When you run an event this popular for this long, organizers of downtown Skokie’s Backlot Bash say, there is no need for dramatic changes every year.
So on the opening night of the three-day Bash Friday under mild temperatures and perfectly clear skies the organizers couldn’t have ordered up better, there were these familiar sights: the Ferris Wheel lighting up the western end of Oakton Street, rides that whipped young people into the sky, carnival games with coveted prizes, a plethora of tasty food and live rock music that inspired dancing toward the front of the stage.
“He loved it last year, and his eyes lit up as soon as we got here,” said Frederick Stemvosky, watching his son enjoy a mild race car ride. As his son passed his father on the circular ride, he waved.
The Backlot Bash entered its second decade with 2017’s installment and has become a back-to-school family-themed staple in the village. Over three days, thousands of people descended on downtown for fun, food and games — and lots of music, organizers said.
“This is the first ride I go on every year,” said sixth grader Curtis Otaki as he waited in line with friends for one adventure. The ride was not for the faint of heart. It took thrill-seekers high in the sky before they swirled down again at rapid speed and then shot upwards.
The one piece that does change every year at the Backlot Bash is the music. New acts are booked, new sounds are heard, and the one returning band — Tributosaurus — becomes a different classic band on the final day. This year it was R.E.M.
The Bash is also one of Skokie’s biggest examples of agencies collaborating for one common purpose. The Backlot Bash hosts included the Skokie Park District, the Skokie Public Library, the Village of Skokie, Niles Township High School District 219 and the Skokie Chamber of Commerce.
The event has also benefited from good weather for most of its run, organizers said. This year, the hardest rain of the weekend fell Sunday night not long after the festival had wrapped up another year.
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