Hot time at Itasca Fest
John Wallach looked surprised when asked if Sunday’s heat was bothering him.
“What do you mean?” he said. “I expect this at a summer festival. It makes the beer taste a lot better.”
Wallach was one of the hundreds of folks who braved the high temperatures Sunday to enjoy the last day of Itasca Fest, a four-day event hosted by the Itasca Lions Club in Washington Park.
The festival offered something for just about everyone — carnival rides, a fishing derby, a classic car show and plenty of food and drink.
Live music also was a big attraction. Heartache Tonight, an Eagles tribute band, and American English, a Beatles tribute band, closed out the entertainment Sunday night.
“It’s just a nice hometown thing to do during summer,” Wallach said. “And the kids always have a good time.”
While children screamed on the carnival rides Sunday afternoon, a number of car enthusiasts checked out the vintage rides on display at the car show across the street.
Wood Dale resident Bernard Fredericks displayed his 1928 Ford Model A Roadster at the show.
“I go to a lot of shows and you see plenty of cars from the 1950s and 1960s, but not as many of the really old ones,” he said. “I love these old cars, the feeling of nostalgia you get, the waves and thumbs-up you see when you drive it.”
When asked about today’s brand of cars, Fredericks shook his head.
“They all look the same,” he said. “There is not one new car that I really like.”