House party becomes fundraising bash

JOHNSBURG – Craig Wallace thought it would be a great idea to have live music at the annual summer party that he hosts at his home.

The only problem was that his wife didn’t.

“She said, ‘We can’t have this in our yard,’ ” said Wallace, of Johnsburg.

After watching a TV show about how donations to charities dramatically decrease during poor economic times, Wallace and some friends decided to turn his annual bash into a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Now what originally was an annual gathering of friends at Wallace’s house has transformed into Walla-Pa-Looza, a day of food, music, raffles and good company at the Johnsburg Community Club. The event will be from 2 to 11 p.m. Aug. 1, and all are invited.

Live music will start at 2 p.m. with a performance by Blush, a local band.

There will be food available to buy, inflatable bounce houses for children, face-painting and temporary tattoos.

Local businesses will be showcased in booths.

“We want this to be family-friendly,” Wallace said.

Three other local bands will play throughout the event: Peter and the Versatiles, Danny and the Devils, and Always Frantic, the band that played during the McHenry fireworks show this month.

The Always Frantic performance will be from 8 to 10:30 p.m.

There also will be a silent auction and raffle. Among auction prizes is a Weber grill donated by Weber.

The grill has an estimated value of $850, Wallace said.

A 50-50 raffle also will take place in which event-goers buy tickets, and one winner takes home half of the pot at the end of the night.

A $5 fee will be requested for admission.

For information, visit www.walla-pa-looza.org.