Nostalgia reigns supreme at Streamwood festival

Festivals draw their strength from links to the past, as parents share what they enjoyed in their youth with their own children: amusement park rides, clowns, carnival games.

This year's three-day Streamwood Summer Celebration offered all this, plus something new. And that, too, was old: an antique car show.

For Patti Bryant, who was raised in Streamwood but lives in Poplar Grove, even the shuttle from village hall to Hoosier Grove Park, where the celebration took place, held an element of nostalgia.

"This brings back memories," she said of riding the school bus that drove her, her mother, Jean Domain, and her 4-year-old son Tyler to the park on Sunday.

This year's 15th annual celebration was jointly sponsored by the village, the park district and the chamber of commerce. Debbie Karner, Streamwood Park District superintendent of recreation, estimated the weekend brought in around 10,000 people.

"We were definitely at our highest range of attendance this year," said Karner. "Whether it's the 'staycations' or people needed a summer break, we don't know, but we're happy they're here."

Rides were, of course, a big attraction for children. Maeve Giafagleone, 10, of Chicago, who attended with family from Streamwood, said she enjoyed the Berry-Go-Round, an enormous spinning strawberry, especially when it went "super-duper fast."

Five-year-old Joe Baran amused himself with miniature golf, along with his uncle, Streamwood resident Rene Vasquez. Vasquez said the boy played last year and begged his uncle to take him again.

Vasquez also said he looks forward to the celebration every year.

"When I was growing up here, we had the St. John's Country Fair, and that's what my wife and I always remember from when we were kids," he said.

The park district's Barbara Lund said this year's new antique car show replaces the traditional craft show. The show attracted 12 entries, including Salomon Aguirre's 1946 Pontiac Torpedo, resplendent in gleaming cream paint and whitewall tires. The Streamwood resident, who works as a chef in West Dundee, said he bought the car for $6,000 and gave it a coating of new paint.

"We think we're going to have a much bigger turnout next year," Lund said.

Overall, Streamwood Mayor Billie Roth said the whole fest turnout exceeded expectations.

"We have a lot of out-of-town people who are visiting other people here," she said. "We know that from checking IDs for wristbanding. We have quite a diverse crowd, not only from Streamwood, but from the surrounding areas and out of state."