Protester detained at Lake in the Hills Ribfest

A person was detained Thursday at the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club’s Rockin’ Ribfest while protesting its parking setup in the northwest suburb.

Officers responded about 4:44 p.m. to the east end of Bark Park for reports of a female blocking access to public parking with a vehicle, Lake in the Hills police said. She was standing on top of the vehicle protesting the use of a portion of the dog park for festival parking.

Officers asked her to move her vehicle to an area where she could protest safely without blocking the parking area, but she refused and was detained, police said. She was issued a warning for trespassing, and was turned over to a family member.

This year’s festival was relocated to the southwest portion of Sunset Park, according to a Facebook post from the Village of Lake in the Hills. The north side of Bark Park is closed for the festival, which runs until Sunday, and the south side remains open.

“We understand the concerns for the safety of our community’s pets at the Bark Park and know how important this is to all of our members,” the post said. “Following the event, all sites will be inspected for debris, trash, hazards, and thoroughly cleaned to ensure the safety of our members and their pets ... The Bark Park will reopen to all members when the grounds are determined to be safe for all visitors.”