that.

The 2024 split will be the same as the 2023 split, which also was a one-year contract.

Windy City Amusements released a statement in response to a Northwest Herald inquiry about the negotiations, saying: “Since the pandemic, our costs have increased drastically from the cost of labor to insurance and diesel fuel. Rather than passing the increased cost onto our customers through higher ticket and wristband prices, our hope is to work with the village of Lake in the Hills on a new contract that better reflects the economic environment that we are in.

“Doing so would help us absorb higher expenses, invest in new attractions, and continue to maintain our equipment at the high level our customers expect without the need to increase prices at the ticket box.”

The statement also said: “We have worked with the village of Lake in the Hills since the inception of [the] Summer Sunset Festival in 2001 and hope to continue our long-standing relationship with the village.”

The festival is planned from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.