If you already live here, you know Long Grove doesn't really do one headline weekend. The village runs on a rolling calendar that starts quiet in mid-August, tightens through Labor Day, then opens back up before Apple Fest arrives at the end of September. What looks like a lull on the Historic Downtown Long Grove website is actually the week the locals prefer, because the sidewalks belong to residents again and the new storefronts are easier to browse without a shuttle line.
This year that six-week arc has a small piece of news attached to it: two new shops opened this spring, and the downtown business association is publicly framing the district as being "on the upswing again." That changes what a late-August walk down Old McHenry Road actually feels like.
The six-week arc, in order
Between now and the end of September, the dated pieces on the downtown calendar are tight enough to plan around:
- Thursday, August 20, 2026 — Country Girls Night Out at participating businesses in the downtown Long Grove business district. Round up friends, boots optional.
- Saturday, September 5 through Monday, September 7, 2026 — Irish Days, a three-day festival of Irish music, dance, food, drink, and traditions, centered on Fountain Square.
- Friday, September 26 through Sunday, September 28, 2026 — Apple Fest running noon to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The gap between Irish Days and Apple Fest is the quietest downtown gets in the fall. It's also the best window to eat somewhere without a wait and to actually meet the two new shop owners before Apple Fest volume arrives.
Two openings that changed the walk this spring
The Olive Tap is back. The store first opened in Long Grove in 2006, moved across the street to a larger space, and then closed around 2021 when the original owners relocated to Colorado. It reopened February 16 under owner Kelly Petrocelli, who sells premium olive oils and balsamic vinegars along with gourmet groceries — pastas imported from Italy, spices, jams, jellies, and sauces. Petrocelli lives in Long Grove and worked at the original location, which is the kind of continuity the downtown has been missing for a few years.
The second opening sits a short walk away. Artistic Creations of Long Grove at 405 Robert Parker Coffin Road, a shop showcasing handmade and artisan goods, and The Olive Tap at 302 Old McHenry Road held a dual grand opening in early May. Owner Ellen Glassman spent nearly four decades at Allstate before opening the artisan shop. A longtime resident quoted in the Daily Herald's coverage put it plainly, saying she has seen Long Grove go up and down, and that now it's on the upswing again. That is the sentence to hold onto when you're deciding whether it's worth walking a friend through downtown on a Saturday.
Irish Days, decoded for people who live within ten minutes
If you have done Labor Day weekend here before, the structure is familiar. If you haven't, three details matter more than the schedule itself.
First, the money mechanic. Spend $150 or more pre-tax at downtown shops and restaurants during the festival and you get a free commemorative Irish Days pint glass. Practically, that means the receipts from a family dinner at Enzo & Lucia plus a stop at Ma and Pa's Candy plus a bottle from Buffalo Creek Brewing will get you there without effort. Bring the receipts to the Visitors Center at 145 Old McHenry Road.
Second, the music is real, not background. Festival highlights include evening headliners Without U2 on Saturday and The Dirty Wellies on Sunday, traditional Irish dance performances from local dance schools, and the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band. The Shannon Rovers alone are worth a walk from the parking area. The Lions Club runs the Fibber MaGee pub on-site, which is where the neighbors tend to end up.
Third, the contests. The Best Men's Legs in a Kilt contest and the Irish Dog Competition are the two events people actually remember. The dog competition is open to any dog whose owner registers the day of at the competition area near the ticket booth, and kilt contestants can wear their own or borrow one from organizers at no charge and register at the event.
A useful planning note for residents: Irish Days 2026 admission is free, including complimentary parking. If you're walking down from a neighborhood inside the village, skip the shuttle entirely and come in from the north side of Robert Parker Coffin Road.
The Thursday standing order at Brothers' Field
Between the dated festivals, the closest thing Long Grove has to a weekly rhythm is Brothers' Field. It bills itself as Lake County's premier outdoor bar and event space, with a Tiki Bar, live music, dance nights, and a rotating lineup of food trucks — the spot for unforgettable weekends and community events. The food-truck rotation is the piece that matters for weekly planning: on a Thursday when you don't feel like cooking, checking Brothers' Field's current truck lineup is a faster answer than opening a delivery app.
For anyone new to the district, Brothers' Field also does the useful job of extending downtown hours past when the shops close. It fills the gap between the daytime festival crowd and the dinner reservations at Chatterbox or Enzo & Lucia.
Where to eat when the festival isn't on
The restaurant lineup around Fountain Square and the covered bridge is more specific than the general "Long Grove dining" pages will tell you. A short version:
- Enzo & Lucia Ristorante Italiano at 343 Old McHenry Road. Housed in a former Victorian-styled home erected in 1876, with signature cappellacci made fresh daily.
- Chatterbox of Long Grove. Upscale dining experience inside a casual, country atmosphere. The go-to for a quiet dinner during festival weekends.
- Joanie's Pizzeria of Long Grove. Known for Detroit-style deep-dish, thin crust pizza, broasted chicken, and St. Louis style ribs.
- Buffalo Creek Brewing. Nestled along Buffalo Creek and the Historic Long Grove Covered Bridge, specializing in German and Belgian beers.
- Corked at 132 Old McHenry Road. Wine bar with an outdoor patio and lawn.
- Sorelle Italian Market and Cafe. Authentic Italian street food and wine market.
- Covered Bridge Creamery. Super-premium ice cream inside the historic district, an easy last stop before the walk back to the car.
- The Village Tavern. In continuous operation since 1849, which makes it the oldest working restaurant in the immediate area.
Between these eight, a resident can host visiting family for a full weekend without ever leaving the district.
About that bridge, one more time
If you drove into downtown this spring and hit an unexpected closure, that was likely another incident at the Robert Parker Coffin Bridge. In late April, a U-Haul box truck became wedged under the structure and blocked the one-lane crossing; the driver was not injured but was cited. Local counts put that at roughly the 73rd strike on the span since 2018.
For residents, the practical takeaway is small but real. On festival weekends, plan a route that assumes at least one temporary closure could happen. The bridge itself is fine — the 1906 truss structure was reinforced during the 2018–2020 restoration to withstand a low-speed crash without losing structural integrity. The wooden cover takes the hit, gets inspected, and the road usually reopens within a couple of hours.
The read on all of this
The pieces line up in one direction. A festival calendar that runs weekly instead of just Labor Day. Two new storefronts that opened this spring under owners with roots in the village. A restaurant lineup that supports a full weekend without a car. A downtown business association publicly saying the corner has turned. If you have been in Long Grove for more than a few years, you have seen the pendulum before. The current swing is worth walking into on a Thursday evening or a Sunday afternoon, not just during Irish Days.
If you or a neighbor are thinking through what a move within Long Grove, Kildeer, or Hawthorn Woods could look like this fall, I'm happy to talk through the specifics without any pressure. Reach out to Ursula Bowes and we'll find a good time to connect.
