Lydia Anderson,
Kenosha, WI – The Frolic At Franks 99th Anniversary Block Party will take place on Saturday, September 13th from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The celebration will be held between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue in front of Franks Diner, 508 58th Street. Admission is free, though donations for the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha will be accepted. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit the local organization.
“This event will bring together Franks Diner fans from our community, Wisconsin, Illinois, and the world for a day of food, fun, games, and music,” states Kevin Ervin, co-owner of Franks Diner.
The event will feature: musical guests (The Squeezettes, Big Style Brass Band, and Spirit Shakers), free games for kids and adults, a dunk tank, raffles including 50/50 Raffle, a Kevin Ervin look-a-like contest, a food challenge (eating contest), an egg toss contest, and an egg race. There will be beer available to purchase from CJW and Rustic Road Brewing Company, as well as food from Franks Diner and the Cut Stone Pizza Fire Truck.
“This is a once in a lifetime event that’s going to be a fantastic time for the entire family to enjoy,” says Laura Gregorski, Marketing Director for Visit Kenosha. “Come help celebrate 99 years of a Kenosha icon with food, fun, music, and beer! What more could you want?”
Franks Diner was established in 1926 when Anthony Franks, inspired by a magazine article, invested $7,500 (plus $315 in shipping) and purchased a prefabricated diner, built by the renowned Jerry O’Mahony company in New Jersey. The structure, shipped to Kenosha via railroad flatcar, arrived in Kenosha and was famously pulled to its permanent home on 58th Street by a team of six horses. Over the decades, the diner saw additions like a dining room in 1935 and a larger kitchen in the mid-1940s, evolving while preserving its authentic charm.
An icon in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the world, Franks is the oldest continuously running diner in the United States, and most likely the world since you don’t find many diners in other countries. Julie Rittmiller and Kevin Ervin purchase the diner in 2010 and have poured their hearts into it every day ever since.
Stay in touch with Franks Diner: franksdinerkenosha.com, franksdinerkenosha (Instagram), franksdiner.bsky.social