A car show, food trucks, a business fair and a carnival attracted thousands to the Buffalo Grove Days festival over Labor Day weekend.
Although totals weren’t yet finalized by Monday, festival organizers expect to make over $275,000 from the event – which is a favorite among residents every year, said Paulette Greenberg, festival co-chair for the last 20 years.
Although the cooler temperatures and threat of rain may have scared some people away this year, she said more than 200 cars lined up for the car show Monday and crowds were steady at the carnival during the festival held in Mike Rylko Community Park Sept. 1-5. The village and the Park District partnered once again this year to bring back live music, activities and attractions.
“I love that we had great weather. Like every year since I’ve been in high school, the community comes out and I get to see people that I love running into. It’s like a town reunion every year, and I love seeing new faces, too,” said Park District spokesman Mike Terson, who was working the beer tent on Labor Day.
“This town is such a destination for people moving to [the] Chicago metro area, and not just people moving here from other suburbs or the city, or other states. We have people who move here from other countries. Buffalo Grove Days really showcases the true diversity of this community and it’s really awesome.”
The Ryu family visited the festival for the first time after moving to Buffalo Grove just seven months ago from South Korea.
“We’re from a different country and our home country, we didn’t have something like this,” said Luna Ryu, 12, who joined her mother, Julie, and her sister who said she was excited to go to the carnival. “It’s so fun to have something like this. Everyone can enjoy and come to this, I can tell everyone is enjoying themselves.”
The Park District role increased this year. Officials said last year the Park District took on dealing with corporate sponsorship and the beer tent. This year, it took on entertainment. Park District workers booked the bands, brought in the food trucks, revamped the website and brought in kids entertainment with face painting and activities, officials explained.
Festival organizers said that planning and execution of the festival changed a bit after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including more use of food trucks. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, Buffalo Grove Days was canceled altogether. Last year, there was a limited version of the popular Labor Day festival.
This year marked a return to a more pre-pandemic-like experience, even with food trucks and no parade.
Buffalo Grove police reported there were no arrests or incidents during the event.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.