As the nation marks its 250^th birthday this year, Elk Grove Village has its own reasons to celebrate.  On July 17, Elk Grove Village will celebrate its 70^th anniversary and will be doing so not just on one day, but throughout the year with a host of special events, public service initiatives, concerts, and community challenges.      

“Over the last 70 years, our community has risen from cornfields and farms to become a place where parents can raise their children in a safe community with great schools. We’re also a place where entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and our entire workforce, can work hard to earn an honest living,” said Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson. “This is worth celebrating, so in 2026 we’ll be rolling out many special initiatives to highlight all that is great about Elk Grove Village, past, present and future.”

To kick off the Village’s 70th anniversary year, new street banners were unveiled last week along major corridors throughout the community, including special 70th anniversary banners prominently displayed at key intersections. Installed by the Public Works Department, the banners will remain in place throughout the year.

Highlights of the 70^th anniversary celebration include a special birthday concert on July 17, added to the annual Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series, featuring Foreigner and an extraordinary fireworks display, as well as a summer-long community scavenger hunt with a special grand prize.

The Village will also hold community-based events designed to give residents an opportunity to help one another.  There will be a “1956 Food Drive Challenge,” an invitation to residents to donate food items to the Elk Grove Township Food Pantry with the goal of gathering 1,956 items, a nod to the year that the Village was incorporated.  Additionally, the Village in partnership with community organizations will co-host four “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Save a Life” blood drives, with the goal of making this the most successful year for donations.

“We want to celebrate our rich history, but we also want to give back. This community is full of good people who look out for one another in so many ways. We want to provide opportunities for everyone to celebrate the best thing about Elk Grove Village – its people,” said Mayor Johnson.

On this year’s historic July 4, the Village will honor the nation’s 250^th anniversary with the re-dedication of the Elk Grove Cemetery, recently restored and modernized thanks to a private fundraising effort driven by Mayor Johnson.  The cemetery serves as the final resting place to the only two American Revolutionary War veterans buried in all of Cook County.

The day’s celebrations will continue into the evening with the kickoff of the annual Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series, featuring a special free performance by country music star Jake Owen, followed by a spectacular fireworks display.

“We have many other initiatives in the works, so I encourage all Elk Grove Village residents to keep an eye out for additional announcements throughout the year,” Johnson said.

For more information about all the events, residents can visit the Village’s website at www.elkgrove.org/70.