After a year of canceled events because of the coronavirus pandemic, Clarendon Hills officials are anxious to return this spring and summer to some version of normalcy.
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And while the Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce has decided to again cancel the annual June Daisy Days festival, other events have either a green light to go ahead or are in planning stages.
The Clarendon Hills Farmers Market returns May 13 and continues into the fall from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays with additional vendors and in a new location.
Previously set up in the Sloan Triangle, along Prospect Avenue near Park Avenue, the farmers market is moving to just outside Village Hall, 1 N. Prospect Ave.
“That’s a great space there now, after the work the village has done downtown,” said Derek Berg, co-president of the Chamber. “We have more room there, enough for 10 to 12 vendor tents, and I am hoping to have seven or eight this year.”
With two to four vendors setting up in the past, Berg said Wednesday that there currently are commitments from five vendors, with a cheese seller close to signing on.
“We’re also going to have a rotating space, which will allow different vendors to set up there each week and bring a little more variety,” Berg said.
LaVanway Farms out of Berrien Center, Michigan, Hahn’s Bakery out of Geneva and Spartan Gourmet Foods, which sells olive oil and olives from Greece, all are returning, Berg said. New vendors that have committed for 2021 are Azteca Catering with guacamole and frozen Mexican food, and Hufendick Farm Market of Plainfield, which, among other things, will be selling organic chicken and eggs, Berg said.
He said the decision to cancel Daisy Days for 2021 was made very recently by a vote of the Chamber board.
“You need lead time to plan events like this, and there still are too many things uncertain to make it make sense to go ahead with it,” Berg said.
Beer and wine sales have been a part of Daisy Days, but the state isn’t issuing permits for liquor sales at festivals at this time.
“We also don’t know if people will feel comfortable going on carnival rides, yet,” Berg said.
While Daisy Days is off for this year, Berg said the Chamber most likely will try to hold an Oktoberfest event sometime after Labor Day. And the Village Board plans to proceed with at least some of the Dancin’ in the Street summer concert series on Wednesday nights.
“Summer activities are a huge part of Clarendon Hills and our community and getting everybody together,” Board member Don Knoll said, adding that he supports having as many summer events as are feasible.
“People can decide for themselves if they want to participate,” he said.
Board member Wil Freve agreed.
“The community, as a whole, is pretty hungry for activities and some sense of normalcy,” he said.