Things To Do This Weekend August 28-31, 2026

By: Stephanie Wylie 08/25/2026

Summer doesn't so much end in Lake County as it detonates — with drones lighting up the sky, artists lining the streets and a poker room dealing out five-figure weekends. The last Saturday of August brings five very different ways to send off the season, from a lakeside ski show  to a three-day festival devoted to corn. Whether the plan is art, adrenaline or elote smothered in cotija, here's where to be this weekend August 28-31, 2026!

1. Venetian Night at Lakefront Park in Fox Lake

At 9:30 p.m., the sky over Nippersink Lake puts on a show that makes the whole summer feel like it was building to this. Fox Lake's Venetian Night is an end-of-summer celebration that uses the Chain O'Lakes as its backdrop and one of Illinois's largest drone light shows as its finale. The afternoon starts with a boat show, vendors, food trucks, a beer tent and live music. A wine and beer tasting is available for $45. When darkness settles over the lake, the drone show launches — visible from both Lakefront Park and the boats anchored at Nippersink Lake as the view from the water is just as good as the view from shore. View the details at PromoteFoxLake.org.

Saturday, August 29; 3 to 10 p.m. Free admission. Lakefront Park, 10 Riverview Ave., Fox Lake. 

2. Elote Festival in Round Lake Beach

There are festivals built around music. Festivals built around art. And then there is Elote Fest, which is built around corn, and entirely serious about it. Elote Fest takes over the Cultural and Civic Center of Round Lake Beach with the three-day festival combining live music, food, drinks, local vendors and a classic carnival with a drone light show and myriad corn preparations available for consumption. A pageant rounds out the weekend's programming. The full live music schedule, food and drink lineup and drone show details are at RLBCivicCenter.com.

Friday-Sunday, August 28-30; Fri.: 5 to 11 p.m. and Sat.: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free entry. Cultural and Civic Center of Round Lake Beach, 2007 Civic Center Way, Round Lake Beach. 

3. Port Clinton Art Festival in Highland Park

Two hundred artists. Thousands of works. A great reason to spend a late-summer weekend outdoors. The Port Clinton Art Festival celebrates its 43rd year in Highland Park with a nationally-ranked outdoor showcase featuring painters, sculptors and mixed-media artists from across the country. The Kids Art Zone gives younger visitors their own corner of the festival, with art bingo, spin art, sand sculpting, coloring, drawing and painting classes. Live art demo stations and a kid-friendly art tent let families interact directly with artists and watch the creative process in real time. Food and drink vendors are available with cold beer, specialty coffee, barbecue, Mexican food and Italian ice, making it easy to stay longer and enjoy the festival. For more information, visit PortClintonArtFestival.com.

Saturday-Sunday, August 29-30; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission. Port Clinton Square, 600 Central Ave., Highland Park. 

4. Saturday Poker Tournament at American Place Casino in Waukegan

For players who like their summer weekends with a little more at stake, American Place Casino invites them to visit the Harbor Poker Room for its Saturday poker tournament. The $300 buy-in, paid in live casino chips at the Harbor Poker Room, breaks down to $250 toward the prize pool, $35 in house fees and $15 in staffing fees. Each tournament runs in a no-limit Texas Hold'em format with a big blind ante system, 20-minute levels and a 15-minute break every six levels. Winners receive between $300 and $5,250 in live casino chips depending on final placement and total entries. Visit AmericanPlace.com to plan your entry.

Saturday, August 29; Registration begins at 10 a.m. First Tournament begins at noon. Participants must be American Place (AP) Rewards members and 21 or older. Harbor Poker Room, American Place Casino, 4011 Fountain Square Place, Waukegan. 

5. Lake Fest at The Landings in Mundelein

Experience a water ski show, a lakefront view and live music on a Saturday afternoon. Mundelein Park and Recreation District invites the community to the free Lake Fest featuring the Wonder Lake Ski Team takes to Diamond Lake for a performance with jumps, tricks and synchronized routines. From there, local band Five Rounds follows, providing a rock soundtrack for the evening. Free kids crafts and activities run throughout the day. Food is available from Prime Beef Ltd. and Buenos Dias, while food and adult beverage service from The Landing runs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Details are at MundeleinParks.org. 

Saturday, August 29; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission. The Landing on Diamond Lake, 1016 N. Diamond Lake Rd., Mundelein. 

For more things to do this weekend August 28-31, continue here. To learn more about Lake County Road Trips, click here.