Shermerfest Offers Good, Old-Fashioned Family Fun
The Northbrook Historical Society invites the community to the 36th Annual Shermerfest on Sunday, September 21 from noon to 4pm at Village Green Park for music, magic, vintage cars, food and children's entertainment. The festival celebrates the history of Northbrook, which originally was called Shermerville.
"We started offering this event as a way to thank the community for supporting the efforts of the Historical Society. It's our major fundraiser," said Judy Hughes, Northbrook Historical Society President. "We want to provide the people of Northbrook with a low-key event that hearkens back to the old-time events in the park and brings together that spirit of community."
In fact, Hughes is inviting everyone in Northbrook to stop by a photo booth for a community photo, which will record their place in history and celebrate the Historical Society's 40th anniversary. A similar community photo was taken in 1925 at the first Northbrook Days.
Families can start the afternoon with an outdoor picnic lunch of hot dogs, popcorn, chips and soda, sponsored by Sunset Foods. Indoors, the Northfield Inn, which serves as the Northbrook Historical Museum, offers a bake sale and soup lunch. Visitors can donate or purchase a homemade dessert.
An Apple Dessert Baking Contest returns for the second year, co-sponsored by the Northbrook Farmers Market. Judging begins at 1pm, and entry forms are available at northbrookhistory.org.
Musical entertainment begins at 1:30pm with a toe-tapping performance by Legacy Girls, a vocal trio that thrills audiences with Boogie Woogie hits and jukebox favorites. The performance is sponsored by grants from the Northbrook Arts Commission and the Society of the Divine Word.
One of the highlights of Shermerfest is the "Classic Northbrook" Antique Car and Truck Display, sponsored by KZF Development. "I love the cars and love listening to parents and grandparents walking with children and talking about their first cars and trying to find them," Hughes added.
A silent auction gives visitors a chance to bid on items donated by local businesses. And, visitors can purchase beautiful fall mums to take home. People also can pick up raffle tickets for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind catered dinner and show for 12 people at the Northfield Inn.
At 2pm, the Northern Illinois Raptor Center will present a program about owls, sponsored by Glenview State Bank. Other activities include trackless train rides and a magic show (sponsored by Northbrook Rotary Club); face painting (sponsored by Northbrook Bank and Trust, Eye Level Learning Center and Allegra Marketing * Print * Mail); balloon twisting, and old-fashioned game-making (sponsored by the NSYMCA).
For a fee of $5, children can create a scarecrow if they bring clothing from home; the heads and straw filling will be provided by Wagner Farm and the Glenview Clovers 4-H Club.
"It's just a fun day. Bring a chair. Listen to the music. Wander. Look at the cars. Have a hot dog or a delicious bowl of soup. We have a little something for everyone!" Hughes said.
All ages are welcome at Shermerfest, which is presented in partnership with the Northbrook Park District. For safety and cleanliness, no dogs are allowed in the park during the event.
For more information, call the Historical Society at 847•498•3404.