We know it’s a 24-7 world these days, but we all need to decompress sometime, and Sundays in Long Grove are a great way to go about it. Start the morning with a meandering visit to the Long Grove Farmer’s Market. We love our Farmer’s Market! It’s consistent and there is always a new personal favorite waiting to be discovered. Plus, finish that and find yourself in a perfect position to stroll through Long Grove and see what’s happening—a lot!

Throughout each summer since 2006, the village has been graced with the Free Summer Concert Series on Sunday afternoons, sponsored by the Long Grove Arts & Music Council. These concerts have a relaxed, lazy day feel to them. Couples, families and absolutely anyone who enjoys good music are welcome to attend: bring chairs, blankets and refreshments and enjoy the music of artists from far and wide.

The program is diverse in terms of the types of music featured, but we’re not talking cover bands; rather, outstanding, Grammy Award-nominated and -winning talent from across the United States. “Every year it grows bigger and stronger,” says Village President Rachel Perkal. “The [Free Summer Concert Series] is a truly unique way to experience music.

“It’s got all the charm and quality of an outdoor venue such as the Ravinia Festival, and has this unbelievable vibe to it from the standpoint that people show up with their blankets, chairs, and what not, and know they are in for two solid hours of really outstanding music.”

UPCOMING FREE SUMMER CONCERTS
August 12, 2012 The Special Consensus brings spot-on bluegrass music to Long Grove with boundless energy and respect for this unique, historic form of American roots music.	August 19, 2012 Krista Detor comes to our stage in Long Grove via one of the most consistently popular entertainers at the Summer Concert Series, Carrie Newcomer. Detor has toured the world, been featured on NPR, the BBC and many other outlets. Now, see her for yourself!	August 26, 2012 Join us for Long Grove Day & The Best of Beans & Leaves, featuring our own Reid Olson and a host of other terrific performers who play at the greatest coffee house in Lake County!

Like we mentioned earlier, feel free to bring refreshments. We will be offering iced tea and lemonade from Beans & Leaves Coffee & Tea Cafe. Also offered: loaves of “friendship bread” baked by a local resident, Jane; she produces a unique flavor for each show! A full 100-percent of proceeds from refreshment sales are donated to the Long Grove Arts & Music Council.

If that’s not enough reason to attend one of our remaining shows in 2012, here’s the last word from Perkal: “The larger festivals that go on here, the streets are lined with food vendors and there are all sorts of activities and they’re generally a really good time, but it’s a street festival,” she says. “This is softer, intimate, laid-back, and always just seems like a wonderful thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.

“You kind of breathe deeper, feel the air and the gardens and enjoy what I think is the prettiest spot in Long Grove, Fountain Square. The parking is free, you don’t have to push and shove your way through a crowd. You can just come and set yourself up and know you’re going to have two hours of relaxing, good time.

“If you want to come out early and wander the shops, you’re not fighting the crowds to do so,” she continues. “You get the attention of the folks in the stores—the kind of hospitality people want from Long Grove, [people] like about Long Grove, and that sometimes, in the crush of a festival, is hard to find.”

Also, don’t forget: after you’re done with the concert, there are wonderful restaurant to choose from for dinner and you won’t even have to move your car, just stroll over to The Peppermint Stick, Long Grove Cafe, The Village Tavern, The Cedar Grill, or Enzo & Lucia’s! There’s lots to do in Long Grove; we hope you enjoy!

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