Community Corner

'Everyone Has a Good Time' At Buffalo Grove Days

Volunteers spearhead five-day fest

Paulette Greenberg promised she "did the no-rain dance" well before the village kicked off its five-day Buffalo Grove Days festival Thursday night.

"It didn't work," Greenberg acknowledged Saturday. But by then, Thursday's downpour and lightning storm, which forced the carnival to close about an hour early, were but a memory. The rain soon gave way to sunny skies and cool air, drawing thousands of people to Buffalo Grove Days' many attractions, which included rides and games, an arts and crafts fair, and a wide variety of entertainment for all ages.

Highlights this year included "BGPalooza," a two-day musical venue that showcased local high school and college bands; a kids' health fair; the fifth annual BBQ Challenge; Sunday's parade down Bernard Drive, and Monday morning's private admission for people with disabilities.

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And Greenberg was there through it all.

Though Buffalo Grove Days is a village-sponsored event, roughly 90 percent of the work falls on the shoulders of volunteers. Greenberg and JV Springman served as co-chairs of this year's fest, coordinating other volunteers and working behind the scenes, from morning til midnight, to ensure everything ran smoothly.

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Greenberg said she joined the Buffalo Grove Days committee 18 years ago, when her daughter was in high school.

"I knew she was going to college, and I wanted to get involved with something," she said.

After more than a dozen years as a committee member, she stepped up to co-chair the event, a responsibility she's held for either four or five years, said Greenberg, who's lost count. Working with Springman, she oversees the rest of the committee, which this year amassed a record 56 members. The volunteers devoted countless hours to the planning and implementation of the event in exchange for the only payment Buffalo Grove Days offers — water bottles and T-shirts.

Springman has co-chaired the event for seven of the 15 years he's served on the committee. "When this one ends, we start talking about next year," he told officials and audience members at last week's Village Board meeting.

This year's event will officially conclude with a committee wrap-up party at the end of the month. Volunteers take a few months off, and come January, will begin planning next year's festival.

The role of a co-chair is demanding and tiring, acknowledged Greenberg, who balances the responsibilty with her full-time job as an insurance adjuster, and this year also jumped in to co-chair the village's farmers market. But, she added, it's also rewarding.

"Little things go wrong, but on the outside, no one knows, and that's how it should be," she said. "Everyone has a good time."

"It's still fun," she added. "When it stops being fun, I'll stop."


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