PONTOON BEACH – Preparations are nearly complete for the 6th Annual “Party at the Beach” that will be held on Friday August 11 and Saturday August 12 in Pontoon Beach, Illinois. This year’s featured headliner act is “38 Special”, a classics arena rock band with platinum hits like “Hold on Loosely” and “Second Chance”.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Village of Pontoon Beach Mayor Mike Pagano conceived of “Party at the Beach” back in 2012 and since then the popularity of the late summer event has exploded. According to the Mayor, last year’s event, which featured national rock band “Night Ranger” drew over 10,000 people into the small metro east community of Pontoon Beach. With a target draw of bringing in nationally known acts, the Mayor says that prior “parties” have featured bands like “The Charlie Daniels Band” and “The Little River Band”. The free event also features locally known acts, such as the “Mike Matthews Project”, “Dirty Muggs” and “Vote for Pedro”.
The headliner band .38 Special performs on Saturday August 12 at 9:00 PM. The band’s first two albums had a strong southern rock influence. By the early 1980s, .38 Special shifted to a more accessible arena rock style without abandoning its southern rock roots. This shift helped to usher in a string of successful albums and singles. “Survivor” co-founder Jim Peterik has been a frequent songwriting collaborator of the band since 1980.
Their first hit was "Hold On Loosely” (1981) and then "Caught Up in You” (1982) and "If I'd Been the One" (1984) both hit No. 1 on Billboard magazine’s Album Rock Tracks chart. "Back Where You Belong" (1984) continued their annual sequence of radio favorites. In 1985, they had another hit with "Teacher, Teacher” written by Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams. That song climbed to #4 on the Billboard Top Tracks Chart, spending 10 weeks on the chart from the soundtrack of the 1984 film Teachers. In 1989, "Second Chance” was a No. 1 hit on Billboard's adult contemporary chart in 1989, followed by "The Sound of Your Voice" in 1991 (Billboard Hot 100 #33) and "Fade to Blue" from the album Resolution which made it to #33 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1997. The band continues to tour the Country and many of their hits have been remade by such Country music stars as Trace Adkins and others.
Mayor Pagano, who is also a musician, said the purpose of the event is to do something for Village residents and the surrounding communities. The idea was to design a festival which was family focused, where moms and dads could bring their kids out to have a great time. In addition to featuring these national acts, free of charge to those who participate, the event also features a “Balloon Glow” at 8:00-9:30 pm on Friday. A crafters and vendor fair will be open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, with carnival rides and games of chance open throughout the event.
What is a party without food? According to the Mayor “There is also plenty to eat and drink during the party with vendors like the Granite City High School marching band, providing kabobs and chicken and crowd favorite T’Mo’s Tacos and more. Barney Q’s and Pickerell’s will be on hand for BBQ and Freddy’s Food Truck will be on site providing a full array of authentic Mexican cuisine. Local Pontoon Beach distillery, “Mastermind Vodka” will be providing a full array of their products and the Long Lake Fire Department will be serving adult beverages, along with Sloan’s Pub House.
A variety of local businesses and organizations come together to help sponsor the event. And according to the Mayor, the Village Board and Administration provide most of the logistical support for the event with local police and EMS departments supporting it as well. All six hotels located within the Village also participate by supporting the event through special offers for future hotel stays.
The Pontoon Beach Party at the Beach will be held on Friday and Saturday August 11-12 with the main stage located at the Randall D Dalton Veterans Park located at 5111 Highway Rt 111 just behind the McDonalds.
The Village of Pontoon Beach is located just east of Granite City, Illinois and is at the crossroads of southwestern Illinois and the St. Louis metro. Within view of the Gateway Arch, the Village offers residents, businesses and visitors direct access to the entire metro region in just minutes and is home to over 5000 people.
