The combination of great weather and lots of strollers made Shannon McDonald very happy Friday and Saturday when the Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Daisy Days festival downtown.
Having good weather for outdoor events always is a great starting place, and seeing plenty of very young children being pushed around in strollers was another good sign for Daisy Days, said McDonald, who is the Chamber’s event manager.
“We were really hoping to see a lot of young families, along with others, this year, after coming back last year, following two years off because of COVID,” McDonald said. “There are a lot of new families with young children in town, and we want people to come out and enjoy Daisy Days because it’s a great community event.”
Daisy Days attracted large crowds both Friday and Saturday, something McDonald believes is the best promotion for future events.
“When people come out and enjoy themselves, they’re likely going to want to come back again,” she said. “It was really great to see so many people, including the children, having a good time.”
Running from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Daisy Days featured carnival rides and games, reptile shows, a children’s music show, beer and wine tent, food for sale from area businesses, local talent showcase and a live music band each night.
“Everything — all the activities — went very well,” McDonald said. “The reptile shows continued to be very popular.”
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The Chamber added more musical performances for children this year,” McDonald said, referring to Istvan & His Imaginary Band and Miss Jamie’s Farm Family Music Show.
“Having more things that appeal to children was definitely something we focused on this year,” McDonald said. “Having things kids like is a big part of having families come out and having a good time.”
Daisy Days began in 1964 as a way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of Clarendon Hills.
Along with Daisy Days, the traditional Father’s Day Daisy Dash featured 510 finishers for the 5K race Sunday, which was won by Colin Yandel, 22, of Clarendon Hills in 16 minutes 21.6 seconds. Yandel also holds the Daisy Dash record of 15:30, set in 2019.
Jan Erik Naess (3rd, 16:49.4)), Evan Kurimay (5th, 17:59.9), Alex Carroll (8th, 18:24.9) and Gerardo Valenciatrujillo (9th, 18:35.7) are Clarendon Hills residents who finished in the top 10 Sunday.
The top female finisher was Jeannie Sullivan, 42, of Clarendon Hills, who was clocked in 19:06 and placed 15th overall. Sullivan also was the top female finisher in 2022 when she crossed the finish line in 18:54.4.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.