Barefoot Hawaiian show to return to Lake in the Hills

LAKE IN THE HILLS – The Village of Lake in the Hills will be welcoming back their Barefoot Hawaiian show on Aug. 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in a new location: Ken Carpenter Park, Miller Rd. and Randall Rd. 

The last time the Barefoot Hawaiian show was performed in Lake in the Hills was around four to five years ago, said Casie Peltz, Recreation Coordinator for the Village of Lake in the Hills.

She said the Village has organized this show five to eight times in the past, and they decided to bring it back after their survey results pointed to people wanting it back.

This year, however, the show will be in a different location. It used to take place at Indian Trail Beach, but for more available parking, it has been moved to Ken Carpenter Park, Peltz said. 

“We’ll have sand volleyball courts so [the dancers] can still be on the sand,” Peltz said. 

She said the Kona ice truck will be at the event, with contests available for attendees to win free ice. 

The one-hour show will feature dances from Hawaii, New Zealand, and Tahiti, according to the Visit McHenry County website. 

“They’ll do different dances from the different islands and talk about what some of the dances mean. And a lot of times they’ll do audience participation and bring people up to teach them a short hula,” Peltz said. 

Tickets are free for Lake in the Hills residents and $2 for non-residents, and must be pre-registered for, according to the website. Tickets are sold out and have reached the capacity of 225, Peltz said. 

She said throughout the summer the Village has had about a 50% redemption rate on tickets for events. She is expecting a little over 100 people to redeem their tickets. 

“I’ve seen it several times before in different variations. What I’m excited for after the year of covid is seeing people out and about and excited to be doing things with their community,” Peltz said.