Bloomingdale sends off summer with Septemberfest

Saying goodbye to summer is never easy, but it can be fun.

The season gets a relaxing and entertaining send-off Saturday, Sept. 9, when Bloomingdale Septemberfest combines music, food, crafts, a car show and a parade.

The annual event, in its 44th year, opens at 11 a.m. with a parade that begins at DuJardin Elementary School, 166 S. Euclid Avenue, marches west on Schick Road and ends at Old Town Park near the corner of Third and Franklin Streets.

Winners of the Joe Draghi Septemberfest Scholarships will be announced at 12:15 p.m. Four college scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded to Bloomingdale students in memory of Draghi, a longtime community supporter who helped found both the scholarship program and Septemberfest.

"Septemberfest was actually created as a way to give scholarships," said Vivi Frumkin, a member of the all-volunteer Septemberfest Commission.

The fest will host about 60 businesses and craft vendor booths in Old Town Park. Frumkin said shoppers will find jewelry, scented candles, crocheted dish towels, plants, dolls, toys, baby bibs, sports-themed clothes and birdhouses.

"An incredible amount of vendors have also donated to the scholarship fund," Frumkin said. "That, I think, is very commendable."

Twenty-one food vendors will sell a variety of sandwiches and dishes, including ice cream. Beer and wine will be available at the Bloomingdale Lions Club booth.

Pets and Vets, a nonprofit organization that brings veterans together with rescued dogs, will make its Septemberfest debut. Founder Peter Thomas Cangelosi, a Bloomingdale native, will be on hand with pet supplies and information about how his organization helps veterans and dogs.

The Septemberfest Car Show, running 12:30 to 4 p.m. next to Rooster's Barn and Grill, 122 W. Lake St., will feature cars dating from the 1920s to the present.

"I think it was over 90 cars last year," Frumkin said.

Stage entertainment begins at 12:30 p.m. with performers from the Bloomingdale School of Music, followed by dancers from Center Stage Dance Studio at 1 p.m. and a 1:30 p.m. show from Bloomingdale Park District dancers. A Ronald McDonald magic show is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Bloomingdale Police Department will demonstrate how they train dogs for police work with the help of Kane, the canine, at 2:30 p.m., then at 3:30 p.m. is an audience participation presentation of the Kid Bucks Game Show.

The evening entertainment lineup includes a 6 p.m. show with DIVA, a band that specializes in covering female pop stars' hits. The night closes out with Chicago-area rock band Modern Day Romeos at 8 p.m.

In conjunction with Septemberfest, Frumkin said, carnival rides will be available nearby in the parking lot at St. Paul's Evangelical Church, 118 First St.