A suburban spring carnival in Lake in the Hills has been permanently closed this weekend after chaos unfolded Saturday night when police had to intervene in multiple fights. The Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce announced that the event originally planned to run through Sunday, will not resume in the interest of public safety. According to NBC Chicago, the chamber expressed regret, stating, "After careful consultation with the Village of Lake in the Hills and our Chief of Police, it has been decided that reopening the Carnival would not be in the best interest of public safety."
Officers were called to the carnival's location at Randall and Algonquin roads due to reports of people darting across the road, said officials. The Chamber of Commerce cited an unexpected attendance surge, beautiful weather that fueled overcrowding, and a significant number of unchaperoned teenagers with disruptive intents as leading to the decision. Despite the absence of gunfire, as social media rumors had suggested, the event's premature end was still a necessity, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
The disruption affected not only the eventgoers but also neighboring businesses. "The unexpected surge in attendance, fueled by the beautiful weather, unfortunately, led to overcrowding," the Chamber said in a Facebook post shared by NBC Chicago. "Additionally, a significant number of unchaperoned teenagers, with intentions to disrupt and cause trouble, descended upon the Carnival and shopping centers in the area."
Lake in the Hills Police confirmed that, fortunately, no one was injured despite the fights and crowd control measures taken. The Carnival was meant to be a three-day affair, beginning on Friday and ending on Sunday. "We extend our deepest apologies to all those who had their visit cut short and to those who planned to attend the Carnival today and are unable to do so," said the chamber in a statement obtained by ABC 7 Chicago. They further expressed their intent to bring back the carnival next year with improved measures for safety and enjoyment.
