This year was the 100th anniversary of the Northbrook Days Festival and people were seen dancing and celebrating at a community birthday party.
The west commuter Metra lot in downtown Northbrook accommodated Northbrook Days for the fourth consecutive summer over the festival’s five days starting July 31.
Weather for most of the Northbrook Civic Foundation festival was banner. The attendance estimate over the five days was 25,000 to 30,000 people.
Civic presents the annual event with a fundraiser goal of $100,000 benefiting community projects and scholarships.
Previous festival venues included the west side of Northbrook Court and for decades at Village Green Park.
The Northbrook Park District has not allowed Northbrook Days to take place at Village Green Park to protect baseball field surfaces and the mature tree root system from heavy equipment amid carnival traffic.
This anniversary year was also significant because while the west commuter lot seems to be the new home for Northbrook Days, Civic lost its Civic Building home address at 2002 Walters Avenue the Monday after the festival closed on Aug. 4.
Happy Birthday.
At the April 9 Northbrook Village Board of Trustees meeting, trustees unanimously voted to sell the village’s Civic Building for $1 “as is” via ordinance to the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry, instead of choosing Civic, which also made a pitch to buy for $1.
The Village began ownership discussions in 2022 with Civic and the chamber. Civic and the chamber presented their cases in a late December closed session with the village board.
An Aug. 22, 2023 memo indicated the Village in 2020 estimated building upgrades at $300,000. The sale closing was set for last May.
A Sept. 12, 2023 Village memo promised, “an open process of seeking a purchaser,” via a competitive RFP (Request for Proposal).
An April 9, 2024 Village memo stated, “it was concluded that the Chamber demonstrated … it could own, operate and rehab the building to ensure its continued use for the community’s benefit.”
Last April, Steve Amberg of Northbrook, vice president and acting president of the Civic Foundation board of directors, told Pioneer Press, “We are disappointed but accept the Village decision.”
On July 31, Amberg confirmed Civic is renting monthly storage in Northbrook for its equipment, “which is going to work out fine for us.
“We’re looking at options as far as where we’re going to hold our meetings in the future.
“Northbrook Days is not ending, we made it 100 years and we hope there will be 100 more,” Amberg said.
“We’re not worried.”
The April 9 memo indicated the Civic Foundation had a role in the Civic Building 1920s construction. The property has been at Village Hall, fire station and library.
In 1983, the Village leased the property to Civic with contract authority to sublease. The chamber assumed tenancy. The building name stays the same using “Civic.”
By omnibus vote, trustees on April 9 unanimously dissolved the Village’s lease with Civic by resolution.
Mutual termination legalese states, “After August 4, 2024, Civic will vacate and surrender the premises, remove any and all personal belongings from the premises and turn over all keys to the premises, unless Civic and purchaser enter into a new lease agreement.”
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The Chamber has no legal obligation to rent to Civic and, “the Village will not participate in the negotiation of any such lease agreement,” according to paperwork.
Matt Settler of Buffalo Grove, Northbrook Days co-chair with Ellen Westel of Northbrook, is upbeat about the future of Civic and Northbrook Days, but personally, “This year is bittersweet for me.
“This will be my last year in charge,” Settler said. “I am very excited to hand it off to some up-and-coming leaders.
“This has been something that I’ve done for the Northbrook community for 11 summers and I’m very excited to see where it goes,” Settler said.
“I appreciate everybody’s support.”
Police security was overtly visible on Saturday evening with multiple officers walking the grounds. The public was notified by onsite signage of a police drone in use. A temporary police observation tower was placed in the east commuter lot.
Another panorama viewing spot for ticket holders was the Ferris wheel, offering an eastern view of treetops at the former festival venue of Village Green Park when Northbrook Day (singular second word then) launched in August of 1925. A Northbrook Day-wide shot group photograph was taken.
The 2024 festival offered an anniversary history tent in honor of the 100-year timeline.
Paula Martinez of Northbrook received a kiss from daughter Sofia, 5, a rising kindergartner, on top of the Ferris wheel. Sofia’s father Luis Martinez thanked those who make Northbrook Days a reality.
“We love coming here as a family every single year,” Sofia’s father said.
“It’s a great opportunity to join the community and it really does feel like we’re making memories and making traditions.”
Visit http://northbrookcivic.com.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.