Unplugged Fest is a FREE festival where families can unplug from their electronic devices and connect with each other through fun activities in our Lake Zurich Area community!
Local families in our community can ditch their devices, try new activities and learn about the local organizations!
Local organizations within the Lake Zurich area are participating in Unplugged Fest. Each organization is hosting an activity for our community members to demonstrate what their organization is all about.
Each organization will have a "station" around Paulus Park.
Scheduled vendor demonstrations will take place throughout the event to showcase their business!
Visitors should bring...
A picnic for lunch or plan to purchase your lunch from our amazing food vendors
The drive to have the time of your life
The excitement to come find out what you have been missing
The expectation that our Lake Zurich community has so much to offer
Chairs or a blanket to sit on to watch our AWESOME demos
Event Information
Cost: FREE
Date: Sunday, August 10, 2025
Time: 11:00am - 3:00pm
Location: Paulus Park, 200 S Rand Road, Lake Zurich
in case of rain the event will be held at the Lake Zurich Foglia YMCA
2025 Event Map (Coming Soon)
Why was Unplugged Fest created?
Meet Alexis
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to their devices for connection and entertainment. Today, individuals spend an average of 4 to 7 hours a day—or up to 50 hours a week—on screens for non-school or non-work-related use. This increased reliance on technology has had lasting effects, not only on personal well-being but also on local communities and small businesses, many of which saw a significant decline in engagement during the pandemic.
In response to these challenges, I created Unplugged Fest.
My name is Alexis. I’m 16 years old and currently serve as Miss Ela Township. I previously held the titles of Junior Miss Lake Zurich Area 2019 & 2020, Junior Miss Illinois Earth 2021, Junior Miss Shining Star 2021–2022, and Teen Miss Ela Township 2024. My passion is to combat device dependency and encourage people to disconnect from screens and reconnect with each other through community-based activities.
Unplugged Fest is about more than just putting down devices—it's about rebuilding real-world connections and supporting local businesses. I also want to inspire other young people to realize that age is not a barrier to making a difference. If I can do it, so can they!
In 2020, the Village of Lake Zurich Board of Trustees approved my vision for Unplugged Fest, and the event launched in 2021. Since then, it has received annual approval for 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025. In 2022, when rain forced us to relocate, our generous sponsor, the Foglia YMCA, hosted the event indoors—helping us keep the mission alive, rain or shine.