“Perfect” day for Buffalo Grove parade

Karen Berkson was relieved and thrilled that Sunday’s weather wasn’t anything like the day before.

Berkson was one of the hundreds of people who lined Bernard Drive in Buffalo Grove early Sunday afternoon, waiting for the Buffalo Grove Days parade to begin.

“I don’t think I could have lasted in that heat,” Berkson, a longtime Buffalo Grove resident, said. “Today, though, is just perfect — a wonderful day to be outside, a wonderful day for a parade.”

The parade was a highlight of the fourth day of the annual Buffalo Grove Days festival, which continues through Monday. The event, which started Thursday, has offered carnival rides, an arts and crafts fair, plenty of food and drink and a diverse slate of live music.

The parade stepped off at 1 p.m. Sunday with the familiar sound of sirens from village emergency vehicles. Children eagerly scooped up the candy treats that the personnel in the passing vehicles tossed out.

Other marchers went by, from Buffalo Grove’s elected officials, to the Chain O’ Lakes Model A Club, to the marching bands from Buffalo Grove, Stevenson and Wheeling high schools.

Judith Sowa, who grew up in Buffalo Grove and now lives in Evanston, said she likes coming back to the village for community events like Buffalo Grove Days.

“I see some old friends, and it’s just fun to walk around the neighborhood I grew up in. And my kids really love parades, so this was a no-brainer,” she said, while the Buffalo Grove High School band marched by, playing a version of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”

Buffalo Grove Days will continue Monday with more carnival rides, a business fair and the Rotary Duck Race. Most activities take place near the intersection of Lake-Cook Road and Raupp Boulevard.

For information, go to bgdays.com.