Last Blast of Summer Bucketlist: Music Festivals, Food Trucks, Beach Days, Movies

Aug 6, 2025

Don’t have time to plan a whole entire getaway before the school year kickoff? Not enough time to embark on a lengthy road trip before going back to college? The stress is real, but we’ve got good news for you! Just because summer is almost over for many of us doesn’t mean we can’t live life to the fullest. Today’s blog is a last blast of summer fun bucket-list that offers easy to access entertainment, outdoor activities, and fun to make the most of those last few days or weeks of summer break. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s jampack as much fun as we can over the next coming days and end the vacation season with a bang!

Enjoy the fresh air and summer sun with some good eats and good friends at a Food Truck Event! The Lake County area is offering multiple weekly food truck and food events with many running through the end of August and beginning of September.

Phase Three Brewing Co Beer Dinner at Wildfire on August 7th
Little Bear Ribfest is happening in Vernon Hills August 15th and 16th
MainStreet Libertyville’s Lunch in the Park runs through August 15th
Food Truck Wednesdays in Deerfield runs through August 20th
Food Truck Thursdays in Lincolnshire runs through September 13th
Food Truck Series at Deer Park Town Center runs through September 13th
Ravinia District Food Truck Thursdays in Highland Park runs through September 18th
Hawthorn Summer Market at Hawthorn Row runs through September 20th
2nd Thursday Nite Bites in North Chicago runs through October 9th

Rev those engines and get your adrenaline pumping because there are plenty of exciting car shows left to round out the summer months! Sign your vintage or custom car up to participate or just head on over to appreciate the antiques and collectibles.

Wounded Warrior Project Benefit Car Show in Waukegan August 17th
Vintage Car Show at The Lot in Highland Park on September 6th
Park on Park Cruise Night in Mundelein runs through September 10th
The 2nd Annual Lake Andrea Car Show in Pleasant Prairie on September 13th
Wauconda Cruise Nights run through September 16th
CarFun on 31 in Libertyville runs through September 17th

Catch some live music and an outdoor summer concert series and spend the day bonding with friends over some great tunes. We’ve rounded up a fantastic assortment of festivals and music performances that are running through the end of August and into early September.

Latin Music Festival in Waukegan at Bass Station August 9th and 10th
Brothers’ Field in Long Grove is hosting Havana Nights on August 9th, and Country Fest on August 23rd and 24th
Music by the Lake at Grandwood Park in Gurnee runs through August 10th
Elmstock: The Summer Celebration on August 13th
It’s Thursday Concert Series in Antioch runs through August 14th
Sounds of Summer at Viking Park in Gurnee runs through August 14th
Hawthorn Woods is hosting Concerts in the Park August 8th and 15th
Free concerts in the Park Series in Mundelein runs through August 17th
Live Music in the Parks Lindenhurst/Lake Villa runs through August 27th
Fox Lake Friday Night Live: Artisan Market & Concert Series runs through August 29th
Ravinia Festival 2025 Season has outdoor performances scheduled through August 31st

…and many more!

Have a picnic with pals and catch a movie in the park at dark! These outdoor movie screenings are a unique spin to watch a movie in a new setting and enjoy some fresh air.

Vernon Parks District is hosting “Wonka” on August 22nd
Movies in the Park Waukegan is hosting “Garfield” on August 8th and “Inside Out 2” on August 16th
Movies Off Center at Grayslake Heritage Center runs through August 8th
Outdoor Movie Nights at Deer Park Town Center run through September 5th

Head out for a day trip at the beach! These beaches are just a short drive away from our home base here in Waukegan for a short summer day-cation away from it all.