Bloomingdale approves $20K for Septemberfest

Bloomingdale likely will use $20,000 of village money to resurrect the annual Septemberfest celebration, which was canceled last year due to budget constraints.

The Septemberfest committee meets Wednesday and must give the final OK for the event’s budget, but officials say all signs point toward the fest returning.

If the celebration moves forward, it probably will be smaller than in past years when Bloomingdale spent about $35,000. Typically scheduled the weekend after Labor Day, Septemberfest includes live music, a parade, food and more.

But Village Administrator Martin Bourke said all events might have to be pared down, and volunteers may need to step up.

“They have to do more with less in theory,” Bourke said. “The parade probably won’t be as expensive and there will probably be more burden on volunteers rather than village staff members being paid overtime, but I’m not sure exactly how the (committee) is going to structure it.”

Earlier this month, officials suggested pairing several public works employees with teams of volunteers for parade detail and fest cleanup. Police Chief Frank Giammarese also said volunteers could be used to help assist police officers to save money at the fest.

The village plans to save more than $2,000 by cutting back on newspaper advertising and promoting the fest through the village newsletter and on Twitter.

Bloomingdale will use its hotel tax revenues to pay for the fest, and booth fees would be the only source of revenue from the event, Village President Bob Iden said.

Several village trustees recently said it is important to bring back Septemberfest, since it helps shape Bloomingdale’s identity. In addition, it is now the only fest in the village, since Bloomingdale also canceled its larger-scale Family Fest, which typically was held for four days in late June and included fireworks.