Who says carnival season comes to a close when summer wraps up? Carnival rides, live music, food and more will take over DuPage County Fairgrounds for NAMI DuPage's 2nd Annual Octoberfest, which runs Oct. 1-3.
The three-day event's festivities also include a car show, a pancake breakfast, raffles and beer and wine tastings. Below is a roundup of what to expect each day of NAMI DuPage Octoberfest 2021.

Friday, October 1:

The weekend's festivities kick off with carnival rides, food trucks and kid-friendly activities from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

6:00 - 7:15 pm: Hurricane Reggae Band - Hurricane has been knocking people over with his brand of reggae for more than 4 decades. Hailing from the beautiful island of Dominica, De Hurricane was born with the reggae vibes.

7:45 - 9:00 pm: Sudden Left Turn - This popular energetic pop/rock duo brings the party with their eclectic mix of hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s…all the way to today.  Featuring Mark Bennardo on vocals and percussion and Joe Nuccio on bass and vocals, they switch up tempos and mix up genres on the fly, taking a musical “sudden left turn” in style to match the moment and ride the energy.

9:30 - 11:00 pm: 28Days - 28DAYS isn’t a band, it is an experience. Performing over 1,500 shows since 2006, our goal has always been to change the cover band culture to something exciting and different that provides audiences with the very best live entertainment experience.

Saturday, October 2:

Food vendors will start serving up eats at 11 a.m. and carnival rides open at 12 p.m. A split-the-pot raffle and raffle baskets will be available throughout the day.
8 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Pancake breakfast hosted by Kiwanis

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Classic car show
12 p.m.: NAMI DuPage Choir performance

12:45 p.m.: McNulty School of Irish Dance

2 p.m.: The Indecisivies performance

Saturday, October 2:

3:15 - 4:00 pm: The Hepkats Blues Review - The HepKats perform classic blues songs for charities like Ronald McDonald House, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Shriners Children’s Hospital, Misericordia, and many more, bringing music to lift the spirits where it is needed the most. The band performs traditional arrangements of songs by Robert Johnson, Son House, Willie Brown, BB King, Kokomo Arnold, Bill Broonzy, Arthur Crudup, Mamie Smith, Blind Willie McTell and more.

4:30 - 5:30 pm: MKB Comedy - All That Good Stuff is a stand-up comedy show that originated on the South Side of Chicago and expanded to the suburbs! We feature some of Chicago’s favorite comedians who tour all over the country! We will have music, comedy, laughs, and all that good stuff!

6:00 - 7:00 pm: The Zeroheads - The members of The Zeroheads have been active in the Chicago music scene for over 40 years each.  Dance or just sit back with a cold beverage and enjoy classic rock and roll, electric blues and country favorites.

7:30 - 9:00 pm: The Vital Signs - Good, fun, cover band that will make you shake your booty, bang your head and sing until your voice is gone!

9:30 - 11:00 pm: Rico Jams - Rico is defined as a band with a rich sound of diversified musical cultures. A mixture of sophisticated melodic genres and ethnicity coming together is the essence of Rico! This sound can be heard on their CD’s entitled “Make Music (2010)” and “Casa De Tambores (2004)”. Influenced tremendously by the sound and spirit of Santana, you can say Rico is the modern day Santana.

Sunday, October 3:

Food vendors open at 11 a.m. and the carnival starts at 12 p.m., which is also when the festival's beer and wine tent opens. A split-the-pot raffle will be available throughout the day.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Car, truck and van show

12:00 - 12:34 pm: Miss Jamie's Farm - Jamie has been a professional singer, actor, and writer from a very young age. In 2012, she became a children’s music performer, and decided to theme her act around “the farm,” with books and albums based on the characters in the show. In addition to performing for kids and families year round in person and online, Jamie is a public speaker on the importance of music and literacy in early childhood education and how to make learning fun.

1:00 - 1:45 pm: The School of Rock, Geneva - School of Rock’s House Band consists of our school’s top teenage performers!  They have all auditioned, and worked hard to represent our school.  They cover a diverse range of songs- from Metallica to Jamiroquai.  Their talent will blow you away as they perform songs 3x their age with mastery!

2:00 - 3:00 pm: "that Violynist" Carrie Lyn Infusion -  “that Violynist” Carrie Lyn Infusion with World Toured Brass, an internationally released  and recognized BMI Record Artist Performance Group since 2006 led by Illinois’ very own Carrie Lyn as band leader, arranger,  singer-song writer, multi-instrumentalist, features “Rhythm & Boots – Groove n Roots” fusion of styles across pop music and  she is recognized by Legendary Musicians and Music Industry AR alike.

3:30 - 4:30 pm: Daniel and Anton

5:00 - 6:00 pm: Jared Ragin - Jared Rabin’s debut record, “Something Left to Say” was called “An Americana masterpiece” by American Songwriter Magazine who also said “he’s a remarkable instrumentalist who brings a dynamic and delicate warmth to everything he touches.” Ink19 Magazine said, “His rootsy sound is a perfect blend of beautiful melodies and honest songwriting with a timeless feel.”

6:30 - 8:00 pm: The Neverly Brothers -  The Neverly Brothers concerts are a tribute to one of the most exciting chapters in music history: the birth, near death and resurrection of rock n’ roll. Their one-of-a-kind high energy stage performances take you on a musical guided tour of rock history – a Rock n’ Roll Tribute from Elvis to The Beatles --1955 - 1965.

Tickets to NAMI DuPage Octoberfest are $5 per person; children three and under get in free of charge. Click the link to see carnival deals and other deals on tickets for 2021 Octoberfest.