Kankakee Times

Rep. Jackie Haas encouraged people to attend the 2024 Bourbonnais Friendship Festival, stating that the event, which starts tomorrow, "honors our local heroes and is filled with family-friendly activities for all ages." She made the statement in a June 25 Facebook post.

"The 2024 Bourbonnais Friendship Festival begins tomorrow at 5:00 PM," said Haas, State Representative, according to Facebook. "This annual event honors our local heroes and is filled with family-friendly activities for all ages."

In her Facebook post, Haas shared a link to the schedule page for the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival, which explained each day’s events. The festival runs from Wednesday, June 26 through Sunday, June 30, with a variety of events. According to the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival schedule webpage, there will be a beer garden and live music each day of the festival.

Screenshot of Rep. Jackie Haas' June 25 Facebook post | Rep. Jackie Haas' Facebook page

The carnival opens on Wednesday at 5 p.m., followed by opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. Music will be performed from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the main stage, and Meineke’s Beer Garden will be open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On Friday, June 28, starting at 11 a.m., the Firefighters’ Fish Fry will take place in the pavilion. The Meineke Beer Garden opens at noon, and the carnival opens at 5 p.m. The Children’s Parade is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with fireworks starting at 9 p.m.

Saturday is Armed Forces Day. The Kankakee River Running Club's 5K run/walk begins at 7:30 a.m., followed by the Cane Pole Fishing Derby in the Municipal Center Pond. A Veterans’ luncheon starts at 11 a.m., and music begins at 1 p.m.

The event wraps up on Sunday with the carnival opening at noon and the grand parade starting at 1 p.m.

According to the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival website, there are scholarships tied to the event and various contests – including Battle of the Bands, sports contests, and the Royal Court contest which selects Miss Friendship, Mister Friendship, and the 2024 Princess and Prince.

Rep. Jackie Haas was elected to represent Illinois’ 79th House District in December 2020. She is CEO of the Helen Wheeler Center for Community Health; she was previously a social worker at Riverside Medical Center and holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Valparaiso University as well as a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois-Chicago.