Top 10 Things To Do in August 2026

By: Stephanie Stang 07/31/2026

August marks the final stretch of summer, so soak it up in Lake County with these exciting activities and events. From lively festivals and outdoor concerts to family-friendly adventures and unique local experiences, this month offers something for everyone. Enjoy the great outdoors, dive into community celebrations and savor the season's last warm breezes. 

Lake County has an array of top-notch activities to make your August memorable. Here are the top ten things you won’t want to miss this month in Lake County!

1. Lake County Road Trips and Reel Lake County Challenge (Ongoing)

Lake County is inviting travelers to ditch the itinerary and hit the open road with "Road Trips," which charts five signature routes: Route 21 and 45, Illinois Route 83, Illinois Route 41 and U.S. Route 12. Each route strings together a different slice of the county's personality, from roller coasters and splash pads to quiet beaches along its 75 lakes, boutique-lined downtowns and local restaurants. Travelers who register for the Road Trips Giveaway are entered for a chance to win four tickets to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee. For those looking to do more than snap a picture, the “Reel Lake County Challenge” invites influencers, residents and visitors to submit short videos filmed at attractions, with entries due Sept. 7. The top video earns its choice of a $300 cash prize or an overnight stay at Great Wolf Lodge Illinois in Gurnee, while the runner-up claims whichever prize the winner passes up.

2. Summer in Waukegan (All Summer)

It is no wonder famed author Ray Bradbury drew inspiration from his Waukegan childhood to create his fictional Green Town, a place where wonder seemed to sprout overnight. That same alchemy is on full display each summer along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan. Downtown streets buzz with live music, inviting visitors to wander between eclectic mom-and-pop boutiques and distinct local eateries. From rich cultural offerings and vibrant public art to lazy beach days where the water meets the horizon, Waukegan balances urban energy with a laid-back coastal escape. Whether taking in a show or soaking up the sunshine, summer in Green Town is an invitation to slow down and find a little magic of your own.

3. AQUATIC CENTERS AND POOLS

Few sounds capture summer quite like splashing water and kids' laughter drifting across a hot afternoon. From Gurnee's Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center, with its seven waterslides and cascading waterfall, to the wave-making Tsunami Surge coaster at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago. Family-friendly favorites also make the list, including Grayslake's Esper A. Peterson Foundation Family Aquatic Center, with its in-pool climbing wall, and Vernon Hills' Turtle Creek Waterpark, home to a lazy river and 10,000-square-foot spray ground. Whether the goal is one last cannonball before fall or an all-day water park adventure, the guide offers a full slate of ways to cool off in the land of lakes this summer.

4. AUGUST FESTIVALS (ALL MONTH)

Lake County spends August squeezing out every last drop of summer. It's the region's last big push of festival season before fall settles in. Find your next outdoor festival:

• 97th Annual Lake County Fair (July 29 to Aug. 2) INFO»
• North Chicago Community Days (Aug. 1) INFO»
• National Night Out in Lake County (Aug. 4) INFO»
• Friday Night Live: Dog Days of Summer (Aug. 7) INFO»
• Live at the Lake in Lake Zurich (Aug. 8) INFO»
• Antique Firetruck Show at Tighthead Brewing Co. (Aug. 8) INFO»
• Fox Lake Cardboard Boat Race (Aug. 8) INFO»
• Gurnee Days (Aug. 7-9) INFO»
• Garlic Fest in Highwood (Aug. 6, 27) INFO»
• 15th ANnual Little Bear Ribfest in Vernon Hills (Aug. 14-15) INFO»
• Afrofest at Greenbelt Cultural Center (Aug. 15) INFO»
• Grayslake Summerfest (Aug. 15) INFO»
• Zinnia and Monarch Festival and Bees Too in Zion (Aug. 15-16) INFO»
• Pop Culture Party: Wonderland Rebel in Gurnee (Aug. 16) INFO»
• Highwood Blood Mary Fest (Aug. 16) INFO»
• Country Girls Night Out in Historic Downtown Long Grove (Aug. 20) INFO»
• Potawatomi Trails Pow Wow in Zion (Aug. 29) INFO»
• Fox Lake's Venetian Night (Aug. 29) INFO»
• Honey Harvest Festival in Highland Park (Aug. 29) INFO»
• Elote Fest in Round Lake Beach (Aug. 28-30) INFO»
• Port Clinton Art Festival in Highland Park (Aug. 29-30) INFO»

5. CELEBRATE 50 YEARS AT SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA IN GURNEE (THROUGH AUG. 9)

The clock is ticking on Six Flags Great America's 50th anniversary party. The Gurnee park's celebration wraps up Aug. 9, and with it goes a lineup found nowhere else: the American Eagle wooden coaster running its two tracks head-to-head for the first time in a decade, a new nighttime show pairing a drone display with low-proximity pyrotechnics and a parade marking five decades of thrills. A food sampler pass lets visitors work through anniversary menu items like loaded Italian beef tots and a birthday cake funnel cake, while a documentary and a Legacy Museum exhibit trace the park's history through rare footage, old photos and retired signage. Experience this historic moment in the park's history before it's too late! 

6. CAR SHOWS IN LAKE COUNTY

Lake County offers so many fun concerts and movies in the park throughout the community. Whether you're looking for a night out with friends or the family, there's an event suited for anyone this August. 

• Car Fun on 21 in Libertyville (Aug. 19) INFO»
• Park on Park in Mundelein (Aug. 12) INFO»
• Vintage Car Show at St. John's North Lot in Highland Park (Aug. 22) INFO»
• Wauconda Cruise Night (Aug. 18) INFO»
• Miller's Dog 'n Suds Classic Car Cruise-In (Aug. 8 and 29) INFO»

7. NATIONAL NIGHT OUT (AUG. 4)

National Night Out, set for Aug. 4, turns front lawns and cul-de-sacs into the evening's main event, with cookouts, safety demonstrations and casual conversation standing in for the usual routine. Lake County's towns are once again pulling up a lawn chair to take part.

• Glow in the Dark National Night Out in Mundelein INFO»
• National Night Out in Fox Lake INFO»
• National Night Out in Grayslake INFO»
• National Night Out in Highland Park INFO»
• National Night Out in Vernon Hills INFO»

8. BEACHES IN LAKE COUNTY

Lake County earns its "land of lakes" nickname every summer, from the dune-backed wilds of Illinois Beach State Park in Zion to the splash pad and volleyball courts at Fox Lake's Lakefront Park. Families with young kids get pointed toward lifeguarded, amenity-packed options like Wauconda's Phil's Beach. Our guide features hours, fees and parking for each stop, cool down this summer in the "land of lakes!"

9. CONCERTS AND MOVIES IN THE PARK

Join Lake County communities for National Night Out, a date designated to promote stronger relationships between first responders and the citizens they protect. Join the community and visit one or more of the following events:

CONCERT SERIES

• Ravinia Festival in Highland Park (Through September 23) SEE COMPLETE LIST»
• Booch Garden Winthrop Harbor Summer Concert Series (Through September 1) INFO»
• North Chicago Community Days (August 1-2) INFO»
• Port Clinton Concerts in Highland Park (Through September 25) INFO»
• Summer Concerts at Phil's Beach in Wauconda (Through September 13) INFO»
• Children's Concert Series at Viking Park in Gurnee (Through August 18) INFO»
• Music by the Lake at Grandwood Park in Gurnee (Aug. 2) INFO»
• Concerts in the Plaza at Independence Grove in Libertyville (Aug. 4) INFO»
• Concerts in the Park in Zion (Aug. 6) INFO»
• El Mercadito Farmers Market and Summer Performance Series in Round Lake Beach (Aug. 6) INFO»
• Gurnee Days (August 7-9) INFO»
• Mainstreet Libertyville Lunch in the Park (Aug. 7) INFO»
• Live at the Lake in Lake Zurich (Aug. 8) INFO»
• Vernon Hills Memorial Arbortheater Concert Series (Aug. 6 and 13) INFO»
• Garlic Fest in Highwood (August 12) INFO»
• ArtWauk in Waukegan (August 15) INFO»
• Grayslake Summerfest (August 15) INFO»
• Afrofest at Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago (August 15) INFO»
• Sounds of Summer at Viking Park in Gurnee (Aug. 13 and 18) INFO»
• Live Music in the Parks with Lindenhurst/Like Villa (Aug. 19) INFO»
• Music in the Park: Live Tunes in Covered Bridge Park in Long Grove (Aug. 20) INFO»
• 26th Annual Dandelion Wine and Arts Music Festival (August 22) INFO»
• Antioch It's Thursday Concert Series (Now-August 27) INFO»
• Summer Concerts at Deer Park Town Center (Aug. 27) INFO»
• Summer in the Shire Concert Series: The Wayouts (August 27) INFO»
• Elote Festival in Round Lake Beach (August 28-30) INFO»
• Fox Lake's Venetian Night (August 29) INFO»
• Lincolnshire Corporate Center Food Truck Thursdays and Lakeside Concerts (Now-September 24) INFO»
• Fox Lake Friday Night Concert Series 
  • Dog Days of Summer (August 7) INFO»
  • Team Spirit Takeover (August 14) INFO»
  • Legends of Rock: Big Block Party (August 21) INFO»
• First Friday on MainStreet Libertyville
  • August 7 INFO»
• Brothers' Field in Long Grove
  • Wildwood Country Band (August 1) INFO»
  • Country Fest (August 21-23) INFO»
• Lake County Fair
  • American English (August 1) INFO»
  • School of Rock (August 1) INFO»
  • Big Boss and the Toes (August 1) INFO»
  • Red Panda Band (August 1) INFO»
  • Whiskey Road (August 1) INFO»
  • Donnie Lee Strickland (August 1-2) INFO»
  • 7th Heaven (August 2) INFO»
  • The Last Bees (August 2) INFO»
  • Chicago Latin Groove (August 2) INFO»
  • Blue Marlin (August 2) INFO»

MOVIES IN THE PARK

• Outdoor Movie Nights at Deer Park Town Center - "Hoppers" (Aug. 28) INFO»
• Movies in the Park in Waukegan - "Spongebob Squarepants: Search for Squarepants" at Victory Park (Aug. 8) INFO»
• Movies Off Center at Grayslake Heritage Center (Aug. 8) INFO»

10. Lambs Farm Farmyard Reopens With New Expansion (Aug. 15)

After more than a year behind construction fencing, Lambs Farm's beloved farmyard throws its gates open again Aug. 15. The Libertyville staple returns bigger than before, with fresh spaces for kids to meet the resident critters alongside the mini golf, shopping and baked goods that have made it a summer tradition for generations of families. Beyond the reopening, Lambs Farm remains one of Lake County's quieter success stories — the nonprofit's businesses provide jobs and benefit programs for people with developmental disabilities, making every ticket and treat purchase part of something bigger.

Find more fun events in August and learn more about Lake County Road Trips.