Crowds dealt with scorching temperatures Saturday at Glenview Summer Fest, a celebration of all things local hosted by the Glenview Chamber of Commerce.
The fest featured live music and 135 vendors ranging from restaurants to antique cars.
Betsy Baer, executive director of the Glenview Chamber of Commerce, said the festival has been around in some form for 45 years.
“Most recently, Summer Fest has morphed into a festival centered around community and family fun,” she said.
Other kid-friendly activities and entertainment included the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, Planters Nut Mobile, the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Ride Simulator, a stilt-walker, balloon magic and free ice cream at the Chamber booth.
Glenview resident Mara Kaplan-Pierce attended Summer Fest with her 5-year-old son Landon.
“Summer Fest is a way to see all that Glenview has to offer, and I like for my kids to share in that same memory of childhood as I had,” Kaplan-Pierce said.
According to Baer, the history of Summer Fest began with a celebration of Rodeo Days in the 1950s, a Western-themed event. The event later morphed into a community street sale before becoming the Summer Fest that is celebrated today.
“Our world has really changed,” Baer said, “And so the structure of the festival had to change with it.”
This year, there was a greater number of booths representing professional services like salons, spas, gyms, and medical centers, and fewer businesses that are retail oriented.
“Over the last 15 years we’ve moved away from retail, because the nature of retail has changed via the internet, Amazon, and other online stores,” Baer said. “This exemplifies how the nature of shopping habits of our residents in Glenview really has the power to change our world and why shopping local is so vital.”
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