The village of Northbrook celebrated the 48th annual Shermerfest at Village Green Park on Sunday with a car parade, a cow that nearly seriously injured its handler and a tribute to the late president of the Northbrook Historical Society, which organizes the fest.
Scott Thompson, the current president of the Northbrook Historical Society, paused from his volunteer job selling popcorn from the Sunset Foods red trolley to say, “I can’t fill her shoes, that’s not possible. Shermerfest was her dream child and it’s really been a great day honoring her.”
Shermerfest included a classic car show and morning CARavan of collectible vehicles motoring throughout portions of Northbrook to Village Green Park.
More than 120 cars were expected, said Brian P. Bruce, Sr., Shermerfest Committee chairman and Northbrook Historical Society director.
The parade route began at the North Suburban YMCA on Techny Road at 10:30 a.m. and traveled through Covenant Living of Northbrook and then to Western Avenue to Cherry Lane into Church Street with a turn onto Walters Avenue to arrive at the museum for the noon event start.
“Shermerfest builds community in several ways,” Bruce said.
“It allows us to celebrate our past and appreciate our roots through our preserved history.
“It incorporates many community organizations that make up some of the fabric of Northbrook today,” Bruce added.
“The event hopes to take you back to other times in history where you may experience a different sense of belonging to your community,” Bruce said.
Amenities for the society’s fundraiser included food for purchase, fall mum sales, live music in the gazebo, a community table and booth fair plus the opportunity to see historic items in the museum.
The Rotary Club of Northbrook’s Rubber Ducky Race began at 3 p.m. and spectators once again lined the upper riverbanks.
Popular too was the annual Cow Pie Moo-lette with Brian Bruce again as referee.
Volunteer Ron Bernardi was back as emcee, wearing a black cowboy hat.
Volunteers had painted a section of grass into a white grid, and competitors could buy a raffle ticket for a square of their choice. If the cow deposited a cow pie into a particular square, that ticket holder would have been the winner.
This year’s bovine was named Liberty, 2, a female Guernsey dairy cow born at Historic Wagner Farm of Glenview. With the excitement of onlookers cheering, Liberty did not produce a cow pie.
Instead, the cow rushed her handler Eathan Knouse of Arlington Heights, assistant farm manager at Historic Wagner Farm.
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While it was Football Sunday, Knouse didn’t seem to expect such a fast tackling move from a possibly bored cow weighing between 1,300 to 1,500 pounds. He tumbled, but got up right away and carried on with the proceedings.
Eventually, the organizers drew raffle tickets out of their container to determine the winner.
In a tribute to former society president Judy Hughes, who died suddenly last Dec. 27 at 81, a village proclamation in her honor was displayed on a table inside the society’s museum.
Elyse Malamud of Northbrook, Northbrook Historical Society board member and of the Glenbrook North High School Class of 2023, read the proclamation to spectators from the park’s gazebo.
“I think she would have loved this,” Malamud said.
Bernardi gave Judy Hughes credit for growing Shermerfest to what it is today.
“I’ve seen Shermerfest evolve,” Bernardi said. “It grew and grew over the years.
“Such a beautiful day, but we miss Judy,” Bernardi said. “She would be very pleased.”