On Labor Day, the suburbs showed there’s still some summer left to enjoy

Though kids may already be back at school, Labor Day still had the look and feel of a suburban summer.

With pleasantly perfect weather — temperatures reaching 80 degrees, low humidity and sunny skies — it was a great day for a parade, and a festival or two or three.

Schaumburg’s Septemberfest, Naperville’s Last Fling, Buffalo Grove Days, Long Grove Irish Days and the Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival in Geneva were among the places Monday where people marked the unofficial end of summer.

The 55th Septemberfest was held in conjunction with the celebration of Schaumburg’s 70th anniversary.

The fest wrapped up with the bang of Max Weinberg’s drum Monday night. Weinberg, of the four-piece Max Weinberg’s Jukebox band since 2017, is better known as the drummer from Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and the bandleader for Conan O'Brien’s late night talk shows.

Weinberg’s opener was Knievel’s Daredevil Band, fronted by Krysten Knievel, granddaughter of the legendary daredevil Evel.

The day stepped off with Schaumburg’s Labor Day parade along Summit Drive — a milelong, hourslong cavalcade of more than 70 marching units, including the high school bands from Schaumburg and Conant, folk dance performers, civic groups, and even the Wienermobile. Marchers handed out mini American flags and candy for the kids.

There were politicians stumping for votes, too, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, GOP U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy, and 8th congressional district Democratic candidate Melissa Bean.

The festivities took place in and around the ongoing — though nearly complete — construction of a new village hall on the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Campus.

Naperville, too, kicked off the day with a parade. Thousands lined the route that started at Naperville North High School, winded its way through downtown and finished at Naperville Central High School.

The end-of-summer downtown block party, along Jackson Avenue near the Riverwalk, closed out four days of partying with music from oldies rockers Rick Lindy and the Wild Ones and 1980s rockers Hi Infidelity.

Now in its 61st year and the largest annual fundraiser for the Naperville Jaycees, Last Fling also featured a complimentary lunch for military veterans, a busy carnival rides area and food and drink from 17 businesses.