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Libertyville’s Out to Lunch tradition ‘makes everybody feel good’
Peter Brush of Libertyville performs at Out to Lunch as part of Sage Brush on Friday, August 3rd. Each Friday during the summer, Libertyville hosts Main Street Out to Lunch in Cook Memorial Park which has food vendors and live music. | Alyssa Schueneman~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: August 10, 2012 10:44AM
LIBERTYVILLE -- Relaxing in Cook Park with good food and music is a way many residents enjoy spending a Friday afternoon at MainStreet Libertyville’s annual Out to Lunch summer program.
Out to Lunch has been a summer tradition in downtown Libertyville for many years. On Fridays over the lunch hour between late June and August, residents bring out lawn chairs and blankets to listen to listen to music from local bands and enjoy food with their families.
“We have a nice variety of music,” said Jack Holland, manager for this summer’s Out to Lunch. “It’s usually local music, local bands. We have rock music, we have folk music, we have pop. We always have downtown businesses that help us out.”
Holland said he’s been coming out to Out to Lunch since he was a kid and it’s a tradition for many Libertyville families.
“It’s a great time for families,” he said. “Little kids like to play in the park. There’s food. It’s fun.”
Megan Hanlon of Libertyville attended last Friday’s Out to Lunch event with daughter Lindsey Atkinson of Grayslake and her two grandchildren, Wyatt, 3 and Chance 1.
‘Hometown feeling’
“My brother-in-law was big into MainStreet so it’s kind of a family tradition,” said Hanlon.
“I like the hometown feeling, seeing old friends and meeting new friends,” she said. “Everybody likes to be in the park listening to music. It makes everybody feel good about being part of the community.”
Joy Morgan of Libertyville brought her daughters Danielle, 6, and Emilee, 3, to Out to Lunch last Friday, enjoying burgers and ice cream while listening to the band “Sagebrush.” Like her friend Hanlon, she is a regular attendee to Out to Lunch.
“I love it,” she said. “You get to see a lot of people you know. It’s a good tradition for your kids too.”
Residents can purchase food from eight local food vendors set up in the park for the event.
Eddie Moore, owner of Main Street Smokehouse in Libertyville, said this is the third year the restaurant has had a booth at Out to Lunch. The restaurant sells pulled pork sandwiches with cole slaw and fried onions during the event.
Moore said the hot weather has kept crowds down somewhat this year. “I think the heat has been an issue this summer,” he said.
Overall, however, he thinks having a booth at Out to Lunch has been great exposure for their business.
“We see some of our regular customers and meet new customers,” said Moore. “We have people that look forward to getting the pulled pork sandwich every Friday.”
Out to Lunch runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. There are two more Out to Lunch events this summer on Aug. 10 and Aug. 17. For more information, visit MainStreet Libertyville’s website at www.mainstreetlibertyville.org.
