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Mr. Taps & The Lotus Kings Kick Off Main Street Nights Wednesday


Steven Kikoen of The Lotus Kings
Steven Kikoen and The Lotus Kings: An All-Star Tribute To Santana headline Main Street Nights Wednesday. (Photo: The Lotus Kings)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Finally, the week we’ve been waiting for when we can gather as a community again and celebrate summer. Main Street Nights begins its new season this Wednesday evening, June 23, on the Park Forest Village Green (Main & Cunningham) with Mr. Taps and The Lotus Kings.

With Illinois now in Phase 5 of COVID recovery, there are no capacity limits for the events.  According to Chuck Sabey, Cultural Arts Supervisor at Freedom Hall, vaccinated patrons are not required to wear a mask, while those who are unvaccinated are requested to wear a mask or adhere to social distancing expectations.

Ayrie King III, better known as Mr. Taps, will kick-off the entertainment at 6:30 pm, demonstrating various styles of tap dancing from Fred Astaire to Ann Miller. We might call him “King Taps.”

At 7:30 pm, The Lotus Kings, a Santana cover band featuring guitarist and Homewood-Flossmoor alumnus Steven Kikoen, will take the stage and perform many of the group’s greatest hits from “Black Magic Woman” through their “Supernatural” album.

Worried about the weather? Don’t. The National Weather Service predicts no rain Wednesday. The day looks to be partly sunny during the day with a high of 79. The evening will see temperatures begin to dip slightly to the forecasted low of only 63.

Concessions will be offered during the evening from the Vintrendi Wine Company (wine, soft drinks, and water), bakery treats from Dulce by Dori, as well as other vendors.  The Village is also hosting a Resident Appreciation Celebration that evening with free food at 6 pm for the first 300 customers.  Restroom facilities will be available at the Park Forest Village Hall.

A new and special attraction for opening night only is a zip line which will give riders a unique (and free) view of Main Street Nights as they zip along over the crowd.  In addition, there will be a car meet during every Main Street Nights where local car enthusiasts can gather and show off their vehicles.  Cars participating in the meet will park along Main Street by the Pace bus turnaround.

Main Street Nights occurs every Wednesday evening through August 11.  For a complete schedule of performances, see the Freedom Hall website or the recent eNews Park Forest article which gives the rundown for the entire MSN season.


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