Bartlett business owners plan to expand Heritage Days

Bartlett business owners met this month as they continue planning and expanding an outdoor fall festival that debuted last year.

It’s not occurring for another five months, but business owners are excited for the second-annual Heritage Days, planned for Sept. 9 through Sept. 11 in downtown Bartlett.

This year, the event will overlap with the annual Arts in Bartlett Arts and Crafts Festival, planned for Sept. 10 and Sept. 11.

When they held the first Heritage Days last year, it was a response to the newly remodeled Metra train station downtown.

This year’s iteration includes a classic car show, flea market, pet and bike parades, live music and historic tours through Bartlett.

“This is not your run-of-the-mill festival where you get the Buckinghams to play on Sunday,” said Bruce Suffern, referring to the band which often tours community fests. “It’s more of a family, daytime, community-kind of an event.”

Suffern, owner of the Shoppes at Banbury Fair, was part of a group of business owners called the Downtown Bartlett Business Group. That group has now been dissolved and been reborn as a not-for-profit which wants to organize Heritage Days similar to how the Bartlett Lions Club holds its Fourth of July celebration. Improved record keeping is one the strengths of the move, and sponsors can donate money with more confidence knowing where their funds are going, Suffern said.

They’ve unveiled a website, bartlettheritagedays.com. Suffern said he wants school districts, youth sports and other not-for-profit groups to use the festival to their advantage.

“We would love nothing more if they used this event to help them raise money,” Suffern said.

They’ve teamed up with the arts and crafts festival as, Suffern said, Arts in Bartlett has always rallied to aid the former business owners’ group. That group was formed to draw customers to downtown Bartlett, which has struggled keeping businesses.

Bartlett village officials earlier this month approved incentives to bring 2Toots Train Whistle Grill to downtown. Officials see the locomotive-themed restaurant aimed at children as a destination attraction that could help drive traffic to Bartlett. The chain has locations in Glen Ellyn and Downers Grove.

About a dozen people met earlier this month to help plan Heritage Days. The group will meet again at 6 p.m. on May 14 at Bartlett village hall. Suffern is inviting anyone interested in planning to attend. Call (630) 924-4263 for more information.Of course, summer celebrations aren#146;t new for Bartlett, which has seen Bonanza Days and Banbury Days come and go over the last decade. But this time Suffern wants to see Heritage Days stay, and he wants as much input as possible.