For those looking for ways to relax and have fun in the summer months, there is no shortage of entertainment in DeKalb. Even when the regular NIU fall and spring semesters are not in session, the city of DeKalb is still in business, offering events for locals and students alike.

Fatty’s Pub and Grille

Fatty’s Pub and Grille, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, offers a weekly schedule of events that engage the community during the school year and in the summer. The beer garden hosts a live acoustic performance each Sunday, and gives patrons a slew of bag tournaments, trivia and patio pong Monday through Friday.

“It’s tough because in DeKalb for the longest time, people didn’t really pay attention to summer,” Jeff Dobie, owner and operator of Fatty’s, said. “Some of our busiest months are summer months. People have more time in the summer to do things, and sitting in a beer garden playing bags and enjoying a meal is a pretty nice way to spend a summer evening.”

As a result of offering events in the summer, Fatty’s saw no drop in attendance and has found doing so has actually increased the variety of people who come out for their events. Fatty’s provides a place where people in the community can come together to enjoy live music and entertainment, whether they are college students or year-round DeKalb residents.

“To grow, we’ve always tried to do something that nobody else was doing, and it started to catch on,” said Dobie. “We started programming our summer just like it was fall or spring with no drop or anything, and people seemed to come out. It became more of a mixed crowd, not just students. We don’t want to be pigeonholed as a townie bar or a college bar. We just want to be known as a place where anybody can come and enjoy our events.”

Among the biggests events Fatty’s holds over the course of the year is the annual golf outing which began ten years ago. The event is a staple of Fatty’s schedule, raising money for Shriners Children’s Hospital.

This year, the event is taking place on July 29 at the River Heights Golf Course, and interested parties can register online at the Fatty’s website. Banquet meals and raffle prizes will also be available to participants.

“As of last year, we had raised over $100,000 through ten years of this golf outing,” Dobie said. “It’s probably the least stuffy golf outing you’ll ever attend, and that’s the whole point of it. You don’t have to be a good golfer. It’s very low-key, very relaxed. It’s one of the biggest days of the year for us, and it’s something we really hold dear.”

More information about Fatty’s events schedule can be found on the Fatty’s website.

The House

The House, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, also offers events year-round for people looking for culture and entertainment.

The House is the epicenter of live music in the DeKalb community, offering frequent concerts of all genres.

“We book a little bit of everything,” said Miles Mapes, head talent buyer for the House. “At the end of the day, really what we’re about is live music.”

From indie pop bands, acoustic singer-songwriters, ska, metal and rap performances, the House offers something for everybody. The venue also offers open mic nights for those wishing to get their feet wet in live performance, with a “mixed bag” night for music, poetry, comedy and dance every Monday, and an open mic stand up comedy every Wednesday.

Late winter of 2017 brought the introduction of the monthly drag show events to the House, bringing an entirely new type of countercultural entertainment not often found in small towns like DeKalb.

“The drag queens come from all over: Rockford queens, Chicago queens,” said Mapes. “We are about as non-traditional as they come is how I put it. If we can do it and we can make people feel comfortable and enjoy it, we’ll do it.”

More information about events at the House Cafe can be found on the House Cafe website, as well as their Facebook page.

“It’s always been the goal to be both a community center as well as a concert venue,” said Mapes. “That’s why we’ve got yoga,open mics and kids events. It’s really an all-around place.”