Packed with music, games and entertainment, Lemont will host its 18th annual Heritage Fest Saturday, July 12.

In celebrating the 170-plus-year history of the village, the free event hopes to draw large crowds to the historic downtown area.

One of the main emphases of the festival is community. Rose Yates, executive assistant for the Village of Lemont, says that while the event is open to everyone, the focus is on locals living in Lemont.

“(The fest) really appeals to our local residents,” Yates said. “ I think it increases that sense of community. I think Lemont has a very strong community identity, but this only enhances it.”

Entertainment and activities are planned throughout the day, starting at 12:30 p.m. Included in the festivities are a bike parade, bingo, carnival games and face painting for children and bands on the main stage. Also featured are a 32-team bean-bag tournament, a “Rollin’ Cruisers” car show and a wide variety of food vendors.

Yates said that there wasn’t much they had to change for this year’s festival, as the majority of their planned activities were successful in years past.

“Why tinker with what works?” Yates said.

That’s why the dunk tank, the moon jump and the wildly popular pony rides are all set to make a return. However, perhaps the best way to commemorate the past is by moving forward. This year’s celebration offers a number of new attractions, including “Bath Tub Racers,” a money machine and “Eurobungy,” which is expected to be one of the more popular features for kids.

“Four kids can go on at a time. The kids can jump up to 15 feet high. It looks like a lot of fun,” described the festival’s marketing coordinator Donna Pecina.

What separates this festival from the others is that the majority of the activities, including the carnival games, are run by nonprofit organizations, Pecina said. While the food and some of the games do cost money, Pecina insists the costs are minimal, and the money is going to a good place.

“It's not like going to a carnival,” she said. “All of that money goes to the organizations in Lemont. All the money goes right back into the community."