Hot weather didn’t seem to keep many people away from Clarendon Hills’ annual Daisy Days Festival Friday and Saturday in the village’s downtown area.
“We were glad to have the rain pass through in the middle of the night,” said Laura Marquardt, president of the chamber of commerce, who estimated crowds of about 1,500 both Friday night and over the course of Saturday, with the attendance on the second day increasing during the evening.”
The event began in 1964 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of Clarendon Hills.
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The 2018 version of the two-day festival featured a variety of activities, carnival rides, music and food.
One highlight was the sixth annual Daisy Days Idol singing competition, presented Saturday afternoon by the Clarendon Hills Music Academy. The contest included both elementary and middle school divisions.
Alana Vargo of Hinsdale won the elementary school division, with Lucy Kusak of Hinsdale placing second and Amelia Carter of Clarendon Hills finishing third.
In the middle school division, Lauren Priest of Hinsdale was selected as the top performer by judges, who named Nora O’Byrne of Hinsdale as runner-up and Sophia Yen of Burr Ridge as the third-place finisher.
“There was a variety of styles this year, especially among the middle schoolers,” Berg said, noting that Nora did “a great version” of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” and Sophia did a “moving rendition” of the jazz standard, “The Very Thought of You.”
“It was so cool to see a throwback to some classics with them putting a contemporary spin on those,” Berg said.
