Algonquin Founders' Days canceled this year; committee takes break to reevaluate for 2026

The Algonquin Founders' Days celebration is put on hold this year, as the committee plans to “reimagine” the festival for 2026.

The Algonquin Founders’ Day Committee posted the announcement on Facebook and its website.

“This was not made lightly, but it’s not a step back — it’s a leap forward!“ the committee’s announcement said. ”This pause allows us to reimagine, rebuild and refocus on making Founders’ Day even better for years to come."

The festival, which started in 2004, traditionally takes place during the last full weekend of July and features a downtown parade, beer garden, food trucks, live bands, fireworks and kids games. The parade has been a celebration staple for the village for more than 60 years.

While the festival is on a hiatus, the committee plans to secure 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, raise funds for educational scholarships and reinvigorate the festival for “an even more exciting, family-friendly experience when it returns in 2026,” according to the announcement.

Committee members ask residents to help with the process by signing up to volunteer, share ideas and help the group achieve nonprofit status. Volunteer sign up can be found here: Bit.ly/VolunteerAlgonquinFoundersDay.

The Algonquin Founders' Day committee could not be reached for comment Monday.

The festival outgrew its former location at Towne Park, which at times would flood during the festival, and the event has been held in recent years at Spella Park. The committee also debuted a beer festival in the downtown area last year.

According to a comment made by the committee under the Facebook post, 2019 and 2021 were their “most successful” years since the 2012 flood at Towne Park.

“What we have noticed in the decline since 2019 was a lack of volunteers and sponsorship[s],” the committee said in the post. “This is, of course, with most nonprofits across the area.”

Founders' Days was last canceled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In McHenry, the local Rotary Club also announced it won’t hold its Bands, Brews and BBQ event his year, citing rising costs and dwindling attendance and revenue.

RiseUP, now named McHenry Music Festival, is another popular festival that took a similar strategy when organizers took a year off in 2023 to give volunteers a break. The festival returned last year and has announced some of its lineup for 2025; it’s been renamed the McHenry Music Festival.

Elsewhere in the Chicago region, organizers of Itasca’s Fourth of July fireworks show called off this year’s event.