Northbrook Days Seeking New Venue

NORTHBROOK, IL — The volunteer committee of residents who plan and carry out Northbrook Days is looking for a new venue in the village. According to a release from the organization, the annual festival in its current form will not be allowed in any of the Northbrook Park District venues as all rides must now be on paved surfaces.

The Northbrook Days Committee of the Northbrook Civic Foundation has researched multiple
alternatives and remains hopeful a new location can be secured. The committee is planning for an August 2021 festival after this year’s event was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the release.

“This pandemic year has reinforced the value of large gatherings like Northbrook Days to build community bonds and family memories. If we don’t value the traditions that make this a true hometown, they will vanish,” said Ellen Westel, president of the Northbrook Civic Foundation, in the release. “Generations of Northbrook volunteers have worked long hours alongside park district personnel to stage the festival at Village Green Park every summer for decades. We thank the park district for those years of cooperation.”

The Foundation has asked the Northbrook Park District whether any of its properties – including Village Green, Meadowhill, Techny Prairie and Wood Oaks parks – could accommodate the festival with its carnival rides, according to the release. In a letter, Park District Board members, the Director of Parks and Properties, and the Executive Director have denied the request, concluding "that all rides must be on hard surfaces and that no park district facility has such paved capacity."

Park district board members, according to the release, have suggested that the festival be re-imagined as a food and music festival.

"While that is a good idea, the foundation sees the carnival as core to the festival, making it a family event that children around town eagerly await each August," the release reads. "The carnival also makes the foundation’s fundraising mission possible, raising funds for college scholarships and community grants."

Over the last 60 years, the Northbrook Civic Foundation has donated more than $400,000 to Northbrook Park District improvement projects and millions more in scholarships and grants in the community, according to the release.

The Foundation will update the public as a new venue may be secured. Those wishing to share ideas or participate in the festival planning process are encouraged to contact us at info@northbrookcivic.com.